The American Bakers Association on April 10 commended the members of the House of Representatives responsible for introducing the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, which seeks to establish a federal labeling standard for food and beverage products made with bioengineered ingredients, or genetically modified ingredients (GMOs).

“This is an important first step to foster the necessary dialogue regarding the food supply and appropriate communication to consumers,” said Robb MacKie, president and chief executive officer of the Washington-based A.B.A. “H.R. 4432 would reaffirm the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as our nation’s leading authority over food safety and labeling.

“By empowering FDA to conduct safety reviews and determine labeling mandates of new food ingredients, this bill offers a consistent national labeling standard to help companies inform consumers without the costly and confusing patchwork of labeling requirements derived from ballot initiatives and state and local legislatures.”

Representative Mike Pompeo of Kansas and representative G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina co-sponsored the bill that was introduced into the House of Representatives on April. 9.