A federal district court has issued a final remedy decision ordering the U.S. Department of Agriculture to update its bioengineered food disclosure rules by January 1, 2028. The ruling follows years of litigation brought by the Center for Food Safety and a coalition of nonprofit organizations and organic retailers.
The decision stems from a challenge to the USDA’s implementation of the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard. Previous court rulings found that the agency acted unlawfully by exempting ultra-processed bioengineered foods, such as corn and soy oils, and by allowing companies to rely solely on digital QR codes instead of on-package text or symbols.
While the USDA requested additional time to implement changes through 2029, the district court rejected the proposed delay. The agency is now expected to draft redone rules over the next year to address both the ultra-processed ingredient exemption and the QR code disclosure method.
“Yesterday’s decision was the final nail in the coffin of the 2021 unlawful GMO labeling regulations,” said George Kimbrell, Legal Director for the Center for Food Safety and legal counsel in the case. “We are gratified that the district court, like the court of appeals before it, has agreed with our legal arguments and struck them down.”
The plaintiff coalition represented in the lawsuit includes Natural Grocers, PCC Natural Markets, Good Earth Natural Foods, National Organic Coalition, Citizens for GMO Labeling, Label GMOs, and Rural Vermont.
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