Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1073706
www.SugarProducer.com 29 their key arguments. We battled fiercely to get the bill drafted correctly, then battled to get it passed in Congress, and finally battled to get the final rule implemented properly. In the end, we won all those battles. For farmers who grow bioengineered crops (soy, corn, canola and others), this means their ability to use bioengineered crops is protected. At the outset, the rule makes it clear that bioengineered crops or ingredients derived from bioengineered crops are safe. The rule makes it abundantly clear that there are no health, safety or nutritional differences between biotech crops and conventional crops. The final rule is clear and concise. Very simply, the rule requires the labeling of foods that contain bioengineered protein or DNA, but does not require the labeling of foods that don't. Refined ingredients such as oils, starches or sugars made from bioengineered crops do not contain DNA or protein. The use of bioengineered crops does not cause a difference in these ingredients, and it would have been misleading to consumers to suggest otherwise. The core issue for our industry was to make sure that refined sugar from a biotech plant would not have to be labeled as bioengineered because it does not contain protein or DNA. Other countries that have labeling requirements— Australia, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand and South Korea— also exempt sugar from their disclosure requirement because refined sugar from bioengineered sugarbeets is identical to refined sugar produced from conventional or organic beet or cane. This is not only the case for beet sugar, but other refined products such as corn sweeteners, syrups and refined oils from corn, soy and canola. The rule provides clarity that the market needed. This recognition that refined sugar, regardless of the source, is identical, is particularly important when house or store brands may have bags of sugar that are sourced from beet and cane suppliers, and can use the same bag. What this means to growers is that more customers may source beet sugar in the long term, and there is no reason to discount the product simply because of the sugar being