Biotech Updates

Labeling for Bio-Based Products

January 21, 2011

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's BioPreferred program will initiate a voluntary product certification and labeling program for qualifying biobased products. Biobased products are those composed wholly or significantly of biological ingredients ( renewable plant, animal, marine or forestry materials). It is hoped that this action will promote the increased sale and use of these products in the commercial market and for consumers.

"Today's consumers are increasingly interested in making educated purchasing choices for their families," said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. "This label will make those decisions easier by identifying products as biobased. These products have enormous potential to create green jobs in rural communities, add value to agricultural commodities, decrease environmental impacts, and reduce our dependence on imported oil." The new label assures that the product meets USDA standards for a prescribed amount of biobased content.

Details of this news are at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os_gAC9-wMJ8QY0MDpxBDA09nXw9DFxcXQ-
cAA_1wkA5kFaGuQBXeASbmnu4uBgbe5hB5AxzA0UDfzyM_N1W_IDs7zdFRUREAZXAypA!!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvU
Ut3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfUDhNVlZMVDMxMEJUMTBJQ01IMURERDFDUDA!/?contentidonly=true&contentid=2011%2f01%2f0015.xml
.