USDA develops first government label for GMO-free products
By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press
May 14, 2015 2:24 AM CDT
FILE - This May 10, 2013, file photo shows a genetically engineered potato poking through the soil of a planting pot inside J.R. Simplot's lab in southwestern Idaho. The Agriculture Department has developed the first government certification and labeling for foods that are free of genetically modified...   (Associated Press)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Agriculture Department has developed the first government certification and labeling for foods that are free of genetically modified ingredients.

USDA's move comes as some consumer groups push for mandatory labeling of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.

Certification would be voluntary — and companies would have to pay for it. If approved, the foods would be able to carry a "USDA Process Verified" label along with a claim that they are free of GMOs.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack outlined the department's plan in a May 1 letter to employees, saying the certification is being done at the request of a "leading global company," which he did not identify. A copy of the letter has been obtained by The Associated Press.