Soon, the ingredients label on your bag of potato chips may not list everything that goes into each crunchy bite.

The House of Representatives approved legislation in July that would end states’ ability to regulate the labeling of genetically modified organisms.

If passed, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015 would create a national standard for labeling laws, but it would not require food companies to label their use of those ingredients.

“The bill would still allow [genetically modified] labeling,” said Nicole Crain, a lobbyist for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry. “The goal is to create something similar to the USDA organic program: national, voluntary, and transparent.”

Crain said the legislation is not a mandate — it would only set up guidelines and requirements if food companies want to label their foods.

“From a business perspective, everyone is going to play by the same set of standards,” Crain said. “But there is still confusion on [genetically modifieds].”

A lot of confusion, it seems.

Ruth MacDonald, a professor and the head of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University, said misinformation about the modified food creates confusion on whether they can be a part of a healthy and safe diet.

“We live in a world today where anybody can look online and become associated with a point of view that isn’t in anyway vetted through a scientific perspective,” she said. “The lens of science is absent from this debate.”

MacDonald said she believes there should be a national standard for food labeling, just not mandatory labeling requirements. Other state leaders agree.

“The legislation is a good thing as long as it maintains voluntary labeling,” said Bob Hemesath, the Iowa Corn Growers Association president and a farmer. “It gives companies the opportunity to label if they’d like, but also has guidelines.”

MacDonald and Hemesath both advocate for the use of genetically modified organisms and say there is plenty of science to back their use.

“They’ve improved the way we farm by giving us plants that are able to resist disease and insects,” Hemesath said. “We use less insecticide to kill pests and fewer chemicals to kill weeds.”

Hemesath said the modified crops allow farmers to use less herbicide, which is good for consumers as far as a food-safety aspect.

“Science has proven [genetically modified crops] to be very effective and very safe,” Hemesath said. “They have been a tool that has made farming better for the environment, better for my family, and better for the consumer; they are a good thing.”

Organizations and businesses against the use of such crops are also talking about the legislation.

Theresa Carbrey, the education coordinator for the New Pioneer Food Co-op, 22 S. Van Buren St., said the store does not knowingly sell products that contain such organisms.

“We have not seen that they are proven safe, and we feel there are associated environmental hazards,” Carbrey said. “We prefer sustainable agricultural methods.”

Carbrey said she thinks a national standard for food labels would help create more transparency for consumers.

“We as an organization would like to see [such crops] identified,” Carbrey said. “We believe people have the right to know what’s in their food and make the right choices for themselves.”

Carbrey believes this legislation denies consumers the right to know where their food comes from.

“It’s anti-consumer, ” Carbrey said. “Why don’t we get to know this?”

Both MacDonald and Hemesath said allowing states to determine label regulations themselves, the current practice, creates even more confusion for consumers.

“We’re seeing states starting to have labeling bills, and it’s confusing to consumers because states are making different legislation,” Hemesath said. “This would have one standard for the whole country.”

MacDonald added that state-by-state labeling regulations would be a “nightmare” for the food industry and raise the price of food unnecessarily.