NEW! Bioengineered / GMO Food Label

GMO = Bioengineered

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's) are now referred to as BIOENGINEERED. 

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) established a new national mandatory requirement to disclose foods that are bioengineered/GMO or have bioengineered/GMO ingredients. 

The goal of the new disclosure law is to require food producers to inform customers about the foods and ingredients that come from bioengineered/GMO crops. AllianceforScience

Bioengineered/GMO crops include soy, cotton, corn, canola and sugar beets grown through genetic techniques. USDA

Many bioengineered/GMO crops are used to make ingredients that are in processed foods such as cornstarch, corn syrup, soybean oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, and sugar. FDA

Additional bioengineered/GMO ingredients include: Aspartame, Nutrasweet, baking powder, MSG (monosodium glutamate), alcohol and baby formula. Mamavation

Fresh fruit and vegetables that are bioengineered/GMO include potatoes, summer squash, apples, papayas, and pink pineapples. FDA

The National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law (NBFDL) and USDA’s regulations require all foods and ingredients that are bioengineered/GMO to have a disclosure or label using one of four methods.

1. Text on the food product packaging such as as “this is a bioengineered food” or “contains bioengineered ingredients”.

2. Bioengineering label on the packaging.

   

3. Electronic or digital link on the package such as a QR code, bar code, or SmartLabel.

The link takes you to an online webpage with disclosure information.

4. Phone number on the package which you can call or text to receive information about the bioengineered content. 

*Note that the required bioengineered/GMO disclosure/label is not always readily apparent. Look at your package closely!  The majority of packages do not include the big green Bioengineered label.  Most packaging has a very small disclosure statement in tiny font near the ingredients list.  

Foods That Are Not Included in the the New Bioengineering/GMO Disclosure Law 

There are several exemptions from the new law.  Ultra-proccesed foods which have no detectable modified DNA do not have to be identified as bioengineered/GMO. This type of ingredient includes: sugar, corn oil, canola oil and high fructose corn syrup. AllianceforScience

Also, there are no requirements to tell you if an animal was fed bioengineered/GMO crops, or if the meat in a prepared food (like a frozen meal) was produced with bioengineering/GMO ingredients. Rainbow Acres

What is Bioengineered/GMO?

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. Organisms are plants, animals, bacteria, or viruses.  Genetically modified organisms are organisms that have had their DNA changed using science. Scientists can take the trait of one organism and inject it into another organism's DNA to change it.

Bioengineered or GMO is when the genetic structure of a plant or animal has been scientifically modified in a lab to produce a new crop that will be better for farming. Rainbow Acres  

Why Grow Bioengineered/GMO Crops?

Bioengineered/GMO crops have resulted in a 22% increase in agricultural yield and a 68% increase in farmers’ profit. National Library of Medicine

With bioengineering/GMO farmers are able to spray the herbicide Glysophate / RoundUp

on soy, corn and cotton plants for weed prevention without killing the crop itself. Forbes

Bt Corn was developed to produce the insecticide Bt toxin. With this toxin, the corn is able to resist pests. HealthLine

Bioengineered techniques can also enhance foods’ nutrients, flavor, and appearance. HealthLine  For example, Golden Rice was developed to prevent blindness. HealthLine  Browning Resistant Apples were created so that sliced apples do not brown when exposed to air. ScientificAmerican

Volume of Bioengineered/GMO Crops

Large scale commercial production of bioengineered/GMO crops began in 1994 and has rapidly expanded. National Library of Medicine

Over the last 28 years, the use of genetic modification has become an industry standard. 

USDA

Today bioengineered/GMO crops are incredibly common in the US, with at least 90% of soy, cotton, and corn grown through genetic techniques. HealthLine 

The graph above indicates that in 2020, bioengineered/GMO canola and sugar beets made up 100% of all seeds planted. 

Why Isn't Wheat Bioengineered/GMO?

Globally wheat is the most widely grown cereal crop, farmed on more acres than any other commercial crop. EngageTheChain Wheat is produced on the third most acres in the US  following corn and soybeans. AgricultureMarket

Because wheat tends to be used directly as a human food ingredient and because of consumer concerns about genetically modified food, there is less investment in genetic engineering in wheat as compared to corn and soybeans. AgricultureMarket

Bioengineered/GMO wheat has never been grown for commercial purposes due to consumer fears about allergens and toxicities when used for bread, pasta and pastries.  Bioengineered/GMO varieties of corn and soy, used for animal feed, biofuels and ingredients like cooking oil, are common. Reuters

Concerns with Bioengineering/GMO

According to the FDA bioengineered/GMO foods are as healthy and safe to eat as non-bioengineered/GMO products. FDA.gov

However, twenty six countries including France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Russia, China, and India have partially or fully banned bioengineered/GMO crops. National Library of Medicine

Also, 64 countries, including Russia, China, Brazil, Australia, Turkey, South Africa and part of the European Union require mandatory bioengineered/GMO food labeling. Center for Food Safety

The main concerns around bioengineered/GMO crops include allergies, cancer, and environmental issues. While current research suggests few risks, more long term research is needed. HealthLine

Since the purpose of most bioengineered/GMO crops is to tolerate pesticides there are significantly more pesticides in our soils, waterways and air than ever before, and more exposure for people who work directly with or around pesticides. FoodPrint

The six biggest producers of bioengineered/GMO seeds are also the biggest producers of chemical herbicides and insecticides. Monsanto’s Roundup Ready crops, for example, are genetically engineered to be immune to herbicide so that farmers can destroy weeds without killing their crops. But the process has made Roundup resistant weeds, leading farmers to apply greater and greater doses of the chemical or even resort to more toxic methods to battle back the superweeds. MotherJones

If you are interested in more information on the herbicide Glysophate (RoundUP) this podcast gives a good explanation on the impact to our health: Just Ingedients Podcast