On December 20, the USDA released the official law, which they will implement at the beginning of and require food companies to comply by January 1, You can read the entire current proposal here.
Many companies have already started labeling their products and support this national labeling standard. These new food labels are simply informative for the consumer, not indicative of safety or nutrition. Smaller food manufacturers with limited resources may also choose to label their GM foods using a telephone number that can provide additional information or an internet URL. The law requires labeling only on bioengineered foods intended for human consumption that contain more than five percent GMO ingredients.
Instances where GMOs do not have to be labeled include:. GMO summer squash is resistant to some plant viruses. Squash was one of the first GMOs on the market, but it is not widely grown. GMO canola is used mostly to make cooking oil and margarine.
Canola seed meal can also be used in food for animals. Canola oil is used in many packaged foods to improve food consistency. Most GMO canola is resistant to herbicides and helps farmers to more easily control weeds in their fields. GMO alfalfa is primarily used to feed cattle—mostly dairy cows. Most GMO alfalfa is resistant to herbicides, allowing farmers to spray the crops to protect them against destructive weeds that can reduce alfalfa production and lower the nutritional quality of the hay.
A few varieties of GMO apples were developed to resist browning after being cut. This helps cut down on food waste, as many consumers think brown apples are spoiled. Sugar beets are used to make granulated sugar. More than half the granulated sugar packaged for grocery store shelves is made from GMO sugar beets. Because GMO sugar beets are resistant to herbicides, growing GMO sugar beets helps farmers control weeds in their fields.
Independent studies show that there is no difference in how GMO and non-GMO foods affect the health and safety of animals. Research shows that foods like eggs, dairy products, and meat that come from animals that eat GMO food are equal in nutritional value, safety, and quality to foods made from animals that eat only non-GMO food.
Vegetables that could be genetically modified are some varieties of summer squash like zucchini , some potatoes grown in Idaho and Washington, and some sweet corn, although most sweet corn is not grown from genetically modified seeds. High fructose corn syrup is often genetically modified too, as is the artificial sweetener aspartame. Agave, cane sugar, molasses, and turbinado sugar, however, are never genetically modified.
Canola, corn, and soy are in a lot of foods. So are ingredients derived from them, such as baking powder, beta carotene, cellulose, citric acid, corn starch, lactic acid, lecithin, riboflavin, miso, soybean oil, soy protein, soy sauce, vitamin E tocopherol , and xanthan gum. Non-GMO labels can be found on foods that are never genetically modified, such as canned beans and vegetables , chicken, eggs , oatmeal, quinoa, and tuna.
Sugar or thickeners, like corn starch, may be added to canned beans and vegetables and tuna is often packed in soy oil. Still, if you like a particular brand or the brand without the non-GMO claim is less expensive than another, check the ingredients list. Since , Consumer Reports has been testing products and working to create a fairer, safer, and healthier marketplace. Click here to learn more about Consumer Reports' mission as a nonprofit organization. To help support our work, please consider making a tax-deductible donation.
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