GMO or No GMO?

 

According to the FDA and the National Academy of Sciences, genetically modified organisms (GMO) are safe to eat and there have been no reported cases of an illness attributed to eating them. Still, many people prefer to avoid GMO foods as much as possible and there are now Federally mandated disclosure requirements. Unfortunately, as is usual with such rules, they are full of loopholes and (intentionally?) confusing.

If a food contains DNA from a modified organism it is required to disclose that. But while this can be disclosed on the package by displaying a "Bioengineered" statement or symbol, it doesn't have to be. The regulations allow companies to disclose this on their web sites if they prefer. Instead of clearly stating that the food is GMO, they can instead provide a web address or phone number for you to use to ask them. So not seeing the "Bioengineered" label does not mean the food is non-GMO.

Then there is "derived from". If one or more of a food's ingredients comes from a GMO plant but the food itself contains no DNA from the plant, the packaging may (it is not required) carry a label saying the food is "derived from" GMO ingredients. Confused? You're supposed to be. "Derived from" typically means that the ingredients are made from a GMO plant that has been so highly processed that none of the plant's DNA remains. These kinds of foods are typically oils, sugars, syrups and such.

And there is a loophole for meat big enough to herd a cow through. Foods that list meat, poultry or eggs as their first (main) ingredient are exempt from the disclosure rules entirely.

There is one bit of good news in all this. If a food is labeled as being "organic" it can not have any GMO ingredients. Other than that, the labeling is mostly misleading and you are on your own. Also, remember that words such as "natural" and "healthy" are meaningless on a food package.