Are there GM foods on the market that arent labeled?

Expert response from Community Manager

Moderator for GMOAnswers.com

Friday, 04/05/2018 12:35

The topic of labeling can be discussed in different ways. We hope the below information on GM food labeling is helpful and answers your question.

Greg Conko, senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, discusses consumer choice and how food producers and retailers are labeling non-GMO products in this response. Here is an excerpt:

“Countless scientific organizations agree that foods that contain GE ingredients are no less safe, no less nutritious and no less healthy than foods that do not. In fact, in some cases, GE ingredients have been shown to be safer, more nutritious or both, so the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not require blanket labeling of all GE ingredients. The FDA’s policy requires specific labeling if, and only if, the composition of those foods differs significantly from that of their conventional counterparts. Material differences would include, among other things, the introduction of an allergen that is not present in the new variety’s conventional counterpart, a reduction or increase in nutrients or even a change in the product’s taste, smell, texture or expected storage or preparation characteristics.”

Jennie Schmidt, a farmer and registered dietician, explains the potential logistical impacts of GMO labeling on farms and farm-product distribution in her blog post “The Costs of GMO Labeling.”

Lisa Katic, president of K Consulting, explains the rationale for the FDA labeling policy of GM food in her response here.

Kate Hall, former managing director for the Council for Biotechnology Information, also addresses how labeling of GMOs would affect the consumer and the producers in this response.

Scott Kohne, NAFTA market acceptance manager for the Seeds Unit at Bayer, explains the difference between labeling in different countries vs. labeling GMO products in the U.S. Read his full response here.

“Foods being produced or packaged in the U.S. and exported to those countries that do have GMO labeling requirements would need to comply with the specific labeling requirements for that country. There are different requirements for many of these countries, which creates additional costs and complexities for both the food manufacturer and exporter and for consumers in that country. Remember that these GMO products are regulated in many countries and a part of the regulatory approval process is the evaluation of the safety and nutritional facts of the GMO product – the same evaluation as conducted in the U.S.”

Several other experts have addressed the issue of GMO labeling in previous responses. Read some of their responses here. 

We hope this answers your question.