Question
Do you need a certified body oversee GMO free labeling?
Submitted by: RGrode
Answer
Expert response from Scott Kohne
NAFTA Market Acceptance Manager, Seeds & Traits Unit, BBASF
Thursday, 29/10/2015 14:55
Certification standards are generally developed to provide a certain standard, or often times a competitive advantage, for a product in the marketplace. For this reason, and because it costs money to participate in these certification programs, there will always be an oversight body to manage the certification scope and process of these programs.
If your question is referring to a USDA proposed government certification and labeling program for foods that are free of genetically modified ingredients, this USDA GMO Free certification would be the first voluntary program of its kind. The program would be administered by the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS), who already has the regulatory authority to perform certifications (The Process Verified Program). Any company wanting to use this certification program for marketing purposes would need to develop their own testing protocol and verification process and then pay for the services of the AMS to certify their product to those standards. From the perspective of the product manufacturer, a US government certification could be perceived as adding additional market value to the manufacturer’s customers (over existing nonprofit programs). As noted, there are a number of nonprofit groups that have created their own standards around GMO free products - for example the Non-GMO Project and Bio Checked.
Moderator Note: Products with the currently available USDA Certified Organic label are GMO-free because GMOs are not permitted to be used in organic production. Learn more about the National Organic Program here.
Answer
Expert response from Scott Kohne
NAFTA Market Acceptance Manager, Seeds & Traits Unit, BBASF
Thursday, 29/10/2015 14:55
Certification standards are generally developed to provide a certain standard, or often times a competitive advantage, for a product in the marketplace. For this reason, and because it costs money to participate in these certification programs, there will always be an oversight body to manage the certification scope and process of these programs.
If your question is referring to a USDA proposed government certification and labeling program for foods that are free of genetically modified ingredients, this USDA GMO Free certification would be the first voluntary program of its kind. The program would be administered by the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS), who already has the regulatory authority to perform certifications (The Process Verified Program). Any company wanting to use this certification program for marketing purposes would need to develop their own testing protocol and verification process and then pay for the services of the AMS to certify their product to those standards. From the perspective of the product manufacturer, a US government certification could be perceived as adding additional market value to the manufacturer’s customers (over existing nonprofit programs). As noted, there are a number of nonprofit groups that have created their own standards around GMO free products - for example the Non-GMO Project and Bio Checked.
Moderator Note: Products with the currently available USDA Certified Organic label are GMO-free because GMOs are not permitted to be used in organic production. Learn more about the National Organic Program here.
