A worker checks items on a shelf in the produce section of an Amazon Go grocery store in Seattle.
Ted S. Warren.
Say goodbye to genetically modified organisms. "bioengineered" is a new term for foods created with a boost from science.
The new national labeling standard for food that's been genetically modified in a way that isn't possible through natural growth takes effect on January 1.
The new federal standard will replace the patchwork of state-level requirements and consumers will begin to see labels on some foods that say "bio engineered" or "derived from bioengineering."
The change has been in the works for a long time. Congress passed a law in 2016 to establish a national benchmark for the labeling of genetically modified food in order to give people more information about what they eat. The regulations were announced by Sonny Perdue, who was the Agriculture Secretary during the Trump administration.
The USDA approved two logos for food producers to use to label bio engineered food under the new national standard that took effect on January 1.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Perdue said at the time that the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard increases transparency in the food system and establishes guidelines for regulated entities. It ensures that consumers have clear information about the ingredients in their food.
Critics say the rules will make it harder to know what's in a product. A group has sued the USDA to try to stop the new regulations from taking effect.
The new rules give food producers more options.
Corn, Canola, soybeans, potatoes, and sugar beets are some of the commonly bio engineered foods. According to the FDA, most of the genetically modified crops are used for animal feed. They are also used to make ingredients that are found in human diet, such as corn syrup, canola oil and sugar.
The USDA says the list of items on its website isn't complete and that other foods with genetic modifications will be subject to the labeling rules.
The new standard can be complied with by companies with products that are bio engineered.
They can put text on food packages that say "bio engineered food" or "contains a bio engineered food ingredient". They can use two logos approved by the USDA.
They can include a phone number for consumers to text in order to get more information about the food item.
The new standard applies to foods with genetically modified ingredients.
Shoppers can file a complaint with the USDA if they suspect an item is a bioengineered food.
The new rule doesn't apply to establishments like restaurants.
Critics say the rules don't go far enough and the logos are confusing.
The Center for Food Safety says that the new standard makes it easier for companies to hide what's in their products.
According to the National Academy of Sciences, there is no evidence that genetically modified crops are harmful to human health.
Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Center for Food Safety, said in a statement that the regulations are designed to allow corporations to hide their use of genetically engineered ingredients from their customers.
The group is trying to block the new rules. The case is still going on.
The new standard doesn't allow producers to use more common labeling terms like "GMO", and it will leave out many foods that are "highly refined" or contain levels of bio engineered ingredients that aren't detectable, such as soda and cooking oil. The majority of genetically modified food is processed.
The group said that the new standard discriminates against the poor, elderly, people who live in rural areas, and minorities who may lack access to the internet. It also puts an "undue burden" on shoppers to check out food items in stores during a deadly Pandemic, according to advocates.
The Washington Post reported that producers argued that the rule changes were a challenge to meet consumer demand because of the Pandemic and supply-chain troubles.
The pending lawsuit made the USDA decline to comment on the story. The new rules are meant to balance the desire to keep consumers better informed with the desire to minimize costs for producers, according to a spokesman for the agency.
The new standard was praised by groups such as the American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers Association, who said it would create more transparency in the food industry.
