Non-GMO labels found on many foods

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Non-GMO labels found on many foods

A survey of food products in a Whole Foods store in Pasadena, California, found that 137 products had some type of label indicating that the product was made without genetically modified ingredients. The survey was conducted by the Non-GMO Project.

The labels contained a wide range of wording and phrases, including “Non-GMO”, “No GMOs,” “No Genetically Modified Ingredients,” “GMO Free,” “tested GEO Free,” “Grown and Processed without GMOs,” “No genetically engineered ingredients,” “No GMOs, No Bioengineered Products,” and “involved no Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).”

“Non-GMO” was the most commonly used phrase used with 20 products containing it.

Some labels also had symbols or seals, such as Real Foods corn thins seal stating, “GMO Free,” and Vegan Gourmet’s non-dairy cheese featured a seal with a line through “GMO.”

A few labels contained wording recommended by the Food and Drug Administration in its 2001 draft guidance document on non-GMO labels. The label on Lighlife’s veggie protein product stated, “We do not use soybeans that were produced using biotechnology,” and Kikkoman Pearl’s soymilk label stated, “Made from soybeans that were not genetically engineered.”

“The fact that more and more non-GMO claims are appearing at the retail level points to a growing concern about the issue, and a corresponding need for clear, consistent information,” says Megan Thompson, executive director of the Non-GMO Project. “The Non-GMO Project’s industry-wide verification program and seal will simplify things for shoppers by identifying products that have been produced according to a rigorous, third-party standard for avoiding GMOs.”