Food & Drink

GMO is now “Bioengineered?” USDA launches new food labels in 2022

todayJanuary 3, 2022

Background
share close

The Washington Post reports that as of January 1st, foods previously referred to as having “genetically modified organisms,” or GMO’s, will now be on your supermarket shelves labeled “bioengineered” instead.  The changes are part of the Department of Agriculture’s new rules on “genetically modified organisms” or GMOs.

However, some of the old labels consumers are familiar with will remain, like certified “USDA Organic” and “Non-GMO Project Verified.”

Confused?  You’re not the only one.  The USDA has said the change “avoids a patchwork of state labeling regulations” to provide a national standard for the labels that were once set on a state-by-state basis, but critics say the term could create confusion among consumers. “The worst part of this law is the use of the term ‘bioengineered’ because that’s not a term most consumers are familiar with,” Gregory Jaffe, director of Center for Science in the Public Interest’s biotechnology project, said in an interview with The Post.

A phone number or QR code on the packaging may also direct consumers to more information, a decision some argue discriminates against people without access to a cell phone or smartphone.

The Center for Food Safety has also criticized the rules, saying it will leave the majority of genetically modified foods unlabeled. Specifically, the USDA sets an exemption threshold at 5 percent of “unintended” genetically engineered ingredients. In the European Union, the standard is markedly lower at 0.9 percent.  “Consumers are left not knowing if it’s not present or if a food company just chose not to disclose,” Peter Lurie, president of Center for Science in the Public Interest, said in an interview with The Post.


Photo Credit: Billion Photos / Shutterstock.com

Written by: Vipology Staff Writer

Rate it

Previous post

Adult Contemporary

Janet Jackson’s Documentary Drops Extended Trailer Featuring Samuel L. Jackson, Teyana Taylor, Mariah Carey, More

Janet Jackson took to Instagram to reveal an extended trailer for her upcoming documentary, the Janet Jackson Doc.  With a newly announced release date of January 28th through Lifetime and A&E, the documentary will commemorate the 40th anniversary of her 1982 self-titled debut album.  The new trailer reveals that the documentary, which has been in production for over five years, was mostly filmed during the time that her father, Joe, […]

todayJanuary 3, 2022


Subscribe

LISTEN WITH YOUR APP

0%