Earlier this month, the USDA announced new rules for bioengineered foods stating that US food companies that manufacture products containing GMOs will have until 2022 to label their products accordingly. Food makers can also label these products with scannable codes. At the same time, companies will also be allowed to not label certain ingredients, such as refined sugars and corn syrups, which are typically made from GMOs. This decision is in line with food manufacturers that claim that the genetically modified materials from GMO ingredients are removed when they are processed.

USDA data indicates that over 90% of corn and soybean farms in the US are planted using GMOs, and food industry expert estimate that between 70% and 80% of all foods in the US have ingredients derived from GMOs. Food groups that had argued for more descriptive labeling stated that the high pesticide usage that is associated with GMOs is negatively impacting the environment and human health, and, moreover, science has not yet determined the long-term effects of eating crops derived from biotechnology.

Small food companies will receive an extra year to label their GMO-based products, with all food companies required to label these products by January 2022.

Source: The Wall Street Journal