Genetically Engineered (GE) crops and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been created through gene-splicing biotechnology. This relatively new science allows DNA (genetic material) from one species to be transferred into another species, creating transgenic organisms with combinations of genes from plants, animals, bacteria, and even viral gene pools. The mixing of genes from different species that have never shared genes in the past is what makes GMOs and GE crops unique, and therefore patented. It is impossible to create such transgenic organisms through traditional crossbreeding methods. In 1992, the FDA ruled that GE foods didn’t need independent safety tests or labeling requirements before being introduced.

According to the Center for Food Safety, currently, up to 85 percent of U.S. corn is GE, as are 91 percent of soybeans and 88 percent of cotton (cottonseed oil is often used in food products). It has been estimated that upwards of 70 percent of processed foods on supermarket shelves–from soda to soup, crackers to condiments–contain GE ingredients. While animals themselves are not genetically engineered, the majority of the livestock Americans consume have been raised on GE grains because they are fed GE corn and soy, which are used in many processed foods and most animal feeds. However, the FDA is currently deciding whether to deregulate GE salmon and make it commercially available, which would make it the first GE animal.

The safety of GMO crops for human consumption has not been adequately assured. Several studies from the National Academy of Sciences have affirmed that GMO crops have the potential to introduce new toxins or allergens into our food and environment. Yet, unlike the strict safety evaluations for approval of new drugs, there are no mandatory human clinical trials of GMO crops, no tests for carcinogenicity or harm to fetuses, no long-term testing for human health risks, no requirement for long-term testing on animals and limited testing for allergenicity. Some studies raise concerns that GMO foods may pose an allergen risk.

Supporters of GE in agriculture point to a multitude of potential benefits of engineered crops, including increased yield, tolerance of drought, reduced pesticide use, more efficient use of fertilizers, and ability to produce drugs or other useful chemicals. However, analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists shows that actual benefits have often fallen far short of expectations and that GE crops have the potential to cause a variety of environmental impacts, including the spread of “superweeds.”
 
While the U.S. lacks a labeling requirement for GMOs, 61 other countries, including the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Brazil and China, have adopted one. Polls show that consumers in this country demand transparency in the foods they buy and eat and overwhelmingly support labeling of GMO food. Ninety-five percent of consumers believe GMO foods should be labeled according to a poll conducted by Consumers Union and 93 percent of the American public want the federal government to make that labeling mandatory. California recently voted down Proposition 37, which would have required mandatory labeling on GMO foods in that state, although 4.3 million voters supported it. Other statewide efforts are under way, as is a national effort that has petitioned the FDA to label GMOs.

Until a label is mandated, consumers who wish to avoid GMO foods can buy USDA certified organic, as the organic standards prohibit the use of GMO ingredients, products from the Non-GMO Project, or buy unprocessed foods such as fruits and vegetables and avoid packaged food, much of which contains GMO ingredients.