b'JAN. 1 MARKS NEW GELABELING REQUIREMENTSAfter four years, the U.S. will see mandatory genetic engineering labeling for food. Alex MartinAFTER FOUR YEARS,Jan. 1, 2022,Standard was Jan. 1, 2020, the manda-brings not just a new year, but a newtory compliance date is Jan. 1, 2022. set of regulations to U.S. food and agri- Food manufacturers, importers and cer-culture: mandatory genetic engineeredtain retailers are required to ensure the (GE) labeling.GE foods listed above are appropriately These new standards, outlined firstdisclosed.by the Obama administration, requiresRegulated entities can disclose these food manufacturers, importers and othervia text, a symbol, electronic or digital link. entities that label foods for retail sale toIn addition, there are two USDA symbols disclose information about geneticallycreated to showcase GE foodsone engineered food and food ingredients.that specifically says a product is bioengi-According to the American Society ofneered, and one that mentions a product Animal Science, the establishment andis derived from bioengineering.implementation of the new standardsJayson Lusk, head of Purdue are required by an amendment to theUniversitys Agricultural Economics Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.department, says in addition, companies can also use QR codes to disclose the Why Now? presence of ingredients. While GE ingredients have been aroundCompanies can even just list the since the 1990s, there havent been anyJayson Lusk. product name and put in parentheses clear food labeling regulations set outthe disclosure, Lusk says. How manu-for them prior to the introduction of thefacturers and retailers choose to label is amendment in 2018. Why? GE ingredients and their implications forprobably going to determine a lot of how According to the Center of Foodsociety. The survey reported that aboutconsumers respond and react to it.Safety, 20 years ago, the Food and Drughalf of U.S. adults think GE foods wereHowever, Lusk notes that these labe-Administration (FDA) decided GE foodsworse for health than non-GE goods, butling requirements empower consumers didnt need to be labeled differently duemost think GMOs are likely to improveto make choices, and as an industry, that to the fact they were not materially dif- global food supply.provides education opportunity. ferent from food.While genetic engineering contin- As an educator, we need to do the The FDA issued a policy statementues to improve and change, the USDAbest we can to help consumers make in 1992 that limited what it considereddecided to adopt GE labeling as a partchoices with the best information, he material to only changes in food thatof the national bioengineered foodsays. QR codes can be used to disclose could be noted by taste, smell or otherdisclosure standard in 2018. For a betterGE ingredients, and it provides opportu-senses, the Center for Food Safety says.understanding of what should be labeled,nity to provide additional information.Since GE foods cant be sensed in thisthe USDA says some examples are:In this instance, Lusk believes coming way, FDA declared them to be substan- alfalfa, arctic apple varieties, canola, corn,out as a company and saying Were tially equivalent to conventionally pro- cotton, BARI Bt Begun eggplant varieties,using GE ingredients and were proud duced foods. ringspot virus resistant papaya varieties,could be beneficial to get out more posi-And thus, no labeling was required forpink flesh pineapple varieties, potatoes,tive messages about genetic engineering. these designated GE ingredients.soybean, summer squash and sugar beet. Labeling proactively as a promo-However, in 2019, a survey by Pewtional device can provide a lot of positive Research Center revealed that the generalWhat are the Requirements? messages that can continue to educate American public had mixed reviews aboutWhile the implementation date of theconsumers, Lusk says.SW16/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2022'