USDA drive to help consumers better understand genetically engineered food

05 Mar 2020 --- A new initiative to help US consumers better understand foods created through genetic engineering, commonly called genetically modified organisms (GMOs), has been launched by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “Feed Your Mind” aims to answer the most common questions that consumers have about GMOs, including what they are, how and why they are made, how they are regulated and to address health and safety questions.

The initiative is in collaboration with the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) which are all coordinating the education effort to highlight the science behind GMOs.

“While foods from genetically engineered plants have been available to consumers since the early 1990s and are a common part of today’s food supply, there are a lot of misconceptions about them,” says FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. “This initiative is intended to help people better understand what these products are and how they are made. Genetic engineering has created new plants that are resistant to insects and diseases, led to products with improved nutritional profiles, as well as certain produce that don’t brown or bruise as easily.”

The USDA stresses that farmers and ranchers are committed to producing foods in ways that meet consumer expectations for freshness, nutritional content, safety and sustainability. Tools such as genetic engineering are a bit part of that and consumers need to understand the role it plays. 

The “Feed Your Mind” initiative is launching in phases. The initial materials released include a new website, as well as a selection of fact sheets, infographics and videos. Additional materials include a supplementary science curriculum for high schools, resources for health professionals and additional consumer materials. These will be released later this and next year.

The three government agencies have also formed a steering committee and several working groups consisting of agency leaders and subject matter experts; sought input from stakeholders through two public meetings; opened a docket to receive public comments; examined the latest science and research related to consumer understanding of genetically engineered foods; and conducted extensive formative research. 

Funding for “Feed Your Mind” was provided by Congress in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 as the Agricultural Biotechnology Education and Outreach Initiative.

Edited by Gaynor Selby