Bernatello’s Statement on Bioengineered Foods

In compliance with the Agriculture Marketing Act of 1946, as amended and signed by congress July 29, 2016, food manufacturers are required to disclose the presence of bioengineered ingredients utilized for the manufacture of retail consumer food products.

Note: Restaurants and similar retail food establishments, as well as very small food manufacturers, are not required to follow this standard (even though they may be using bioengineered ingredients in their products).

The United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Marketing Service have defined bioengineered foods as those modified in such a way that “…modification could not otherwise be obtained through conventional breeding or found in nature.”  The Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) has developed a list of foods deemed to be bioengineered.  This list includes crops such as alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, potatoes, soybeans, and sugar beets.  The AMS reviews and, if needed, updates the list annually through the federal rule-making process. The table below was developed by the AMS to reflect additional products, many derived from the crops mentioned above, that have a high likelihood of originating from a bioengineered agricultural crop.

For more information regarding bioengineered foods and their disclosure, we encourage you to visit the USDA website at: List of Bioengineered Foods | Agricultural Marketing Service (usda.gov)