U.S. agencies seek to increase consumer understanding of GMO foods
The FDA, in collaboration with the EPA and the USDA, has launched a new initiative to help consumers better understand foods created through genetic engineering, commonly called GMOs or genetically modified organisms.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has launched a new initiative to help consumers better understand foods created through genetic engineering, commonly called GMOs or genetically modified organisms.
The initiative, “Feed Your Mind,” aims to answer the most common questions that consumers have about GMOs, including what GMOs are, how and why they are made, how they are regulated, and to address health and safety questions that consumers may have about these products.
“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,” said Stephen M. Hahn, FDA commissioner, in an agency press release. “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 “Feed Your Mind” initiative is launching in phases. The first materials released include a new website, as well as a selection of fact sheets, infographics, and videos. Additional materials—including a supplementary science curriculum for high schools, resources for health professionals, and additional consumer materials—will be released later in 2020 and 2021.