The Non-GMO Project recently won a victory with the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service), which approved a non-GMO label claim last week. The Project has been working for a year to get approval of the label, which will allow facilities that offer non-GMO meat or liquid eggs to market their products.
The labels will only apply to foods subject to FSIS oversight. Since meat and eggs can’t be tested for genetic modification, the animal feed will be tested. Supplemental language in the label definition clarifies this fact. The verification mark.
The verification process assesses compliance with the Project’s standards. Core requirements are traceability, segregation, and testing at critical control points. Other standards include risk assessment, sampling techniques, and quality control management. Testing of seed, crops, ingredients, and products is conducted at points in the production chain.
Organic foods are a special case; if a product is USDA certified organic, that does not mean it is GMO-free. GMOs are not considered a prohibited substance in the organic food definition. No testing is required to make sure that organic foods are free from GMOs.
The Non-GMO Project gives facilities the opportunity to be transparent to their customers. Independent, third party validation of product claims is becoming increasingly important in the global food supply.
