You may have noticed a new label on some foods from the grocery store with a word that some people are finding disconcerting or at the least confusing — “bioengineered.”
So what is a bioengineered food ingredient and why are those labels suddenly showing up on food packaging?
In 2016, Congress passed the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standardrequiring food manufacturers, importers, and certain retailers to disclose foods that have been bioengineered, and Jan. 1, 2022, was the date for mandatory compliance.
You may be more familiar with the terms “genetically modified,” or “GMO.” The new standard replaces those terms with “bioengineered,” or “BE.”
Are bioengineered foods safe?
A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committeeexamined in-depth the potential negative effects and benefits of genetically engineered crops.