What is a bioengineered food?
Food that contains genetic material that has been modied through
certain laboratory techniques and for which the modication could
not be obtained through conventional breeding or found in nature.
Ingredients and foods that meet the denition of bioengineered (BE) food must include a disclosure on the
package or label. BE food labels are for marketing purposes and do not convey any information about the
health, safety, or environmental attributes of that food compared to non-bioengineered counterparts.
How will
bioengineered food
be labeled?
“Contains a bioengineered
food ingredient”
A symbol in black
and white or color
An electronic or
digital link
Phone number that
consumers can text
What does “derived from” mean?
You may also see ‘derived from bioengineering’ or ‘ingredients
derived from a bioengineered source’ on a label. In this case, the
company has chosen to disclose that they are using highly rened
ingredients that do not contain detectable modied genetic material
in the nished product.
Frequently Asked Questions
What foods require a
bioengineered food
disclosure?
Highly rened ingredients (like
some sugars and oils) and foods
that are primarily meat, poultry,
or egg products, do not require
a bioengineered food disclosure.
Food sold by very small food
manufacturers and food served
in restaurants, food trucks, trains,
airplanes, delicatessens and
similar retail food establishments
are not required to provide a
bioengineered food disclosure.
They may voluntarily do so.
When will I start seeing the
BE symbol on food
products?
Food manufacturers and retailers
are required to provide the
disclosure starting January 1,
2022.
Am I already eating
bioengineered foods?
Yes, bioengineered foods are
already on the market. Varieties
of a few fresh fruit and vegetable
crops, such apples and papaya,
as well as certain grains and
seeds, such as soy and canola,
are bioengineered.
Is there a list of
bioengineered foods?
Yes. The USDA Agricultural
Marketing Service (AMS)
maintains the AMS List of
Bioengineered Foods on its
website:
https://go.usa.gov/xvWdc
Why does AMS use the term
“BE”?
Bioengineered foods include
certain types of genetically
modied organisms (GMOs).
Congress used the term BE
when they passed the National
Bioengineered Food Disclosure
Standard (NBFDS). Although
companies may use the
terms “Genetically Modied
Organism,” “GMO” and “Genetic
Engineering” on their labels, they
must use “bioengineered food” or
“contains a bioengineered food
ingredient(s)” to comply with the
NBFDS.
How do I le a complaint if
a product doesn’t include a
bioengineered disclosure?
Starting January 1, 2022, you
can le a complaint on the AMS
website. Some products on the
market may voluntarily include
the disclosure before that date.
Closer to this compliance date,
AMS will post the process
for making a complaint on its
website. Please continue to
check the website for updates
and more information:
https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-
regulations/be
You may also nd more educational materials for consumers about agricultural biotechnology on the
Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) website: https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/agricultural-biotechnology
