No more GMOs? Nope, it's just the new USDA "bioengineered" labeling rules.

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April 15, 2022

Foods that get a lab-produced boost are no longer considered “genetically modified organisms” (or GMOs). They are now considered “bioengineered”.

This is actually not “news”. The National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law was passed by Congress in July of 2016. However, the mandatory compliance date for all food manufacturers, large and small, happened on January 1, 2022.

The new standard defines bioengineered foods as “those that contain detectable genetic material that has been modified through certain lab techniques and cannot be created through conventional breeding or found in nature.”

The Agricultural Marketing Service needs to maintain a list of bioengineered foods and crops. This list is used to decide whether or not a company needs a bioengineered food disclosure on their products.

I took a look, and the list is sadly not exhaustive. It seems that only crops and salmon are listed. You know, crops like Monsanto corn that’s resistant to glyphosate, has greater yield, and other plant superpowers. And AquAdvantage salmon that’s been genetically altered to grow faster.

A concern is that the new bioengineered labeling guidelines are not required for “highly refined” ingredients or foods with “undetectable amounts” of bioengineered ingredients, like soda or cooking oil. “Natural flavors” or other lab-produced ingredients do not automatically count as “bioengineered”.

There’s definitely some gray area.

It’s also important to note that the old “certified organic” and “NON-GMO Verified” labels will remain. Dietary supplements need to follow the new guidelines, but restaurants do not.

At this point, if you look closely, you can see the difference when grocery shopping. A food company must disclose that the food is bioengineered, but they can choose between 3 ways of doing that. Here’s what to look for.

1. Food producers can use one of these approved logos made by the USDA.

2. They can include text on food packages that says "bioengineered food" or "contains a bioengineered food ingredient." It would be in the fine print on a label; or

3. They can use an electronic or digital link. In other words, a QR code. This can be viewed as sneaky and also discriminatory. For example, the elderly or the Amish or those living with low incomes may not have access to a smartphone to access this information.

Which labeling option do you think most companies will choose?

The reason that the federal government gives for this change is greater transparency in our nation’s food system. But critics think this actually makes it more confusing.

The government wanted to create consistent food labeling and guidelines so companies know when and how to disclose that their products contain bioengineered ingredients. I commend the idea behind it, but maybe politics messed up the “when” and “how” parts of that initiative.

Given options 2 and 3 above, I’m thinking that transparency may officially be a greenwashed term.

If you’re concerned about bioengineered foods, it’s becoming more and more important to not only read the fine print on packages but also any information provided in links on that package.

At Miller’s we believe that everyone has the right to know what’s in their food. There’s no fine print or hidden info. We provide so much information on our website. And, if you still have a question, please ask. The customer service team is happy to help!

What do you think? Is the new “bioengineered” term appropriate? Are lawmakers moving in the right or wrong direction? How do you feel about bioengineered foods?

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Health and Nutrition

Ugh greenwashed labels. What does it take to get ___ on a label anyway?

Not a fan of the confusing, greenwashed labels in store? Yea, me too! And it's especially real for me, because I'm responsible for getting our labels approved with the "powers that be". Here's a little story with a big inside scoop... I made new labels for our bone broth a little while ago. It didn't go as smoothly as planned. Why? I put the little icons about our farming practices on them. They look like this: Yup, despite being 100% accurate and true, they were denied!! We're not allowed to put those statements on our food labels. So, I asked the USDA guy, "What would it take to get those claims on the labels, anyway?" The answer was kinda shocking. First off, there's some guidance on wording. Silly technicalities in my opinion. For example, you can't use the term "No Spray" but you can say "Produced without the use of synthetic pesticides." Or another example is that you can't say "No Routine Antibiotics or Vaccines" but you can say "Raised without routine use of antibiotics or vaccines." Second, the processor needs to update their documents to provide traceability. In other words, they need to document how they make sure the bones for our bone broth don't get mixed up with bones from other farms. I mean, this is pretty simple, especially with small batch foods like ours. But the documentation needs to be meticulous. Drafting it in government-approved language can be time consuming and/or costly. And lastly, once you get the wording and process right, you need proof. This was the real shocker for me: Want to know what proof would suffice for all the claims above? A 2-3 sentence affidavit (AKA a super short letter) signed by all farmers that supply us. That's it!? This lead me to a bunch of questions: What if a company submits a letter from one farmer but actually has other farmers that supply them, too? What if a company changes farmers? Will they submit new letters?What if a company's farmers change their practices in the future? Will they immediately update their labels?Are the "powers that be" checking on this? Is anyone checking on this?Is this why most farms and food facilities don't allow outside people coming in? It seems to me that, if a business isn't doing what the label says, the only way to find out is via a whistleblower. And the only way to make them stop is to take them to court. You know, like what's happening with Vital Farms and their pasture raised egg claim right now. It seems to me that, all that good natural stuff on labels - grass fed, pasture raised, antibiotic free, etc - doesn't mean it's true. Certifications are a little better, but the same kinda thing can be said about those, too. This is why, at Miller's, we choose to NOT sell in stores. No wholesale for us. In fact, we don't even have an on farm store. We only sell directly to our customers via our website. And, we choose to only get certified for what's required. This way, we can make our own natural standards. And, we can provide you will all the info and proof you need. Descriptions, photos, blog posts, test results, and more. So, what do you think? Should we do the affidavit thing to get claims on our bone broth labels? What proof do you need to feel confident in your food choices? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below (no account required - just start typing) or contact us 😊

No more GMOs? Nope, it's just the new USDA "bioengineered" labeling rules.

Foods that get a lab-produced boost are no longer considered “genetically modified organisms” (or GMOs). They are now considered “bioengineered”.

The Agricultural Marketing Service needs to maintain a list of bioengineered foods and crops. This list is used to decide whether or not a company needs a bioengineered food disclosure on their products.

At this point, if you look closely, you can see the difference when grocery shopping. A food company must disclose that the food is bioengineered, but they can choose between 3 ways of doing that. Here’s what to look for.

The reason that the federal government gives for this change is greater transparency in our nation’s food system. But critics think this actually makes it more confusing.

What do you think? Is the new “bioengineered” term appropriate? Are lawmakers moving in the right or wrong direction? How do you feel about bioengineered foods?

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