How does the United States identify genetically modified foods?

Speaking of genetically modified food, friends who are "turning" and "turning" like to say America. How on earth does the United States label genetically modified foods? At present, there are two extreme views: one thinks that the labeling of genetically modified foods in the United States is mandatory and should come from "anti-"friends; Another claim is that not only genetically modified foods do not need to be labeled, but other foods are not allowed to be labeled as "non-genetically modified" because they are suspected of discrimination. This statement should come from a friend who turned around. The two camps of "Tingzhuan" and "Reversal" have their own opinions. When they got up, they greeted each other with rumors, which was very lively. In my opinion, neither of these statements is accurate. What is this? Listen to me in detail. First, the FDA's draft guide-the concept of "voluntary labeling" The FDA's discussion on the labeling of genetically modified foods began with "Policy Statement: Foods Derived from New Plant Variables" in 1992. After soliciting opinions from 1993 and hearing from 1999, in 2000 [1], a draft guide, industrial guide: voluntary label indicating when food has been or has not been developed by bioengineering, was finally published. The Guide quotes the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, reaffirming the principle of "substantial equivalence" between genetically modified foods and traditional foods (that is, although genetically modified foods are different from traditional foods in production methods, the foods themselves are not essentially different from the latter); Based on this principle, the concept of voluntary labeling of genetically modified food is put forward-whether it is labeled or not is decided by the manufacturer. At the same time, the guide points out that, like traditional foods, the labeling of genetically modified foods should follow the general norms of food labeling, that is, authenticity (the information provided must be true and verified) and accuracy (not misleading). Some information is true but incomplete, so it will mislead consumers. )。 Generally speaking, genetically modified food, as a kind of food, does not need special labeling; For genetically modified food or traditional food, a case study should be conducted: the goal should be complete; If you want to bid, you must not mislead. [The following is compiled from the reference1]1. What information must be identified? The premise of compulsory food labeling is (if there is no definite label, it will cause one of the following situations): ① It is harmful to health or the environment (if low-calorie food contains protein, it needs to be labeled, otherwise it will be harmful to health); (2) misleading consumers (claiming that food contains certain nutrients, the content must be indicated, otherwise it will be misleading); (3) a certain food seems to be the same as other foods, but it is actually different (nutrition, taste, function, etc.). If it is not marked, consumers will mistakenly think it is the same. For example, low-fat margarine cannot be used for frying, so it should be marked. For a genetically modified food, if one of the following circumstances occurs, it must also be labeled: ① If the genetically modified food has changed significantly compared with the corresponding traditional food, the original name can no longer describe the food correctly, in this case, (the genetically modified food) must be renamed; (2) If there is a problem with the use method or consequences of food or food ingredients, it shall be stated in the label; ③ If the nutritional components of genetically modified foods have changed significantly compared with the corresponding traditional foods, the specific changes must be marked; (4) If consumers can't judge whether allergens contained in genetically modified foods exist in foods by their names, they must indicate them in the labels. 2. How to correctly identify "genetically modified food" or "non-genetically modified food"? How to correctly identify whether it is genetically modified without causing misunderstanding? The draft provides some examples and discusses these examples in order to provide guidance for correct identification. The FDA provides some examples about the correct labeling of "genetically modified food". In view of the fact that such signs are rarely used or hardly used, they are not listed here for the time being. Different from the former, people strongly demand to label "non-GMO" or "non-GMO". In this regard, the FDA said that there may be many misunderstandings at present: ① It may be inaccurate to use no transgenic or no transgenic, and bioengineering should be used instead of transgenic (transgenic). The guide holds that bioengineering (i.e. transgenic) is a subset of transgenic, and many traditional foods have been genetically modified, but not bioengineered; The full name of O in transgenic is organism, that is, organism. If marked in this way, consumers may mistakenly think that food contains organic matter (most foods do not contain organic matter, except yogurt, which contains lactic acid bacteria); ② Free expression may be inaccurate. Even traditional foods may be contaminated by genetically modified ingredients during processing or transportation. What's more, the pollution caused by gene drift will eventually lead to the detection of genetically modified ingredients in traditional foods. [2] So, if you label it as "non-GMO" or "non-GMO", it may not be accurate. If we want to apply these two marks with both accuracy and consideration, we must set a standard of detection threshold, below which it can be called "free", but the FDA does not provide this threshold and related detection certification. Therefore, the correct logo should emphasize the process, not the result, such as "our products do not use biotechnology" and so on. ③ When labeling non-GM foods, it is not allowed to imply discrimination against GM foods or indicate that the products are superior to the latter. You can use the above logo (our products don't use biotechnology), but it can't mean "discrimination" when combined with the context. This is a common misunderstanding, and many friends have come to the conclusion that it is not allowed to mark "non-GMO". Let's look at the original text: "A statement that a food has not been bioengineered or contains no bioengineered ingredients may be misleading if it implies that the information on the label is wrong. D food is better than food that is not so marked. " A food is labeled as "non-bioengineered (food)" or "without bioengineered ingredients", but if the label implies the meaning of "the labeled person is better than the unlabeled person", it may be misleading. (Based on the principle of "substantial equivalence") However, the manufacturer can completely say that "my bid does not imply or show the superiority of the product, but only tells a fact". At this time, the FDA will check your entire label and evaluate whether you discriminate against genetically modified foods in the context. That is to say, even if the words "no genetically modified" are marked, it does not necessarily constitute the plot of "discrimination" or "unfair competition". .................................................................................................................................. is, and it is not. We must first make clear the nature of this draft guide. Like most draft guidelines, the FDA draft is pre-announced: it does not create or restrict any rights for anyone, nor does it bind the FDA or the public. This method can be used if it meets the requirements of applicable countries and regulations. It will not create or authorize anyone, nor will it bind the FDA or the public. Other optional guidelines can also be used if the requirements of applicable laws and regulations are met. The applicable laws and regulations should be the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and finally it is necessary to judge whether it is discriminatory.