Bioengineered Disclosure

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Bioengineered (BE) foods often refer to plants and animals whose genome have been genetically manipulated using a technique called recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology in order to alter any physical or biological component of a product. In general, such genetic manipulation creates a genetic resistance to certain disease among livestock, controls pests in crops, and increases harvest and crop yields as desired benefits.

In the United States, the rDNA technology is widely used in the agricultural and food industry to expand food production and preservation in order to meet the consumption demand; however, for some years now, it has been the subject of intense discussion between the population and government, especially over labeling. It is only recently that the federal government imposed labeling requirements on food products that have been genetically engineered or produced from genetically engineered plants or organisms through a National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS) issued in December 2018. The National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard preempts state and local genetic engineering labeling requirements.

This guide is intended to represent a collection of legal resources relating to bioengineered disclosure. While the Center for Agriculture and Shale Law makes every effort to maintain and update the content furnished in this guide, no warranty or other guarantee is made regarding the timeliness or accuracy of any information provided.