Bioengineered Food & Label Compliance
Bioengineered foods will soon require disclosure and labeling compliance per the USDA. On December 20, 2018, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, announced the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard. The National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law, passed by Congress in July of 2016, requires the USDA establish a national standard for disclosing foods that are or may be bioengineered.
Per the new standard, “bioengineered foods are 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”. Foods that meet the new bioengineered definition must be clearly marked with the new bioengineered seal.
The new standard is effective as of January 1, 2020, with the exception of small food manufacturers whose implementation date is January 1, 2021. The mandatory compliance for all U.S. based food producers is January 1, 2022. Food producers are encouraged to voluntarily comply with the new standard prior to the deadlines.
Bioengineered Foods List
A list of Bioengineered foods has been developed by The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and can be used to identify the crops or foods that are available in a bioengineered form throughout the world. Regulated entities must maintain records about the manufacture of bioengineered foods and disclose their production of bioengineered foods to such entities.
Several disclosure options are available for food manufacturers, importers, and certain retailers being required to appropriately disclose their bioengineered foods information. Regulated entities are accepting text, symbol, electronic or digital link, and/or text messages as part of the disclosure process. Additional options such as a phone number or web address are available to small food manufacturers or for small and very small packages.
To learn more about the Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standards, please visit the USDA website. Producers may download a copy of the USDA mandated Bioengineered Food Disclosure labels here.
Bioengineered Food Labels for Compliance
To order bioengineered food labels please contact ImageTek Labels by emailing sales@imageteklabels.com or call (866) 403-5223. Custom sizes and roll dimensions can be created to fit your product packaging and auto apply equipment. Our specialty label media is designed to withstand cold storage, freezing temperatures and a variety of food packaging surfaces.