Dive Brief:
- The GMO debate has been fueled more by consumer emotions than scientific evidence, said Ilene Gordon, CEO of Ingredion, at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in London.
- Gordon says her company provides the ingredients consumers want taking into consideration there is little to no scientific proof of the healthier properties of non-GMO foods at this time.
- That being said, one of Ingredion's Indianapolis facilities has access to non-GMO corn and thus produces non-GMO ingredients for customers in Europe as well as the growing number of non-GMO preferring customers in the U.S.
Dive Insight:
The GMO debate has spurred labeling legislation — and lawsuits — across the country, at both the state and federal levels. Food companies are responding to consumer concerns by removing GMO ingredients from their products, and some are highlighting the fact that their products are already non-GMO, such as General Mills' Cheerios brands.
Food companies have to make the decision as to whether to adapt to the non-GMO trend to recapture lost customers, or they can simply remain focused on producing products for the customers they still retain.