Dive Brief:
- More companies are putting non-GMO labels on vegetables and fruits that have no GMO varieties. They are doing so in response to consumer questions about production and often finding that non-GMO labels can increase sales.
- Fewer than 20 crops have GMO varieties approved by the USDA, according to The Wall Street Journal. Only eight are in extensive commercial production: alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, papaya, soybeans, summer squash and sugar beets. Commercial production of GMO potatoes and apples started recently but they aren’t yet widely available.
- "Of the total, only some papaya and squash commonly are eaten by people directly (little of the sweet corn Americans eat is of the GMO variety)," according to The Wall Street Journal. The crops are used for animal feed or in the creation of oils or ingredients, such as soy lecithin, for packaged foods.
Dive Insight:
The increasing use of non-GMO labels on food that couldn't be GMO reflect consumer concerns (and sometimes lack of knowledge) about GMO crops. The non-GMO industry is exploding, with the Non-GMO Project Verified label being the fastest growing label in natural products with sales of $11 billion yearly, according to its website. The Non-GMO Project has signed off on more than 27,000 products.