Dive Brief:
- NSF International has launched a new non-GMO certification option for food and beverage manufacturers, called NSF Non-GMO True North. This new certification will be alongside NSF's Non-GMO Project verification, which is already commonly seen in grocery stores.
- NSF Non-GMO True North combines GMO labeling requirements from both global and domestic regulations, such as those from the EU and Vermont.
- "The certification gives credit for food safety quality system best practices including segregation, traceability and supplier approval and monitoring programs" and "requires risk assessment-based unannounced audits, unannounced chain of custody sampling and independent testing. It also requires manufacturers to perform routine testing," according to the news release.
Dive Insight:
With this new program, manufacturers have another non-GMO certification option "for sourcing and production claims on packaging and in marketing materials at a time when non-verified and never inspected claims for 'Non-GMO' or 'GMO-Free' are increasingly commonplace in the absence of federal oversight," per the news release.
Manufacturers have embraced or battled GMO labeling, depending on their use of GMO ingredients, stance on the science involved, and perception of consumer preferences for or against GMOs. According to a Consumer Reports survey, 92% of Americans say they want GMO products to be labeled and 70% of Americans say they do not want GMOs in their food.
Another study found that the presence of a GMO label would not necessarily deter consumers from buying a product.
Celebrities and academics have played roles in the GMO and labeling debates, but the government will have the final say. Earlier this year, the House passed a bill that would allow voluntary GMO labeling rather than mandate that businesses label their products as containing GMOs.