Dive Brief:
- At a congressional hearing today, the Food and Drug Administration Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Michael Landa, said the FDA finds GMO foods safe.
- "Based on our evaluations, we are confident that the (genetically-engineered foods) in the U.S. marketplace today are as safe as their conventional counterparts," Landa said.
- Mounting concerns over GMOs have made both GM crops and GMO labeling hot topics in the food industry. The hearing today was regarding a bill that would say GMO labeling is voluntary, which would in turn override individual state-required labeling laws, according to the Associated Press.
Dive Insight:
With lawsuits and a recount underway, opinions on both sides of this debate continue to flare. And clearly, this debate will carry out for a long time to come. Both consumer hesitance and the views of certain food safety organizations are playing a hand in the discussion questioning GMOs.
Landa also said the FDA vets GMOs prior to them making it to the market, according to The Hill.