Fact check: USDA requires labels for 'bioengineered,' not 'biofortified,' foods
The claim: Labels for genetically modified foods were changed to 'bio fortified'
More than three months after the Department of Agriculture changed its labeling requirements for genetically modified foods, some social media users are spreading misinformation about the rules.
"They changed GMO labeling to bio fortified, just so u know when reading food labels," reads text in a Facebook post published March 30.
The post, shared by a chiropractor in Meridian, Idaho, accumulated more than 300 shares within two days. Similar claims have amassed thousands of interactions on Facebook and Instagram over the past month, according to CrowdTangle, a social media insights tool.
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But the claim is false, as independent fact-checking organizations have reported. The USDA recently changed labeling requirements for genetically modified foods to "bioengineered," not "biofortified."
USA TODAY reached out to Main Health Solutions, the Facebook page that posted the claim, for comment.
Foods labeled as 'bioengineered'
On Jan. 1, a new national labeling standard went into effect for food manufacturers, importers and retailers. Instead of "genetically engineered" (GE) or "genetically modified organism" (GMO), certain foods must be labeled as bioengineered (BE).
That's different from biofortified.
Bioengineered refers to foods "that contain detectable genetic material that has been modified through certain lab techniques and cannot be created through conventional breeding or found in nature," according to the USDA. A few examples include certain varieties of alfalfa, corn, papaya and soybean.
Biofortification, on the other hand, refers to "an increase in the nutritional value of plant foods obtained through conventional crop breeding methods or through crop genetic engineering techniques," according to the National Agricultural Library Thesaurus and Glossary. For example, in some parts of the world, iron-enriched beans and millet have been developed through conventional plant breeding techniques.
According to a USDA fact sheet, a bioengineered food disclosure must be placed on either a product's principal display panel or next to the manufacturer or distributor information. Among the potential labels are "bioengineered" and "derived from bioengineering."
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“The National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard increases the transparency of our nation’s food system, establishing guidelines for regulated entities on when and how to disclose bioengineered ingredients," then-Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a December 2018 statement announcing the rules. "This ensures clear information and labeling consistency for consumers about the ingredients in their food."
Our rating: False
Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that labels for genetically modified foods were changed to "bio fortified." The USDA recently changed labeling requirements for genetically modified foods to "bioengineered" – not "biofortified," which refers to a separate concept.
Our fact-check sources:
- The Washington Post, Jan. 1, The USDA’s new labeling for genetically modified foods goes into effect Jan. 1. Here’s what you need to know.
- AAP Fact Check, Oct. 29, 2019, “Biofortified” is not the new word for GMO foods
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed April 1, BE Disclosure
- CrowdTangle, accessed April 1
- NPR, Jan. 5, GMO is out, 'bioengineered' is in, as new U.S. food labeling rules take effect
- National Agricultural Library Thesaurus and Glossary, accessed April 5, Biofortification
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed April 5, National Bioengineered
Food Disclosure Standard - U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed April 6, List of Bioengineered Foods
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed April 6, BE Disclosure
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dec. 20, 2018, Establishing the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard
- HarvestPlus, accessed April 6, Biofortification: A food-based strategy to help reduce the disease burden associated with iron deficiency
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Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.