Helping you make informed shopping decisions
The retailers
who started the Non-GMO Project were motivated by a simple idea. They
believed that consumers in North America should have access to
clearly-labeled non-GMO food and products, now and in the future. That
conviction continues to guide the Non-GMO Project, as North America’s
only independent verification for products made according to best practices for GMO avoidance.
What does “Non-GMO Project Verified seal” mean?
The verification seal indicates that the product bearing the seal has
gone through our verification process. Our verification is an assurance
that a product has been produced according to consensus-based best
practices for GMO avoidance:
- We require ongoing testing of all at-risk ingredients—any ingredient
being grown commercially in GMO form must be tested prior to use in a
verified product.
- We use an Action Threshold of 0.9%. This is in alignment with laws
in the European Union, where any product containing more than 0.9% GMO
must be labeled. Absence of all GMOs is the target for all Non-GMO
Project Standard compliant products. Continuous improvement practices
toward achieving this goal must be part of the Participant’s quality
management systems.
- After the test, we require rigorous traceability and segregation
practices to be followed in order to ensure ingredient integrity through
to the finished product.
- For low-risk ingredients, we conduct a thorough review of ingredient specification sheets to determine absence of GMO risk.
- Verification is maintained through an annual audit, along with onsite inspections for high-risk products.
Learn more about the:
Are products bearing the “Non-GMO Project Verified” seal GMO free?
Unfortunately, “GMO free” and similar claims are not legally or
scientifically defensible due to limitations of testing methodology.
In addition, the risk of contamination to seeds, crops, ingredients and
products is too high to reliably claim that a product is “GMO free.” The
Project’s claim offers a true statement acknowledging the reality of
contamination risk, but assuring the shopper that the product in
question is in compliance with the Project’s rigorous
standard.
The website url is included as part of the Seal to ensure that there is
transparency for consumers who want to learn more about our
verification. While the Non-GMO Project’s verification seal is not a
“GMO free” claim, it
is trustworthy, defensible, transparent, and North America’s
only independent verification for products made according to best practices for GMO avoidance.
What about the other products that I see on the store shelf that claim they are “GMO free?”
While you may see other claims regarding GMO status (e.g. “GMO free”),
these are really not legally or scientifically defensible, and they are
not verified by a third party. The Non-GMO Project is the
only
organization offering independent verification of testing and GMO
controls for products in the U.S. and Canada. Buying products that are
verified by our program is the best way to support the sustained
availability of non-GMO choices in North America.
Does purchasing “Non-GMO Project Verified” products help make a difference?
Yes! As a non-profit organization, we are committed not only to
verifying and labeling products, but also to supporting and coordinating
efforts between seed breeders, farmers, processors and manufacturers.
These efforts are allowing us to protect and even expand the
availability of non-GMO seeds, ingredients and products.
If you have questions, please let us know. We love hearing from you and are happy to help in any way we can.
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