Viewpoint: Are GMOs safe? Yes, for people and the planet

Tamika Sims | Food Insight | December 16, 2020

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[W]hen we hear or read “GMO” or “bioengineered food,” do we ever think of the terms “safety,” “regulation” or “sustainability”? …. Let’s look at how these three positive attributes are intertwined with GMOs and what that means for our food supply.

GMO foods have been part of our food system for more than two decades. The GMO crops available in the U.S… are as safe and nutritious as their non-GMO counterparts. The science behind their safety has been evaluated extensively over the past 20 years, including an in-depth analysis performed by 50 scientists that worked on a 2016 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report for more than two years.

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To address directly some of the adverse health claims linked to GMO consumption, the report highlighted that there is no published evidence to support accusations or beliefs that consumption of genetically engineered foods can cause obesity, type 2 diabetes, food allergies or autism spectrum disorder—or that GMO foods generate unique gene or protein fragments that have the ability to induce health risks.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have ensured that GMOs are safe for human, plant and animal health—as has the World Health Organization.

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