[T]he American Academy of Pediatrics issued new guidelines for doctors fielding parents’ questions about the risks of foods containing genetically modified ingredients. Given the morass of GMO misinformation on social media, the report was an opportunity for experts to set the record straight on how pediatricians should advise their patients on a very thorny question: Is it safe for kids to eat foods that contain GMOs?

But soon after the report was published, critics began to point out what they saw as major shortcomings: They alleged that the authors undersell the benefits of GMOs, overstate the benefits of organic and non-GMOs, and conflate concerns about genetically modified foods with worries about the cancer risks of herbicide exposure. Others noted that the report’s recommendation of organic food for people who want to steer clear of GMOs discounts the many caregivers who can’t afford it.

So what does the evidence say about the risks of consuming GMOs? According to nearly all agencies around the world that have looked into this issue, including the US Food and Drug Administration, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the World Health Organization, genetically engineered foods are safe to eat.

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