Food from New Plant Varieties

Better understand genetically engineered foods (GMOs)The FDA regulates human and animal foods derived from plants including those that have been developed using genetic engineering or genome editing techniques, commonly referred to as “GMOs” (Genetically Modified Organisms) or as “bioengineered.” All foods regulated by the FDA that are produced, processed, stored, shipped or sold in the United States are held to the same safety standards.

The FDA focuses on the safety and nutritional characteristics of foods and not the processes by which they are produced. This regulatory approach is supported by more than 25 years of experience in this area demonstrating that as a class, foods from genetically engineered plant varieties don’t present different or greater safety concerns than their non-genetically engineered counterparts.

To learn more about the FDA’s plant biotechnology priorities, regulatory guidance, and general information, please visit:

• FDA's Plant and Animal Biotechnology Innovation Action Plan
  Overview of the priorities the agency will pursue to support innovation in plant and animal biotechnology and to advance the agency's public health mission
• Understanding New Plant Varieties
  Questions and answers about the science, safety, and regulatory oversight of new plant varieties
• New Plant Variety Regulatory Information
  Regulatory guidance from the FDA for developers of foods derived from new plant varieties
• Consultation Programs on Food from New Plant Varieties
  Information about the voluntary pre-market consultation programs that FDA offers to developers to help ensure the safety of new foods produced using genetic engineering and genome editing, prior to the food entering to the market
• Inventory of Consultations on Food from New Plant Varieties
  The FDA’s inventory of all completed consultations on foods from new plant varieties that were the subject of voluntary premarket engagement between the FDA and the developer of the new plant variety.
• FDA Letter to Industry on the Food Safety Risks of Transferring Genes for Proteins that are Food Allergens to New Plant Varieties Used for Food
  Letter reminding manufacturers and developers of new plant varieties of the relevant legal requirements and potential food safety concerns related to producing, processing, packaging, and holding of plant varieties containing transferred proteins that are food allergens and industry’s responsibility to ensure that they do not become unintended or unexpected allergens in final food products.