“GMO foods are unsafe to eat.”
Strong confidence because the National Academies review, a decade-scale review of crop safety research, and reviews of long-term and multigenerational animal feeding studies all find no health hazard from GMO foods on the market. Few long-term human studies exist, as with most foods, and each new trait is still assessed case by case.
Reviews of the research, including by the U.S. National Academies, find that GMO foods on the market are as safe to eat as their conventional counterparts. Genetic engineering itself does not make a food toxic or unsafe. Each new trait is still assessed case by case, and the GMO label is not what decides a food's safety.
Assessment checks the introduced proteins, nutrients, potential allergens and unintended changes. Findings about current products are not a guarantee for every future modification.
Food consumption and concentrated pesticide exposure are different questions. A crop's engineering method does not tell you the amount of a chemical someone encounters.
Safety note: A GMO version of an allergenic food can still trigger the usual allergy. Non-GMO is not an allergy-free label.
Talk to a healthcare professional if: Discuss a suspected food allergy with a qualified clinician.
You do not need to avoid assessed GMO foods to eat well. Choose foods that meet your needs, preferences and budget.
Do not let a bioengineered label alone rule out an otherwise useful food.
Similar claims on GMO foods: safety, cancer, allergies, DNA and the non-GMO label
“GMOs cause cancer.”
FalseEating assessed GMO foods has not been shown to cause cancer. Studies of the foods do not support the claim that changing a crop's genes…
See the evidence“Non-GMO foods are healthier.”
FalseA non-GMO label does not make a food healthier. It does not tell you how much fiber, protein, added sugar or sodium the food contains.…
See the evidence“GMO foods cause allergies.”
FalseAssessed GMO foods are not shown to be more allergy-causing than comparable non-GMO foods. A person with soy allergy still needs to avoid…
See the evidence“Eating GMO food changes your DNA.”
FalseEating GMO food does not turn its genes into your genes. Food DNA is largely broken down during digestion, just as it is from conventional…
See the evidenceJudge the food, not the label. GMO status alone is not a health signal in either direction.