SAN ANTONIO – With the controversy growing over whether food should be labeled if it contains GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, Consumer Reports tested several processed food products to see how widespread GMOs are and whether consumers can trust the labels.
About 90 percent of corn and soybeans produced in the U.S. is now genetically modified.
Vermont recently passed legislation requiring GMO labeling. Labeling requirements are on the ballot in Oregon and Colorado this fall.
Since labeling is not required, you can't tell by looking at the package, although some may say "No GMO," "Non GMO" or "Non-GMO Project Verified."
Consumer Reports tested more than 80 processed foods containing soy or corn for GMOs. Those products included cereal, chips and soy-based infant formula.
The food was bought in and around New York City and Seattle, Washington between April and July of 2014. The testing was done on at least two samples of each product, each from different lots.
"Unless they were labeled organic, the vast majority of products without a specific claim regarding GMOs contained a substantial amount," said Consumer Reports' Dr. Michael Crupain.
What about foods labeled "natural?" That claim doesn't have a legal definition. A recent Consumer Reports' survey of 1,000 people found that 60 percent believe "natural" means it has no GMOs.
That's not what the tests found. Virtually all the samples Consumer Reports tested that said "natural" but didn't make claims about being organic or non GMO in fact contained a high percentage of GMOs.
Then there are unverified claims — like "Non GMO" and "no GMO." Though not independently certified, they mostly proved accurate in Consumer Reports' tests.
The one exception: Xochitl Totopos de Maiz original corn chips. They're labeled "no GMO," but contained a high proportion of GMO corn in all six samples tested.
A spokesperson for Xochitl chips told Consumer Reports that the company and its supplier "are both baffled" by Consumer Reports' test results. Xochitl's "Organic" white corn chips did meet Consumer Reports' standards for non-GMO.
Consumer Reports' findings confirmed that the most reliable labels for avoiding GMOs are "Non-GMO Project Verified," or organic — both of which are independently certified.