WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GMOSCASA PRESENTATION- APRIL 2015

KEY MESSAGESConsumers’ relationships with food is changing – they want to know what is in their food and where it’s coming from. This is consistent with the desire to know if products contain “GMOs”.

Information must be clear, credible and current.

There are many challenges to provide consumers with the information concerning “GMOs” to enable them to make an informed choice about the food they purchase.

CONSUMERS’ RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD IS CHANGING

68%of global consumers want to recognize all the ingredients on the label

40% want food made with as few ingredients as possible

People want to know what’s in their food, where ingredients come from and how its made.

DOES THIS PRODUCT CONTAIN “GMOS”?

WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW IN ORDER TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION?

• What is a GMO?

• Play Video http://www.iflscience.com/environment/jimmy-kimmel-asks-anti-gmo-people-what-gmo

• Genetic engineering is the name for certain methods that scientists use to introduce new traits or characteristics to an organism. FDA considers “genetic engineering” to be the more precise term.

U.S. LABELING STATUS – HOW DO WE ANSWER THE QUESTION?

• In the United States, labeling whether a food has or has not been developed using bioengineering is voluntary.

• Many countries outside the U.S. do have regulations pertaining to the labeling of food which was developed through the use of bioengineering. (Contains)

• The U.S. consumer trend is the desire if a food has NOT been developed through the use of bioengineering. (Does not contain)

U.S. FDA GUIDANCE• Informative statements around the presence of ingredients from bioengineered sources are permitted

as long as they are not misleading for example:

• "Genetically engineered" or "This product contains cornmeal that was produced using biotechnology."

• "These tomatoes were genetically engineered to improve texture."

• Consumers in the U.S. prefer statements about foods which are not bioengineered or do not contain bioengineered ingredients.

• The use of the terms “GMO Free” or “GM Free” are being seen more and more in the market place but consumers do not understand these abbreviations.

• “Modification” covers a very broad scope and is not necessarily accurate when used within the context of “GM-Free”

• “GMO–FREE” is not accurate as it implies that the food contained organisms at one time.

WHAT DOES “FREE” REALLY MEAN?

• Consumers assume that “Free” means “Zero”.

• Zero could mean below the threshold of detection – however, threshold levels have not been established in the U.S. for labeling purposes.

• The threshold of detection is moving and there are analytical methods now to detect as little as 5 base pairs.

CHASING “ZERO”• In order to make any sort of statement about ingredients not derived from

bioengineered sources we need to consider the following areas:

• Ingredients

• Source only Identity preserved ingredients, where bioengineered varieties exist.

• Reformulate food to eliminate the bioengineered ingredients – if possible.

• E.G. Cane Sugar vs. Beet Sugar

“MAINTAINING ZERO”• If ingredients which have no variety of bioengineered sources or if identity

preserved sources are obtained, the manufacturer must maintain this status. How can we accomplish this?

• Certifications or affidavits from farmers or processors.

• Document the source of the ingredients.

• Special handling may be appropriate to maintain segregation of bioengineered and non bioengineered foods.

• Recordkeeping to document the segregation procedures such as separate lines or appropriate cleaning and changeover measures.

• All of these measures may be necessary to maintain the appropriate status.

“PROVING ZERO”Validated testing, if available, is the most reliable way to identify bioengineered foods or food ingredients.

• The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)test method is widely used to identify the presence of DNA or protein from bioengineered ingredients.

• If the food is highly processed, such as a corn syrup or oil, it may not be feasible to differentiate by validated analytical methods between bioengineered foods/ingredients and those obtained using traditional breeding methods.

• Failing all else, it may not be possible to “prove zero”. It would be possible to document handling practices and procedures to substantiate a claim about how the food was processed than to substantiate a "free" claim.

CURRENTLY, DISCERNING SHOPPERS RELY PRIMARILY ON PACKAGING TO GET PRODUCT INFORMATION.

• Regardless of the variety

of information sources

available to consumers

today, discerning

shoppers still put most

stock in the information

on the package. They

believe it is the most up-

to-date and relevant

information they can get. 11

WHAT CAN WE SAY?

• Whatever we say must be accurate and not mislead the consumer. Qualitative statements may be the best we can do today.

• "We do not use ingredients that were produced using biotechnology;“

• "This oil is made from soybeans that were not genetically engineered”

CONSUMER INSIGHTS

WHERE CAN WE SAY IT? PACKAGING HAS ITS LIMITATIONS.

• The challenge with on-pack labeling is that discerning shoppers

and other engaged consumers are concerned about different

things, and those things change. The attempt to accommodate

every shopper’s information needs has led to crowded and

cluttered packaging information that’s difficult to digest.

13

INFORMATION NEEDS AND TRENDS CHANGE QUICKLY

• From low-carb to allergy restrictions to gluten-free and GMO concerns, consumer food trends and interests continue to shift as science and food culture evolve. It’s a challenge to keep packaging designs up-to-date with what consumers care about most.

INFORMATION CONSISTENCY ACROSS PACKAGES IS LIMITED

• Front-of-pack claims and seals are meant to serve as quick information references. Their inconsistent use across products means that discerning shoppers can’t rely on these seals or claims alone to make a well-informed decision, and often check back panels anyway.

NOT EVERYTHING CAN MAKE IT ONTO THE PACKAGE

• On average, discerning shoppers want at least 15 pieces of information about the products they buy, and mass shoppers want at least 9 (Information Prioritization Survey, May 2014). Further, those pieces differ both from one consumer type to another, and over time.

NEXT STEPS

• Continue to pursue more dialogue between consumers and food manufacturers to communicate ingredient and food transparency.

• Technology is needed to enable the consumer to find additional product information quickly and easily whether it is in the supermarket or at home on the computer.

• Updated guidance concerning the labeling of bioengineered ingredients and foods is needed to include recent developments in technology.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

REFERENCES

• U.S. FDA DRAFT Guidance for Industry: Voluntary Labeling Indicating Whether Foods Have or Have Not Been Developed Using Bioengineering; Draft Guidance Released January 2001.

• Information Prioritization Survey, May 2014 (Hershey)

• You Tube Video – Jimmy Kimmel Live Interview Anti-GMOs, October 9, 2014