What is a bioengineered food?

Food that contains genetic material that has been modified through 

certain laboratory techniques and for which the modification could 

not be obtained through conventional breeding or found in nature.

Ingredients and foods that meet the definition of bioengineered (BE) food must include a disclosure on the 

package or label. BE food labels are for marketing purposes and do not convey any information about the 

health, safety, or environmental attributes of that food compared to non-bioengineered counterparts.

How will 

bioengineered food 

be labeled? 

“Contains a bioengineered 

food ingredient”

A symbol in black 

and white or color

An electronic or 

digital link

Phone number that 

consumers can text

What does “derived from” mean?

You may also see ‘derived from bioengineering’ or ‘ingredients 

derived from a bioengineered source’ on a label. In this case, the 

company has chosen to disclose that they are using highly refined 

ingredients that do not contain detectable modified genetic material 

in the finished product.

Frequently Asked Questions

What foods require a 

bioengineered food 

disclosure?

Highly refined ingredients (like 

some sugars and oils) and foods 

that are primarily meat, poultry, 

or egg products, do not require 

a bioengineered food disclosure. 

Food sold by very small food 

manufacturers and food served 

in restaurants, food trucks, trains, 

airplanes, delicatessens and 

similar retail food establishments 

are not required to provide a 

bioengineered food disclosure. 

They may voluntarily do so.

When will I start seeing the 

BE symbol on food 

products?

Food manufacturers and retailers 

are required to provide the 

disclosure starting January 1, 

2022. 

Am I already eating 

bioengineered foods? 

Yes, bioengineered foods are 

already on the market. Varieties 

of a few fresh fruit and vegetable 

crops, such apples and papaya, 

as well as certain grains and 

seeds, such as soy and canola, 

are bioengineered. 

Is there a list of 

bioengineered foods?

Yes. The USDA Agricultural 

Marketing Service (AMS) 

maintains the AMS List of 

Bioengineered Foods on its 

website: 

https://go.usa.gov/xvWdc

Why does AMS use the term 

“BE”?

Bioengineered foods include 

certain types of genetically 

modified organisms (GMOs). 

Congress used the term BE 

when they passed the National 

Bioengineered Food Disclosure 

Standard (NBFDS). Although 

companies may use the 

terms “Genetically Modified 

Organism,” “GMO” and “Genetic 

Engineering” on their labels, they 

must use “bioengineered food” or 

“contains a bioengineered food 

ingredient(s)” to comply with the 

NBFDS. 

How do I file a complaint if 

a product doesn’t include a 

bioengineered disclosure? 

Starting January 1, 2022, you 

can file a complaint on the AMS 

website. Some products on the 

market may voluntarily include 

the disclosure before that date. 

Closer to this compliance date, 

AMS will post the process 

for making a complaint on its 

website. Please continue to 

check the website for updates 

and more information: 

https://www.ams.usda.gov/rulesregulations/be 

You may also find more educational materials for consumers about agricultural biotechnology on the 

Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA)website: https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/agricultural-biotechnology