USDA Seeks Information to Update the List of Bioengineered Foods

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is soliciting information about potential updates to the List of Bioengineered Foods.

As part of its annual review of the List, AMS published a Request for Information in the Federal Register on March 28, 2024. Interested parties may comment and recommend foods to add to the List through April 29, 2024. Comments should be submitted online at www.regulations.gov.

The Standard defines bioengineered food as food that contains detectable genetic material that has been modified through in vitro recombinant DNA techniques and for which the modification could not otherwise be obtained through conventional breeding or found in nature and requires that AMS develop and update the List to identify bioengineered crops or foods that are approved for commercial production somewhere in the world. It also establishes the need for recordkeeping by regulated entities who are using or selling a bioengineered food on the List.

The List identifies the crops or foods that are available in a bioengineered form to aid regulated entities in determining whether they may need to make a bioengineered food disclosure. AMS is soliciting information on whether dry edible beans, wheat, cowpea, golden rice, purple tomatoes and plums should be additions to the List. AMS is also soliciting information on whether any crops or foods currently on the List should be considered for subtraction from the List, and whether any modifiers should be added or changed for any of the crops or foods already on the List.

More information about the Standard and the List are available on the BE Disclosure webpage on AMS' website.