Evaluation of Products
Many countries strongly regulate GM products, however the US isn't one of them. In the US, there are so many government agencies regulating GMs that it kind of gets confusing.
| EPA | Evaluates the crops for environmental safety |
| USDA | Evaluates whether crop is safe to grow |
| FDA | Evaluates weather crop is safe to eat |
In the US, the FDA stated in 1992 that biotech crops are the same as conventional crops and therefore, don’t need to be regulated. However, the PLU system (numbered sticker on a product) is supposed to tell weather a crop is GM or not. If the number starts with a 9, the product is organic and if the number starts with an 8, it is genetically modified. The problem is that it is rare to the point of impossible to find a product with a PLU starting with an 8 because there is no special regulation and review of labeling. What is ironic is that organic foods are heavily scrutinized to get its ‘certified organic’ label when something unnatural that can cause health problems is just passed over.
 Conventional Produce |  Organic Produce |
