The United States Department of Agriculture finalized its rules for GMO labeling at the end of 2018, giving food manufacturers until January 1, 2020 to comply with the updated guidelines. While some manufacturers have expressed frustration with USDA's National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, sugar beet farmers have been celebrating the agency's ruling on refined products.
The USDA defines bioengineered foods as those that "contain detectable genetic material that has been modified through certain lab techniques." The inclusion of the word "detectable" has major implications for distributors of refined sugar beets and corn sweeteners because the refinement process results in a final product that is indistinguishable from non-GMO sugar. This ruling is especially important for farmers, as 95 percent of all sugar beet crops in the U.S. come from biologically engineered seeds, according to a report from KUNC.
What Are Sugar Beets Used For?
The sugar beet is widely used as a sweetening agent for commercial food products and can be found in everything from candy to multi-grain energy bars. The Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources estimates that about 55 percent of all sugar produced in the U.S. comes from sugar beets, making it a go-to option over natural sugar cane.
The switch to genetically modified sugar beets began over a decade ago and was aimed at helping farmers improve their crop yields without needing to purchase additional land. Since then, farmers have reported using less water to grow their crops without any noticeable impact on quality. Currently, there are more than 10,000 sugar beet farmers across several U.S. states, with many residing in regions of Colorado and Nebraska.
The Effects of GMO Labeling
Despite the strong scientific consensus that GMO foods do not pose any risk to human well-being, many consumers remain skeptical about the practice. Almost half of U.S. adults surveyed by the Pew Research Center in 2018 believed that foods containing genetically modified ingredients are worse for one's health than those grown naturally.
Food companies have sought to capitalize on this trend by labeling their products as non-GMO, a practice that has received mixed reactions. But had the USDA ruled against refined products derived from biologically engineered crops, it's possible that food companies would have sought out alternatives to sugar beets, putting farmers at risk.
This incident demonstrates how quickly label requirements can change in response to public pressure, so you'll want to view our high-quality label printers at Argon Technology's U.S. store or Canada page to stay ahead.