Understanding the Non GMO Label

You have likely seen the label above on a wide range of products. Sometimes you see both the Organic Label as well as the Non GMO label. Let’s explore what this all means because it can be confusing.

The NON GMO label is a product of the Non GMO Project . This project is a non-profit organization dedicated to “building and protecting a non-GMO food supply”. On their website you can find all the facts about GMO’s. It is important to understand that the Organic label and the Non-GMO label are two different and separate certifications. Organic labeled products are by definition Non-GMO. The use of GMO’s is not allowed in the organic certification guidelines (see my blog on the Organic Label). However, a product labeled as Non-GMO is not necessarily organic (unless the organic label is also present). The Non-GMO guidelines do not specify organic requirements.

What does this all mean? A product can be grown from a seed that is non-GMO but follows conventional farming practices. Conventional farming practices include the(use of synthetic chemicals in crop cultivation. In this case, the product is not organic due to the method used for its growth. If all the ingredients of a product are derived from non-GMO’s and the practices used to produce each of the ingredients follow organic methods, then the product can proudly display both the Organic label as well as the Non-GMO label.