what are bio engineered food ingredients

Bioengineered food ingredients are those that contain 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. These modifications are made through in vitro recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) techniques and involve the insertion of new genes into the DNA of the organism. Bioengineered foods or foods that contain bioengineered food ingredients must be labeled with the bioengineered food disclosure. The USDA’s current List of Bioengineered Foods includes alfalfa, Arctic™ Apple, canola, corn, cotton, Bt Eggplant, Ringspot virus-resistant Papaya, Pink Pineapple, potato, AquAdvantage® Salmon, soybean, summer squash, and sugarbeet. 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.