Are GMOs Safe?

Yes, GMOs are safe to eat. That is the overwhelming consensus of scientific experts and major scientific authorities around the world. In fact, there have been more than 1,700 studies on the safety of GMOs, hundreds of which were independently funded.

In the spring of 2016, The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NAS) researched this very same question and concluded: yes, GMOs are safe.  A panel of more than 20 scientists, researchers, agricultural and industry experts reviewed over 20 years of data since GMOs were introduced, including nearly 900 studies and tests and European and North American health data and concluded – as other previous research concluded – that genetically modified crops are safe to eat, have the same nutrition and composition as non-genetically modified crops and have no links to new allergies, cancer, celiac or other diseases. Read the full report here. 

The health and safety of GMOs have been validated by many independent scientists and organizations around the world. Groups ranging from the World Health Organization, the Royal Society of Medicine (UK), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and the International Seed Federation (ISF), along with various governing bodies on every continent around the world have all affirmed the safety of GMO crops. 

Since 1992, more than 40 government agencies have given approvals for GMO food, feed, and cultivation. In many countries, multiple agencies are involved in the regulation of GMOs.  

Genetically modified food products and food ingredients have been evaluated and approved for food and feed import globally, and consumed for more than 20 years with zero food safety incidents. Since GMO crops first started being reviewed for approvals, more than 3,500 safety evaluations for food and animal feed have been conducted with zero rejections based on safety.

Learn why some people are skeptical about the use of GMOs.