MOSCOW, October 7 (RIA Novosti) – A vast majority of US packaged food labeled as "natural" actually contains genetically modified (GMO) ingredients, Consumer Reports said Tuesday, referring to its recent studies.
"Virtually all of the samples we tested of products that made only a 'Natural' claim did have a substantial amount of GMOs," the group reported, noting that some manufacturers have removed the "natural" claim or have become "Non-GMO Project Verified" since the tests were conducted.
Consumer Reports tested corn and soy ingredients in over 80 different US breakfast cereals, chips, infant formulas, and other popular packaged food.
"Nearly all of the samples we tested of the products that did not make any non-GMO-related claim on the package did, in fact, contain substantial amounts of genetically modified corn or soy," the group said.
Foods labeled as "non-GMO" or "organic" were found to be free of genetically modified corn and soy.
According to the group's national surveys, 92 percent of Americans want GMO foods to be labeled in the United States, while 60 percent believe that a "natural" label means "No GMOs".
Manufacturers are required to label foods containing GMO ingredients in over 60 countries around the world. In the United States and Canada, GMO labeling is not mandatory.
