Non-GMO Project

The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit organization, created by leaders representing all sectors of the organic and natural products industry in the United States and Canada, to develop and uphold a standardized definition of “non-GMO” for food and other products that are produced without genetic engineering. The Non-GMO Project is the only organization offering independent verification of testing and GMO controls for products in the US and Canada.

What is the mission of the Non-GMO Project?

To ensure the sustained availability of non-GMO food and other products. The Non-GMO Project aims to provide the following:

• Knowledge: Knowledge and information on GMOs that will help the organic and natural foods industry to understand and avoid them in their products

• Standard: A uniform, authoritative, consensus-based standard for what non-GMO means

• Verification Program: A centralized, economical, confidential, third-party program for verifying that products meet the non-GMO standard

Who participates in the Non-GMO Project?

Food and other product manufacturers, retailers, processors, distributors, suppliers, farmers, seed companies, and consumers.

How are products verified non-GMO?

Leaders of the Non-GMO Project developed a third-party, process-based Product Verification Program (PVP) with a standard definition for “non-GMO.”

The PVP encompasses the following:

• Action Thresholds: These are limits for adventitious genetically modified material, including 0.25% for seed, 0.9% for food, and 1.5% for feed. There are also variances to these thresholds that allow for continuous improvement.

• Testing and Auditing: These reduce GMO risk and ensure compliance with the Non-GMO Project standard.

• Product Verification Database: A centralized database automates and optimizes the product verification process, making it straightforward, efficient, and economical.

• Central Role for Organic Certifiers: Non-GMO inspection services can be done in conjunction with yearly organic inspections to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

• Traceability: The PVP works at every level of the supply chain, going all the way back to the seeds.

What does the Non-GMO Project seal mean?

The seal means that a product has been produced according to rigorous best practices for GMO avoidance, giving consumers the best assurance that a product is non-GMO. Buying products that are enrolled and verified in the Non-GMO Project is the best way to support the sustained availability of non-GMO choices in North America.

To see a list of Non-GMO Project verified products, visit www.nongmoproject.org.