
According to the Center for Food Safety, “It is estimated that upwards of 75% of processed foods on supermarket shelves contain genetically engineered ingredients” (Weschler).  Almost all food products have been genetically modified/engineered, or contain genetically modified ingredients. The abundance of modifications has brought several concerns among consumers. While the United States government has required food companies to provide nutrition labels on all packages since 1990, consumers are still not able to see all the chemicals used in the manufacturing of their food. Food companies should be required to print a QR code on all products containing genetically modified ingredients because consumers have the right to know what they put in their bodies, the United States mainly functions around technology, and in order to better educate the public on the safety of genetically modified food.

In July 2016, the United States Senate passed a law requiring food products containing genetically modified organisms or ingredients be labeled. There are several oppositions to this law as some view the labels as misleading. Some politicians feel as though labeling a food containing a genetically modified organism (GMO) or ingredient, could raise a red flag to consumers. They may think the label serves as a warning rather than extra information on the product. Consider the nutrition label on foods. People often read the nutrition label and get upset about the number of calories or grams of sugar or percentage of fat. However, GMO labels are there to give customers satisfaction of knowing what they are consuming.

Since almost foods have been modified in some way, and food “would be unable to survive without human intervention,” the government understands that once they required GMO items to be labeled, almost all products would need a label (Thomas). This would lead to complications in the different types of genetic modification and genetic engineering. When the law was passed, there were several unanswered questions such as what items should be labeled and how exactly they should be labeled. The government wants to require food labeling so consumers have the satisfaction of knowing exactly what they are putting in their body. In order to give customers that satisfaction, they need to require all foods that have any type of genetic modification to be labeled as such. Requiring only that a certain kind of GMO be labeled leaves more room for the American public to wonder what they are consuming, and if the government is withholding information. 

Another question that has been left unanswered since the passing of this law is how each type of item will be labeled. For example, a cereal containing a modified sugar, is extremely different from a cow that has been given growth hormones. The packaged cereal and the packaged meat in the grocery store should not have the same labeling. There has been talk of placing a simple genetically modified product symbol on the package, but that would not give customers satisfactory information. There have been suggestions of printing the exact information on the package, much like a nutrition label. This would be extremely time consuming and expensive for the food company to develop and type out a new label for each product they sell. This could lead the company to resent the law and attempt to avoid following the regulations. A QR code would lead to less steps in the printing and packaging process. The food company would be able to update and change information about a product from their company computers, rather than have to fix the printing press. Another suggestion has been to print a link to a website on the package that consumers could type into their smart phone or their computer at home. They could then search for the item they have, to read additional information. Printing a single link to a website would be cheaper than an entire label, however this process would be much more time consuming for customers. The time it could take to type in the link and search through the thousands of items that grocery store and that food company has woud lead to frustration from buys. 

Another idea was to create a system that would create a QR code that customers could scan on their smart phone that would link them instantly to information about that product. A relatively new company called SmartLabel, is exactly the kind of company the government should be looking at to launch this food labeling process. The company utilizes a QR code that can be scanned which will then take them to the SmartLabel app. The app will open to specific information on that products nutrition information, ingredients, usage instructions and genetic modifications. Usage of this type of technology could revolutionize the food packaging industry. Eventually, all ingredients and nutrition labels could be stored in the database along with the new genetic modification information. All information would be in one, easy to find, easy to use place for consumers. This could also cut prices for food companies when it comes to packaging products. Storing all information in one QR code rather than printing an entire ingredient list and nutrition label could save food companies thousands of dollars. SmartLabel plans to have, “20,000 GMO products in their databases by the end of 2017” (Kennedy). A company like SmartLabel, or one similar to it is the most user friendly, cost efficient way to go about labeling regulations. It is an inexpensive, easy access app that could hold more than enough information that the government, food companies and customers can benefit from. 

We can understand that there are thousands of different types of genetic modifications and genetic engineering. From artificial sugars, to herbicides on plants, to hormones in chickens and cattle. All of these are important in keeping our foods safe, as well as producing enough to feed our country. Without the advancements, we have made in genetic modification, we would not have nearly enough to keep us eating a healthy amount. As beneficial as genetic modification and genetic engineering is, the U.S. population deserves to know what exactly GMO’s and GM ingredients are, as well as what foods they are in. 

The majority of food in any given grocery store has been genetically modified from breakfast cereals to fresh fruits and vegetables. Although the government requires food companies to provide ingredients and nutritional information on packages, there are no requirements that force food companies to provide the genetic modifications that were used while producing their products. The knowledge of fat percentage and grams of sugar is just as important as knowing what chemicals were used to create the food that is entering a consumer’s body. While GMO’s in food products are completely safe for consumption, it is always important to know what you are putting in your body. Placing a code on products to help consumers identify the chemicals in their food gives them a satisfaction and feeling of safety while purchasing products. Similarly, to a customer purchasing a product with a high calorie content, this will not necessarily stop the shopper from buying the product, but better educate them on what they are purchasing and consuming. 

The United States highly functions around technology. The easiest and fastest way to provide information to the most amount of people is through technology. The most accessible form of technology to use is smartphones. The majority of Americans will not leave home without their phone in hand. “Roughly 77% of Americans now own smart phones” (Smith). This makes it one of the easiest ways to access the internet, and most smart phones, including phones with the apple app store and google play, have free QR reader apps that you can download. If a QR code is placed on a package, shoppers can quickly scan the code before even placing the item in their grocery cart. They will then be brought to the app that will supply them with information on the product such as nutrition information and much more. This could be extremely useful for people wanting to find out information on products containing GMO’s but also to find ingredient information. With the large amounts of allergies and food intolerance’s, people have today, consumers are constantly searching through the ingredient list to ensure it is safe for their consumption. Several companies already use QR codes and applications such as SmartLabel for their nutrition labels and ingredient information. Given the technology we have, we could customize an individual’s app to notify the customer of any specific ingredient or product once they scan the QR code. Using QR codes is the most logical way to reach the large audience the government needs to.

Several politicians have raised concern around the use of QR codes with a smart phone because, “many consumers do not have access to the tools needed to read them” (Strom). This leads to another question of how to provide access to everyone. As a backup for customers who may not own a smart phone or have their phone with them, each store should have at least one QR reader kiosk. These machines can be as simple as the coupon scanners than many stores already have installed. With the fast pace lifestyle of most working Americans today, this solution allows them to view the GMO facts of their food almost instantly while on the go.

Because there is concern about the safety of genetic modification, it is important to educate people on the benefits of GMO’s, as well as the regulations that help keep our food safe. Since foods from genetically engineered crops are, “at least as safe as foods from non-GE crops,” placing a code with easy access to information can help erase the negative stigma around genetically modified products (Fama). A Rutger’s University study found, “While most Americans say they are unfamiliar with GM foods, the majority indicate that they hold at least some negative perceptions of GM foods” (Hallman et al). Without having all of the information, the American public cannot know what is safe and what is not. This leads them to wonder about the safety of the products as well as wonder what they are putting in their body. Educating customers should be a main goal of the government to get rid of the ignorance around genetic modification. 

Not only should food companies have to label their products, but they should be required to provide all information on the product, not just place an indicator on the package that the product contains a GMO. Food companies have voiced their concerns that labeling food items might give buyers the idea that genetically modified ingredients are not safe, and that the label serves as a warning. Already, food companies are, “citing the potential for misleading consumers” (Berning). If the labels were to provide extensive information that proved the safety of GMO’s, this would help educate people as well as eliminate the negative views towards GMO’s. Food companies will be able to maintain their sales without cutting corners to avoid the labeling. 

The United States is making advancements in the world of genetically modified organisms and ingredients. Without these advancements, we would not have sufficient foods and products to sustain the amount of people in our country. Regulations have been made to ensure our safety while using these products, but consumers have the right to know what they are constantly putting in their bodies. It is also important that they know what they are consuming is safe. With recent talk about labeling of genetically modified products, people are wondering how safe it really is. Although a law is in place to inform American citizens about the food they are buying, there are blurred lines as to how labeling will be regulated. One of the safest, cost efficient and most effective ways to label the thousands of different genetically modified foods is through a QR code labeling process. The government would be able to provide an abundance of information on the ingredients, nutrition facts, genetic modifications and the process that goes into making food. Millions of consumers could have access to all information necessary at their fingertips to make them feel safe about what they are eating. 
