How to Spot Non-GMO Products at the Grocery Store

Standing in the grocery aisle trying to figure out what's genetically engineered and what isn't can feel like guesswork. It doesn't have to be. There are a small number of real labels and a couple of persistent myths, and once you know the difference, spotting non-GMO products takes seconds.

The short answer: look for the Non-GMO Project's orange-and-black butterfly seal or the USDA Organic seal, both of which are third-party verified. Ignore produce sticker myths about the number "8," and check ingredient lists for corn, soy, canola, and sugar beet derivatives if a product isn't labeled either way.

What labels actually mean something?

Two seals in the US carry real verification behind them:

• Non-GMO Project Verified (the orange butterfly). This means a product's high-risk ingredients have been tested and confirmed to contain less than 0.9% GMO content for human food, according to FoodPrint's label guide. It's a single-issue certification, meaning it only addresses genetic engineering, not pesticides or farming practices more broadly.
• USDA Organic. Certified organic products cannot legally be produced using GMOs, alongside restrictions on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Any product labeled 100% organic or USDA Organic is automatically non-GMO, even without the butterfly seal.

Since January 1, 2022, US law also requires a separate disclosure: a green "Bioengineered" symbol (or text/QR code) on packaged foods that do contain GMO ingredients above certain thresholds, per the USDA's National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard. That means you can now sometimes tell a product does contain GMOs just by the presence (or absence) of that label, though small manufacturers and restaurants are exempt.

Do produce stickers tell you if something is GMO?

This is one of the most repeated grocery myths, and it's false. The idea that a 5-digit PLU code starting with "8" means genetically modified produce was never actually implemented in the way people think. According to fact-checking by Snopes, an 8-prefix was proposed for GMO produce years ago but retailers never adopted it, and the International Federation for Produce Standards formally dropped it in 2015.

Here's what PLU codes actually tell you:

If you want certainty on produce, the sticker's prefix isn't it. The organic ("9" prefix) label is your best bet, since GMO produce can't legally be sold as organic.

How do you check packaged foods without a seal?

Most packaged food doesn't carry any GMO-related seal at all. In that case, check the ingredient list for these commonly GMO-derived ingredients, since they come from the crops most likely to be genetically engineered in the US:

• Corn syrup, corn starch, cornmeal, or maltodextrin (from corn)
• Soy lecithin, soy protein, or vegetable oil labeled simply "soybean oil"
• Canola oil
• Sugar (unless specified as "cane sugar," since a large share of US sugar comes from GMO sugar beets)
• Cottonseed oil

None of these ingredients are dangerous, but if avoiding GMO-derived ingredients is your goal, they're the ones to watch for on a standard nutrition label.

What about meat, dairy, and eggs?

This one trips people up. Animal products themselves aren't genetically engineered (no GMO cows or chickens are sold commercially in the US), but the animals may have eaten GMO feed, typically corn or soy. Non-GMO Project Verified meat, dairy, and eggs require that the animal's feed tested below 5% GMO content, according to the Non-GMO Project's animal-derived ingredients standard. If you want to avoid GMO-fed animal products entirely, look for the butterfly seal or USDA Organic on meat, dairy, and eggs specifically, since "grass-fed" or "pasture-raised" labels don't guarantee non-GMO feed on their own.

A quick shopping checklist

Frequently Asked Questions

Is "natural" the same as non-GMO?

No. "Natural" is a loosely regulated marketing term in the US and does not guarantee a product is free of GMO ingredients. Only the Non-GMO Project Verified seal, USDA Organic seal, or the mandatory Bioengineered disclosure carry real verification.

Does the Bioengineered label mean a product is unsafe?

No. It's strictly a disclosure requirement so consumers can identify bioengineered ingredients if they choose to avoid them, not a safety warning. The FDA considers approved bioengineered foods as safe as their conventional counterparts.

Can a product be Non-GMO Project Verified but not organic?

Yes, and this is common. Non-GMO Project Verified only addresses genetic engineering, so a verified product can still be grown with synthetic pesticides. If both matter to you, look for a product that carries both seals.

Sources

• Snopes: Do PLU Codes Document How Produce Is Grown?
• Morgan Lewis: USDA Bioengineered Food Disclosure Rule
• The Non-GMO Project: Animal-Derived Ingredients Standard
• FoodPrint: Non-GMO Project Verified Beef Label Guide
• The Non-GMO Project: GMO Facts