For years, ingredients from genetically engineered (GE) plants have been commonly used in foods around the world.

A recently released report, titled “The Potential Impacts of Mandatory Labeling for Genetically Engineered Food in the United States,” examined a range of issues and concluded that there is no science-based reason to single out GE foods and feeds for mandatory process-based labeling.

The authors noted that GE crops are extensively tested, according to Drovers CattleNetwork, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found that all 147 transgenic gene and crop combinations evaluated by the agency are equivalent to their conventional counterparts.

Mandatory labeling could have negative implications for First Amendment rights and trade issues, as well as increase food costs, the report stated. Among other conclusions, the report found that market-driven voluntary labeling measures are currently providing customers with non-GE choices.

Although small studies have claimed GE foods have adverse health effects on animals, most have been retracted or severely criticized by government and mainstream scientific organizations as unreliable.

Click here to view the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology’s full report.