Non-GMO
Nestlé has always been in favor of innovation and the responsible use of scientific and technological advances, including those in the field of biotechnology. We believe that genetic engineering has a role to play in increasing food production and supporting sustainable agriculture.
Foods and beverages made with ingredients from GMO crops are as safe as those made with ingredients from their conventional counterparts. This is the scientific consensus and reflected in guidance issued by the FDA and the USDA, and many other regulatory agencies and organizations around the world that study the safety of the food supply. In the U.S., GMO crops are comprehensively tested in consultation with the FDA and USDA before they reach the market to ensure that they are safe for use as ingredients in food.
We recognize that some of our consumers prefer foods and beverages that do not contain GMO ingredients and wish to easily identify them. We are sensitive to consumers’ needs and preferences and have broadened our portfolio to include products made with no GMO ingredients. To help consumers to quickly and easily identify these products, we label them as “Non-GMO” or “Made without genetically engineered ingredients”.
Given the complexity and broad use of GMOs in food production and the absence of an official national standard for “Non-GMO” labeling in the U.S., Nestlé Health Science has developed the following criteria for labeling its products as “Non-GMO”.
Our products bearing “Non-GMO” claims do not contain the following ingredients:
- Agricultural crops grown from genetically engineered plants or seeds or any ingredients produced from these crops
- Ingredients produced or fermented using genetically engineered microorganisms or enzymes if those microorganisms or enzymes remain in the finished ingredient
- Meat or meat ingredients from genetically engineered animals
Our products bearing “Non-GMO” claims may contain one or more of the following ingredients:
- Agricultural crops that have not been genetically engineered and any ingredients produced from these crops
- Milk ingredients from animals that may be fed with GMO feed
- Any ingredients permitted in organic products since genetic engineering is an excluded method under the U.S. National Organic Program regulations
- Fermentation products produced from a genetically engineered agricultural crop, as long as the identity of the agricultural crop or its derivative is unrecognizable in the final ingredient
- Ingredients produced using genetically engineered microorganisms or enzymes as long as those microorganisms or enzymes have been removed through the purification process
- Processing aids and incidental additives that are genetically engineered ingredients if they are present at insignificant amounts and have no functional effect in the finished food
- Due to the high prevalence of GMOs and the potential for co-mingling in the U.S. food supply chain, our products labeled as “Non-GMO” may contain very low levels (less than 0.9% in total by weight, excluding water and salt) of materials produced with genetic engineering if their presence is technically unavoidable.
We fully support consumers’ desire to know what is in their food and are committed to providing transparency about our ingredients to consumers of Nestlé Health Science’s products.