According to physicians interviewed by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation, biotechnology contributes to a safe, nutritious and more abundant food supply. Their insights shed light on issues important to consumers today, including food labeling, food security and sustainable agriculture.

On the topic of food labeling, Dr. Laurie Green, an obstetrician-gynecologist in San Francisco, California, points out that labels on foods containing genetically modified (GM) ingredients could be confusing to consumers. “It’s much more important to label items that might truly cause harm than [genetically modified] foods that have been used for 20 years in 29 countries and consumed by millions and millions of people,” she said.

Dr. Green also discussed the benefits of biotechnology for sustainable agriculture. “Biotechnology has led to foods that require less pesticides, fewer herbicides, and even combat viruses that damage crops, so overall these methodologies have so improved the quality of our environment and the quality of our food supply,” she said.

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This week, the International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) takes a stand against the misleading rhetoric about biotech sweet corn, calling attention to the safety of the food and its benefits to farmers and our environment. In the blog Food Insight, Dave Schmidt, CEO of IFIC, points out, “Since the 1990’s people around the world have been safely consuming many food products containing biotech crops.”

Mr. Schmidt calls for a more informed public discussion to help consumers better understand the benefits of biotechnology. Biotech sweet corn has been safely consumed by consumers for a decade and continues to benefit the environment by reducing the use of insecticides. Check out IFIC’s article on biotech sweet corn and other resources here.