Food companies are awaiting further clarification from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service on a new rule for food ingredients. Before making any infrastructure adjustment, many in the food industry are waiting for further explanation as to how the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS) is going to be enforced.
The NBFDS pertains to the disclosure of food ingredients that are considered to be bioengineered. The first installment of draft instructions details the expectations for validating the refining process for detectable modified genetic material. The draft was released before the holiday and public comment period will remain open until January 16.
Some companies have already begun to voluntarily disclose any bioengineered ingredients, while many companies are waiting for more information about the testing process and how the NBFDS is going to be enforced before making labeling decisions. The NBFDS was first announced in December 2018 and companies effectively have a two-year implementation period which began on January 1. Mandatory compliance with the NBFDS will be required beginning in 2022.
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