NonGMO Project GMO food verification logo orange

What is a GMO?

GMO Facts

What is a GMO?

GMO Science

What are High Risk Crop Inputs?

Understanding Low and High Risk

A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology. This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

Genetic modification affects many of the products we consume on a daily basis. As the number of GMOs available for commercial use grows every year, the Non-GMO Project works diligently to provide the most accurate, up-to-date standards for non-GMO verification.

In order for a product to be Non-GMO Project Verified, its inputs must be evaluated for compliance with our standard, which categorizes inputs into four risk levels:

Risk Level Definition Examples
High-Risk The input is derived from, contains derivatives of, or is produced through a process involving organisms that are known to be genetically modified and commercially available. Alfalfa, Canola, Corn, Cotton, Papaya, Soy, Sugar beet, Yellow summer squash / zucchini, Animal products, Microbes and enzymes, Potato
Low-Risk The input is not derived from, does not contain derivatives of, or is not produced through a process involving organisms that are presently known to be genetically modified and commercially available. Lentils, Spinach, Tomatoes, Sesame seeds, Avocados
Non-Risk The input is not derived from biological organisms and not, therefore, susceptible to genetic modification.
Monitored Risk The Non-GMO Project carefully monitors the development of new genetically engineered products; we are currently tracking close to 100 products. Of those, we have included the following in our surveillance program, either because they will likely soon be widespread or because of known instances of contamination from GMOs. Flax, Mustard, Rice, Wheat, Apple, Mushroom, Orange, Pineapple, Camelina (false flax), Sugarcane, Tomato


Though there are only several GM crops that are widely available, they are commodity crops that often get further processed into a variety of ingredients. These high-risk ingredients are typically present in packaged products as:

Amino acids, alcohol, aspartame, ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, citric acid, sodium citrate, ethanol, flavorings (“natural” and “artificial”), high-fructose corn syrup, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, lactic acid, maltodextrins, molasses, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sucrose, textured vegetable protein (TVP), xanthan gum, vitamins, vinegar, yeast products

Learn more

A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology. This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

Genetic modification affects many of the products we consume on a daily basis. As the number of GMOs available for commercial use grows every year, the Non-GMO Project works diligently to provide the most accurate, up-to-date standards for non-GMO verification.

In order for a product to be Non-GMO Project Verified, its inputs must be evaluated for compliance with our standard, which categorizes inputs into four risk levels:

Risk Level Definition Examples
High-Risk The input is derived from, contains derivatives of, or is produced through a process involving organisms that are known to be genetically modified and commercially available. Alfalfa, Canola, Corn, Cotton, Papaya, Soy, Sugar beet, Yellow summer squash / zucchini, Animal products, Microbes and enzymes, Potato
Low-Risk The input is not derived from, does not contain derivatives of, or is not produced through a process involving organisms that are presently known to be genetically modified and commercially available. Lentils, Spinach, Tomatoes, Sesame seeds, Avocados
Non-Risk The input is not derived from biological organisms and not, therefore, susceptible to genetic modification.
Monitored Risk The Non-GMO Project carefully monitors the development of new genetically engineered products; we are currently tracking close to 100 products. Of those, we have included the following in our surveillance program, either because they will likely soon be widespread or because of known instances of contamination from GMOs. Flax, Mustard, Rice, Wheat, Apple, Mushroom, Orange, Pineapple, Camelina (false flax), Sugarcane, Tomato


Though there are only several GM crops that are widely available, they are commodity crops that often get further processed into a variety of ingredients. These high-risk ingredients are typically present in packaged products as:

Amino acids, alcohol, aspartame, ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, citric acid, sodium citrate, ethanol, flavorings (“natural” and “artificial”), high-fructose corn syrup, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, lactic acid, maltodextrins, molasses, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sucrose, textured vegetable protein (TVP), xanthan gum, vitamins, vinegar, yeast products

Learn more

Corn crop field
The GMO High-risk List: Corn
colorful dried corn bunch for harvest decoration
Mexico’s GMO Corn Ban Aims To Protect Cultural Heritage
GMO crops in plant-based foods? No, thanks!
Non-GMO Project Verified Non-GMO Canola
GMO Feature: Canola
Monarch Butterfly Non-GMO Project
The Non-GMO Project Standard — Announcements
A man grabbing soil from the ground in his hands
Save Our Soil! 6 Reasons To Support a Better Farm Bill
Industrial farming machinery in a corn field with mountains in the backdrop
Stand With Mexico for Food Sovereignty & Their Right to Restrict GMO Corn
The Case for Debt Relief for Black Farmers
The Case for Debt Relief for Black Farmers
Happy woman doing routine skin care at home with beauty products. Woman sitting on bed at home and applying face cream.
TIME TO COME CLEAN ABOUT HIDDEN GMOS IN PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
Man shopping in a supermarket.
Study Shows 69% of U.S. Consumers Demand Verification of Retailer & Brand Claims About Sustainability 
An image of capitol hill building
Executive Order is a Massive Push Toward Further Privatization of U.S. Food Supply
Young african american woman drinking green juice
More Than Half of All Plant-Based Foods Are Non-GMO Project Verified – and Growing
Panorama of grazing cows in a meadow with grass covered with dew
Non-GMO Project Stands with Straus Family Creamery, Other Dairy Farmers, as Synbio Milk Accelerates
Seeds planted in brown soil
Non-GMO Project Statement to Canada's Minister of Agriculture on Deregulation of Gene-Edited Seeds
Female scientist facing their back is holding a tech device doing testing in a corn field
New GMO Alert: Gene-edited Microbes Introduce a New Twist in GMO Agriculture
The Old Story Behind New GMOs
Corn crop field
The GMO High-risk List: Corn
Pastel pink eyeshadow and brush
New GMO Alert: The seduction of beauty – What’s really in that jar?
Salmon mouth open above the water
3 Crucial Reasons to Block GMO Salmon
ground coffee and honey top view
New GMO Alert: Bee-less Honey and Bean-less Coffee: A Translation Guide
2022: The Year in Review
2022: The Year in Review
Freshly harvested carrots and onions lying on a rustic paved pathway.
"Place-ful" Eating: How to Survive Winter’s Doldrums
Different sugar on white background
New GMO Alert: Move over synbio stevia; there are new GMO sweeteners in town
Cedar posts assembled across a river as part of weir construction to catch migrating salmon.
Could These 5 Indigenous Fishing Techniques Help Revitalize Salmon?
Graphic of a tomato plant against a purple background
You Say Tomato, We Say GMO
Purple tomatoes vine
New GMO Alert: Purple tomato recently approved for U.S. import and cultivation
Testing Protects Your Right To Choose Non-GMO
Plant harvest
New GMO Alert: Molecular Farming
Looking for Plant-Based Foods? Non-GMO Options Abound!
GMO crops in plant-based foods? No, thanks!
A young woman is seated at a table enjoying a healthy smoothie. There is a tray filled with fruit and vegetables on the table in front of her. The background shows illustrations of a variety of foods and dishes.the table
Where New GMOs Show Up in Plant-Based Foods
Open field with several cows standing
New GMO Alert: Motif FoodWorks™
Two men looking at the plant harvest
What's NOT a GMO?
wheat field
New GMO Alert: Bioceres GM HB4 Wheat Gains Traction Worldwide
Mother with daughter at a grocery store
Who's Looking Out for You? We Are!
New GMO Alert: Animal-Free Dairy Products to Watch Out For
Collage of three images: a strand of DNA, a field of grain and two people in the foreground gesturing over a computer.
What's wrong with GMOs? A lot.
New GMO Alert: Betterland Foods
What is a GMO
What Is a GMO?
Crops in drought
How useful are GMOs on a warming planet? Middling.
New GMO Alert: Recombinetics Heat-Tolerant GE Cow
AquaAdvantage salmon
Who Ate All the Frankenfish? (Hint: It Might Have Been You!)
cardboard cutout of the world map
U.S. Becomes 65th Country to Label GMOs — But Whose Laws Are the Best?
A woman of color decorating a chocolate cake with strawberries with her daughter
New GMO Alert: Climate Hero Super Cake Mix
Golden Rice
Genetically Engineered Golden Rice: Real Hope or Misplaced Hype?
Hands spreading cream cheese on toast
New GMO Alert: Modern Kitchen
Know Your Labels! The Butterfly Makes Non-GMO Easy
Know Your Labels! The Butterfly Makes Non-GMO Easy
Woman at a grocery store reading a product label.
There's a New Label in Town — But the Butterfly Stays Strong
women in athletic attire holding beverage bottles
Busy as a Beverage
African man looking up standing in a corn field
Non-GMO Project Presents: The Year in Food, 2021
Asian woman wearing a denim jacket picking peaches in supermarket
Exposing GMOs: Are You Being Fooled by Imposters?
whisk, egg white, egg yolk, cracked eggs
New GMO Alert: GMO-Made Egg White Proteins
Pouring essential oil on hands
GMOs and Clean Beauty Products— Looking for the Butterfly in Cosmetics and Skincare
sprout growing from soil
The Magic — and the Monopoly — of Seeds
Female scientist facing their back is holding a tech device doing testing in a corn field
New GMO Alert: Gene-edited Microbes Introduce a New Twist in GMO Agriculture
The Old Story Behind New GMOs
Pastel pink eyeshadow and brush
New GMO Alert: The seduction of beauty – What’s really in that jar?
ground coffee and honey top view
New GMO Alert: Bee-less Honey and Bean-less Coffee: A Translation Guide
2022: The Year in Review
2022: The Year in Review
Different sugar on white background
New GMO Alert: Move over synbio stevia; there are new GMO sweeteners in town
Purple tomatoes vine
New GMO Alert: Purple tomato recently approved for U.S. import and cultivation
A sunset image of a barn on a green agricultural field
This Summer's Biggest and Tastiest Food News
An image of capitol hill building
Executive Order is a Massive Push Toward Further Privatization of U.S. Food Supply
Plant harvest
New GMO Alert: Molecular Farming
A young woman is seated at a table enjoying a healthy smoothie. There is a tray filled with fruit and vegetables on the table in front of her. The background shows illustrations of a variety of foods and dishes.the table
Where New GMOs Show Up in Plant-Based Foods
Open field with several cows standing
New GMO Alert: Motif FoodWorks™
wheat field
New GMO Alert: Bioceres GM HB4 Wheat Gains Traction Worldwide
New GMO Alert: Animal-Free Dairy Products to Watch Out For
Man reading milk label
Synbio Milk Is a Dud
Man standing with a shopping cart opening a refrigerator door in a grocery store
The Butterfly Protects Your Right To Choose
New GMO Alert: Betterland Foods
Can a Lab-based Food System Save the World?
Can a Lab-based Food System Save the World?
New GMO Alert: Recombinetics Heat-Tolerant GE Cow
Girl preparing a plant-based burger with love, patty is vegan, no cheese
Going Plant-Based to Save the Planet? Better Look For the Butterfly, Too
A woman of color decorating a chocolate cake with strawberries with her daughter
New GMO Alert: Climate Hero Super Cake Mix
Will Biotech "POP" Organic Corn's Best Defense Against GMO Pollen?
Hands spreading cream cheese on toast
New GMO Alert: Modern Kitchen
Know Your Labels! The Butterfly Makes Non-GMO Easy
Know Your Labels! The Butterfly Makes Non-GMO Easy
At the Supermarket: Handsome Man Uses Smartphone and Takes Picture of the Can of Goods. He's Standing with Shopping Cart in Canned Goods Section.
The New BE Label is Here! Or Is It??? (And Why You Should Still Look for the Butterfly)
African man looking up standing in a corn field
Non-GMO Project Presents: The Year in Food, 2021
whisk, egg white, egg yolk, cracked eggs
New GMO Alert: GMO-Made Egg White Proteins
African American female in a grocery store on her cellphone standing behind her cart.
What You Need To Know About Bioengineered (BE) Food Labeling
Pouring essential oil on hands
GMOs and Clean Beauty Products— Looking for the Butterfly in Cosmetics and Skincare

A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology. This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

Genetic modification affects many of the products we consume on a daily basis. As the number of GMOs available for commercial use grows every year, the Non-GMO Project works diligently to provide the most accurate, up-to-date standards for non-GMO verification.

In order for a product to be Non-GMO Project Verified, its inputs must be evaluated for compliance with our standard, which categorizes inputs into four risk levels:

Risk Level Definition Examples
High-Risk The input is derived from, contains derivatives of, or is produced through a process involving organisms that are known to be genetically modified and commercially available. Alfalfa, Canola, Corn, Cotton, Papaya, Soy, Sugar beet, Yellow summer squash / zucchini, Animal products, Microbes and enzymes, Potato
Low-Risk The input is not derived from, does not contain derivatives of, or is not produced through a process involving organisms that are presently known to be genetically modified and commercially available. Lentils, Spinach, Tomatoes, Sesame seeds, Avocados
Non-Risk The input is not derived from biological organisms and not, therefore, susceptible to genetic modification.
Monitored Risk The Non-GMO Project carefully monitors the development of new genetically engineered products; we are currently tracking close to 100 products. Of those, we have included the following in our surveillance program, either because they will likely soon be widespread or because of known instances of contamination from GMOs. Flax, Mustard, Rice, Wheat, Apple, Mushroom, Orange, Pineapple, Camelina (false flax), Sugarcane, Tomato


Though there are only several GM crops that are widely available, they are commodity crops that often get further processed into a variety of ingredients. These high-risk ingredients are typically present in packaged products as:

Amino acids, alcohol, aspartame, ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, citric acid, sodium citrate, ethanol, flavorings (“natural” and “artificial”), high-fructose corn syrup, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, lactic acid, maltodextrins, molasses, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sucrose, textured vegetable protein (TVP), xanthan gum, vitamins, vinegar, yeast products

Learn more

magnifiercrossarrow-right linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram