New GMO labels, which came into effect this month in America, will only further confuse consumers, according to campaigners.
The National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard is described as a regulatory scam by the Center for Food Safety which has taken legal action to rescind it.
It says most genetically modified foods will remain unlabelled because highly refined products are exempt – this includes highly processed foods such as sodas and oils.
The lawsuit asks the court to declare the regulations unlawful, so that they can be amended by the US Department of Agriculture.
“These regulations are not about informing the public but rather to allow corporations to hide their use of genetically engineered ingredients from their customers,” according to Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Center for Food Safety.
“It is a regulatory scam which we are seeking to rescind in federal court.”
Corn, soybeans and sugar beets are common genetically engineered crops. Most GMO crops are used for animal feed, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Restaurants don’t have to comply with the new standard.
