Han, Z. (2019). Detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in North America in tofu: A quantitative experimental case study on the accuracy of non-GMO labels. The Young Researcher, 3 (1), 102-115

Abstract
Genetic modification refers to the reprogramming of an organism’s genetic material (DNA) to achieve favorable attributes. As many were skeptical about genetically modified organisms (GMO), North America enacted a voluntary labeling law on foods containing no GMOs. However, the lack of regulation by government authorities has allowed companies to utilize this legislation and deceitfully entice consumers with such labels to buy their products. To address this, a quantitative experimental case study on five different tofu products in North America, branded with or without a non-GMO label, using polymerase chain reaction was conducted. Results revealed that three tofu products with a non-GMO label were incorrect, while two had inapplicable results. Furthermore, findings suggested more governance on non-GMO labels placed on tofu products. Although this study offered a more extensive insight on the accuracy of non-GMO labels on tofu products, further research is necessary to generalize results on a larger scale.

Keywords: Genetic modification, genetically modified organisms, non-GMO labeling, polymerase chain reaction, tofu


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