In a recent survey of more than 1,000 customers, Natural Grocers asked shoppers to weigh in on what confuses them the most about GMOs.

Here’s what we found.

1. How much of our food supply is GMO

While the majority of respondents (67%) were correct in answering that 75% of processed foods are thought to contain GMOs, a significant proportion (15%) said that 100% of processed foods contain GMOs.

2. Organic produce is always non-GMO

Approximately 75% of survey respondents correctly answered the question regarding whether or not organic produce is always non-GMO (it is!).

3. GMOs can show up in a variety of products

About 85% of Natural Grocers customers were able to correctly identify all the different types of products that GMOs can show up in.

These survey results offer insight into the growth we’ve seen in the use of the Non-GMO Project Verified label and highlight a few specific areas in which consumer education about the differences between non-GMO and organic is still lacking.

How to avoid GMOs in processed foods

Not all processed foods contain GMOs, however given the fact that about three-quarters of them do, here are a couple of quick tips on how to avoid them in processed foods: 1) Look for the Non-GMO Project Verified label—this label indicates that each ingredient in the product has been tested to make sure it does not come from a genetically-modified (GM) source. 2) Look for the USDA 100% organic label, which means that all ingredients used for that product are certified organic, and this certification does not allow GMOs, ever.

The biggest difference between non-GMO and organic is that non-GMO simply tells you that the plants (or animals) used in the food have not been genetically modified, while USDA organic refers to a regulated type of agriculture which prohibits the use of GMOs and the use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. In livestock, organic also prohibits the use of drugs, such as antibiotics and growth promoters.

Organic produce is always non-GMO

Currently, GM summer squash and zucchini are grown in the United States and sold as fresh produce in both the United States and Canada. Approximately 80% of the total papaya grown in the United States (predominately in Hawaii) is also genetically modified, which is likely to increase as more GM papaya is in the process of being grown in new places such as Florida. A small amount of sweet corn is also GM, meaning that the delicious sweet corn you enjoy during the summer could be a GMO—unless it’s organic. Other types of GM produce that have been approved to be sold in the United States include potatoes and apples, though they haven’t yet made it to the marketplace. Buying USDA organic is a great way to always be 100% sure that your produce is non-GMO—USDA organic standards strictly prohibit GMOs.

GMOs can show up in a variety of products

Some of the most widespread GM crops include corn, canola, soy, sugar beets, and cotton—raising the possibility that GMOs could be in anything containing added sugar, vegetable oil, soy or a soy derivative, any product containing an ingredient made from corn, or textiles that are made out of cotton.

More info on GMOs

This survey sheds light on the fact that Natural Grocers customers are quite savvy when it comes to understanding the true nature of how pervasive GMOs are in our food supply. Still not quite sure what a GMO is or how GMOs are made? Click here to learn more.

Natural Grocers is working diligently to expand our organic and non-GMO product offerings—Natural Grocers bulk is all non-GMO—as well as putting pressure on our vendors to clearly label any products that may contain GMOs.[1]