Trust the facts on foods

The U.S. Department of Agriculature’s new labels for genetically modified foods.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has come up with cheerful new labels for genetically modified foods. The bright green and yellow circles depict a happy sun, a winking smiley face or a verdant landscape stamped with the letters “BE,” for “bioengineered” — rather than the familiar “genetically modified” or “genetically engineered.”

It’s a shame the government is unwilling to let the facts speak for themselves.

Science has affirmed that GM foods — grown from seeds whose genes have been altered to make them resistant to insects or herbicides, for instance — are safe. There’s no need to dress up the labels to suggest that genetic modification makes foods somehow better.

A straightforward description, not propaganda, is what American consumers want.

Economists who looked at prevailing attitudes in Vermont before and after a state labeling requirement went into effect there in July 2016 have found that the state’s no-nonsense labels — no logos, just the words “produced with genetic engineering” or “partially produced with genetic engineering” — led to a 19-percent drop in opposition to GM foods.

Earlier research had suggested that food labels give consumers a greater sense of control, and Vermont seems to bear this out. One thing’s for sure: Straightforward labels didn’t scare people as some foodmakers and scientists had feared they might.

USDA officials should pay attention to the new evidence from Vermont and simplify their labels to convey information, not spin. Once they’re in use, more Americans will come to accept that GM foods are safe.