With a new year come new rules to food labeling. Foods that were previously labeled as “genetically engineered” (GE) or “genetically modified organisms” (GMO) will now simply be labeled as “bioengineered”, or come with a phone number or QR code to provide consumers with more information, for smaller businesses. USDA says the goal is to eliminate the complicated patchwork of different labels for foods and ingredients that have been scientifically adjusted. The change is also influenced from the desire to uniform the labeling laws into a national statute, as previous requirements were governed on a state-by-state basis.

Food groups and food safety groups have hesitations on the change. Many state the change comes just as consumers were beginning to feel indifferent to the term “GMO”. Others feel the rules don’t go far enough and could leave many GMO foods unlabeled, while others chime in that the timing is bad with supply chain disruptions already in place.

Read more on the new labeling change here.