Editorial Board

Trust the Facts on GMOs

There's no need for the USDA to put an upbeat spin on labels for genetically modified food.

Just the facts.

Photograph: Sally McCay, UVM.

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.