Nature Fed™ Eggs Frequently Asked Questions
Non-GMO Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are GMOs?
A: GMOs, or “Genetically Modified Organisms,” are plants or animals created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). These are plants or animals that have had their DNA irrevocably changed in a way that couldn’t be replicated in nature. For example, one of the most widely used GMO plants are genetically modified soybeans that have a herbicide resistant gene from bacteria inserted into the soybean DNA. Such a trans-species, even trans-kingdom, DNA mutation would be impossible in the natural world. Bacteria would never be able to breed with a soybean plant and they would never create something as specific as a soybean plant with a single gene from the bacteria.
Q: What is the Non-GMO Project?
A: The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that was founded on one simple idea: they believe that people in North America should have access to clearly-labeled non-GMO food and products, now and in the future. That conviction continues to be the guiding force behind the Non-GMO Project, which offers North America’s only independent verification for products made according to best practices for GMO avoidance. Thanks to The Non-GMO Project, now shoppers everywhere can look for the Non-GMO Project Verified logo in all their favorite food categories and have full peace of mind that their food is not being produced from Genetically Modified sources.
Q: What does “Non-GMO Project Verified” mean?
A: The verification seal indicates the product bearing the seal has gone through our verification process. Our verification is an assurance that a product has been produced according to consensus-based best practices for GMO avoidance:
| • Ongoing testing of all at-risk ingredients — any ingredient being grown commercially in GMO form must be tested prior to use in a verified product |
| • Testing below the Action Threshold of 0.9% — This is in alignment with laws in the European Union, where any product containing more than 0.9% GMO must be labeled. Absence of all GMOs is the target for all Non-GMO Project Standard compliant products. Continuous improvement practices toward achieving this goal must be part of the participant’s quality management systems |
| • Rigorous traceability and segregation practices to ensure ingredient integrity through to the finished product |
| • An annual audit and onsite inspections for high-risk products |
Q: Are GMOs safe to eat?
A: From a food safety standpoint, there has only been one scientifically published study relating to GMOs and it merely showed that the altered DNA from GMO plants did remain in people’s digestive tracts. As these are unnatural DNA changes, this is enough to worry people. More studies have been done on laboratory animals and have found a number of problems — increased toxicity, organ damage, as well as changes in blood chemistry. Most developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In nearly 50 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs.
Q: Are GMOs labeled?
A: No, there are currently no federal or state laws in the US requiring GMO products to be labeled. In fact, about 80% of the food products is the US contain some kind of GMO.
Q: Are my kids eating genetically engineered food?
A: The sad truth is many of the foods that are most popular with children contain GMOs. Cereals, snack bars, snack boxes, cookies, processed lunch meats, and crackers all contain large amounts of high risk food ingredients. In North America, over 80% of our food contains GMOs. If you are not buying foods that are Non-GMO Project Verified, most likely GMOs are present at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Q: If I buy organic products am I assured that they are non-GMO?
A: While the National Organic Program (NOP) identifies genetic modification as an excluded method, GMOs are not a prohibited substance. This means that although GMO seeds are not supposed to be planted, and GMO ingredients are not supposed to be used, no testing is required. Unfortunately, with the majority of key crops like soy and corn being planted with GMO varieties in North America, contamination of seeds, ingredients, and products is a real risk, even for certified organic products.
Q: Do your eggs come from hens fed soy?
A: Our feed does include soy. Our soy comes from non-GMO sources. We work with a group of small farmers who are all committed to sustainable agriculture to ensure the soy we grow is not a GMO strain. We follow best practices and our ingredients are tested to ensure that any contamination from GMOs is limited.
Q: How do GMOs affect our ecosystem?
A: The ecological concerns mainly relate to pesticide use and the eradication of heritage or native species. Because a lot of GMO plants are designed to be pesticide and herbicide resistant, farmers using GMOs can use more chemical pesticides on their crops as often as the farmer would like. Further, the possibility for GMO plants to contaminate native and heritage plants is extremely high. In the short-term, natural plants are at risk for becoming GMO because of cross-pollination. In the long-term, this could lead to a lack of natural plant varieties and a change in ecological systems due to the unnatural advantage of the GMOs. In the US currently 93% of soy, 90% of canola, and 86% of corn are GMO. The high level of use makes the possibility of the destruction of native plants very real.
Nature Fed™ Eggs Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are Nature Fed™ Eggs cage-free?
A: Yes.
Q: Do Nature Fed™ hens get to enjoy the outdoors?
A: Yes.
Q: What do you feed your hens?
A: Locally grown vegetarian feed that meets Non-GMO Project standards.
General Egg Information And Frequently Asked Questions
To learn more about eggs in general, please visit
NestFresh® Eggs FAQs.
