The U.S. Department of Agriculture will not regulate plants altered with gene-editing technology as long as the final product is something that could have been developed through traditional breeding techniques. It cannot be a plant pest or achieved with the help of a plant pest. Permitted will be changes that provide immunity to disease or natural resistance to crop chemicals. This does not include transgenic plants with a gene from a distant species—these will still be regulated.
LifeTip: Look for the non-GMO symbol on food packaging if you are unsure about the safety of plants that have not been bred through traditional breeding techniques.
Adapted from PositiveChoices.com
