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Bioengineered food and ingredients 

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    Why it Matters. Image of potatoes.
    To PepsiCo:

    PepsiCo is committed to producing great-tasting, high quality beverages and convenient foods in every part of the world, while also ensuring that our products meet or exceed appropriate safety and quality standards. Improved food technology, including bioengineered ingredients, can help us meet our need for high-quality ingredients that use fewer and/or more sustainable resources.

    To the World:

    Bioengineered ingredients have been widely used safely in agriculture for more than 20 years. They continue to be safe for consumption and are often beneficial to the environment. Crops using this technology may require fewer pesticides and less water and help lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Bioengineered foods and ingredients can elevate agricultural productivity, generating higher and more stable yields for farmers. This technology, along with other tools, can help farmers meet the needs of a growing world population, use fewer resources and be more resilient in the face of a changing climate.

    Approach

    We understand that some consumers and other stakeholders have questions about bioengineered food and ingredients, sometimes referred to as genetically modified organisms (GMO) or genetically engineered (GE). As new technologies have developed, consumer concerns have arisen around potential impacts to human health or the environment. Food and consumer safety is important to PepsiCo, and we support the use of innovative technologies when they are proven safe for humans and the environment.

    The use of bioengineered food and ingredients is safe. Some of the most prominent regulatory agencies and organizations that study the safety of the food supply, including the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, Health Canada, the European Food Safety Authority, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Academy of Sciences, have found that bioengineered food and ingredients are safe and no negative health effects associated with their use have been recorded.

    Suppliers who use bioengineered ingredients are expected to follow the same quality, safety and environmental guidelines as conventional suppliers. Our Global Sustainable Agriculture Policy sets standards of performance and expectations for growers across our diverse, global supply chains, including compliance with governmental laws, regulations and industry standards including the appropriate use of pesticides. For more information, please see Agriculture and Pesticides and other agrochemicals.

    PepsiCo's use of bioengineered ingredients

    Government approval of the usage and labeling of bioengineered foods differs from market to market. PepsiCo complies with all relevant regulatory requirements where we operate. Like other global beverages and convenient foods companies, PepsiCo recognizes that different regional markets can have different expectations and consumer preferences as well as varied raw material availability. Depending on local factors, individual business units may choose not to use bioengineered ingredients, even if government-approved for use. For example, we offer “Non-GMO” verified products in our Stacy’s Pita Chips, Quaker Organic Oatmeal, Simply brand snacks and Off the Eaten Path product lines in certain markets.

    Labeling

    PepsiCo ensures that products containing bioengineered materials comply with local regulations for their use, including any labeling requirements. We want consumers to have clear and helpful information about their foods and beverages and believe that any labeling standards established in this regard should be clear and consistent so that consumers can better understand the safety, prevalence and benefits of bioengineered ingredients and can make informed choices for themselves and their families. For more information on our product labeling practices, see Product labeling and claims.