So apparently gene-editing is not presently considered to be genetically modified when it comes to food.
Bill Gates is experimenting on Indians with his CRISPR/genetically edited (modified) rice.
In late 2024, Bill Gates sparked outrage in India after describing the country as “a kind of laboratory to try things” during a podcast with Reid Hoffman. Gates emphasized the nation’s stability as a “testing ground” for global initiatives.
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The controversy resurfaced with the May 5 announcement that India became the first country to officially release two genome-edited rice varieties: Kamala (DRR Dhan 100 Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1.
These are not classified as genetically modified (GM) crops. Unlike traditional GM crops, which deliberately introduce foreign DNA, these gene-edited varieties use CRISPR-Cas SDN-1 and SDN-2 technologies, which are often claimed not to introduce foreign DNA but only to alter existing genes.
Here in the US we have the FDA allowing CRISPR modified pork into the US food chain.
The agency classifies gene edits in animals as “new animal drugs” — a framework established long before CRISPR existed. As a result, regulators focus primarily on whether the edited animal functions as intended and is safe to consume. Broader consequences — ecological impact, gene flow across populations, long-term public health effects — are not part of the formal review process.
Critically, the FDA does not require independent testing. According to FDA Guidance for Industry #187, sponsors are responsible for submitting the safety and effectiveness data for gene-edited animals — data that is typically produced by the applicant or contracted labs, not independently verified.
Once approved, there is no continuous, government-led surveillance of gene-edited animals in the food system. The FDA expects companies to implement their own monitoring plans. The agency may inspect or request data, but there is no formal infrastructure for tracking long-term outcomes in the food supply or the environment.
It’s oversight by proxy: a self-certification model in which the regulator relies on the regulated.
And here’s where the definitions come in. GMO’s are required to be labeled. Edited genes are not. So there will be no way to tell if what you’re eating has been messed with on a cellular/genetic level.
The devil is, most literally, in the details.
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