Industry Weighs Pros and Cons of Genetic ModificationIndustry Weighs Pros and Cons of Genetic Modification

While the topic of ingredient transparency continues to fuel discussion throughout the retail, food and foodservice industries, one of the issues sparking the most heated debate is that of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.

Restaurateurs, retail store operators and suppliers all find themselves increasingly being drawn into the dialogue as Americans seek to understand just what impact genetic engineering will have on the foods they eat and the way they live.

A GMO is an organism that has been developed through a very specific process in which its genetic material has been modified to change one or more of its traits. The result, proponents say, is that genetic modification enables the creation of healthier, more productive crops.

“Sci...