The Non-GMO Project announces partnership with EcoHealth Alliance

A step forward for biosecurity

The Non-GMO Project announced today that it was expanding its labeling campaign to include several species of viruses, including influenza A, SARS-CoV-2, Nipah virus, and HIV.

At a press conference this morning, Executive Director Megan Westgate remarked, “Non-GMO labels aren’t just for arugula and yogurt anymore. Citizens deserve to know if they are being targeted with an engineered bioweapon, or merely sickened by a natural pathogen that inadvertently escaped from a lab. That’s why we’re partnering with EcoHealth Alliance to add labels to several varieties of emerging pathogens.”

When reached for comment, EcoHealth Alliance president Peter Daszak added, “With the latest in RNA barcoding technology, we can label each virus with a genetic tag. Just sequence it, and you can be sure it’s not a GMO. Don’t worry, we’re sure these labels won’t create any weird consequences. Especially not furin cleavage sites.”

Audience reactions were mixed, ranging from skeptical to enthusiastic. Some questioned the very concept of a genetically encoded non-GMO label. Others embraced the idea, pointing out the urgent need for detection and attribution of genetically engineered pathogens. After all, without this label, how will you know if your bothersome head cold is all-natural, or caused by a GMO frankenvirus engineered to kill you? Only time will tell if this new labeling system can successfully gain the public’s trust.