The use of modern biotechnology to produce foods and food ingredients is a subject of significant public interest today, at the consumer, public policy, and scientific levels. The popular press and media have reported a wide range of views on these foods and food ingredients.To promote a meaningful public discussion of these foods and food ingredients, IFT has commissioned three expert panels to review the available scientific literature on three different, but related aspects, of these foods and food ingredients: human food safety, benefits and concerns, and labeling. The panels' report will also discuss some of the public policy implications of the underlying science.In keeping with the widespread usage in the popular press and media, the report uses the terms 'rDNA biotechnology' and 'rDNA bio-technology- derived foods' to describe the application of recombinant DNA, or rDNA, technology to the genetic alteration of plants and micro-organisms, and foods made therefrom. This technology, commonly known as genetic modification or gene splicing, allows for the effective and efficient transfer of genetic material from one organism to another. Instead of cross-breeding plants for many generations or introducing mutations to introduce a desired trait?processes that are imprecise and that sometimes introduce unwanted changes?scientists can identify and insert one or more genes responsible for a particular trait into a plant or microorganism with greater precision and speed, although the current technology produces gene insertions at random locations. These transferred genes, or transgenes, do not have to come from a related species in order to be functional, and can be moved virtually at will among different living organisms.