Genetically modified (GM) foods are foodstuffs produced from genetically modified organisms (GMO) that have had their DNA altered through genetic engineering. GM Foods were first put on the market in the early1990s. The most common modified foods are derived from plants: soybean, corn, canola and cotton seed oil and wheat.Controversies surrounding GM foods and crops commonly focus on human and environmental safety, labeling and consumer choice, intellectual property rights, ethics, food security, poverty reduction, and environmental conservation.

CRACKDOWN ON MONSANTO SEEDSThe German government has imposed stricter regulations on the food company Monsanto regarding the sale of genetically modified corn seeds. The new rules are tantamount to an outright ban.

In 2005, state legislatures increasingly attempted to preempt, or disallow, local and county initiatives that were mostly aimed at limiting or prohibiting genetically modified (GMO) seeds and crops. As consumers become more aware of GMO foods and the risks associated with them, GMO lobbyists are working hard to restrict local efforts at regulation.