Non-GMO Project Verified
The Non-GMO Project’s butterfly label: the product was verified against the nonprofit’s standard for avoiding genetically modified organisms.
How to read it
The Non-GMO Project is a nonprofit organization, and the first products with its Butterfly label reached shelves in 2010. Verified products must meet its standard, which includes testing of high-risk ingredients, and Ecolabel Index lists the verification as done by an independent third party.
Also searched as: Non-GMO butterfly, non GMO symbol.
Not a “GMO free” claim
The Non-GMO Project says its seal does not mean a product is “GMO free”, because such claims are not legally or scientifically defensible.
Not a government label
The butterfly is a private label. The US government’s rule is separate: a 2016 law directed the USDA to set a mandatory national standard for disclosing foods that are or may be bioengineered, which makers can meet with text, a symbol, a digital link or a text message.
More certification marks
Sources
- About The Non-GMO Project, The Non-GMO Project
- Verification FAQ (Non-GMO Project), The Non-GMO Project
- Ecolabel Index: Non-GMO, Ecolabel Index
- BE Disclosure, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Last reviewed September 25, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research