Geenimuunnellulla organismilla eli GMO:lla tarkoitetaan eliötä, esimerkiksi eläintä, kasvia tai bakteeria, jonka perimää on muunneltu geenitekniikan keinoin. Kun muunneltua eliötä käytetään elintarvikkeen raaka-aineena, puhutaan geenimuunnellusta elintarvikkeesta. Toisinaan käytetään myös termejä muuntogeeninen, geenimanipuloitu, transgeeninen ja siirtogeeninen organismi. Geenimuunnelluista organismeista tutuimpia ovat muuntogeeniset kasvit, joita viljellään lähes 20 maassa. Yleisimpiä geenimuunneltuja organismeja ovat esimerkiksi maissi, soija ja rapsi. Suurin osa niistä tuotetaan Yhdysvalloissa.
Currently, there are several GM crops that are food sources. As of September 2012 there were no genetically modified animals approved for use as food, but a genetically modified salmon was near FDA approval at that time. In some cases, the product is directly consumed as food, but In most cases, crops that have been genetically modified are sold as commodities, which are further processed into food ingredients.
In 2006, 252 million acres of transgenic crops were planted in 22 countries by 10.3 million farmers. The majority of these crops were herbicide- and insect-resistant soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, and alfalfa. Other crops grown commercially or field-tested are a sweet potato resistant to a virus that could decimate most of the African harvest, rice with increased iron and vitamins that may alleviate chronic malnutrition in Asian countries, and a variety of plants able to survive weather extremes.On the horizon are bananas that produce human vaccines against infectious diseases such as hepatitis B; fish that mature more quickly; cows that are resistant to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease); fruit and nut trees that yield years earlier, and plants that produce new plastics with unique properties.
Euroopan komission geenimuunneltuja organismeja koskevat sivut.
Spain is the largest producer of GM crops in Europe with 76,000 hectares (190,000 acres) of GM maize planted in 2009 (20% of Spain's maize production). Smaller amounts were produced in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Portugal, Romania and Poland. France and Germany are the major opponents of genetically modified food in Europe, although Germany has approved Amflora a potato modified with higher levels of starch for industrial purposes. In addition to France and Germany, other European countries that placed bans on the cultivation and sale of GMOs include Austria, Hungary, Greece, and Luxembourg.Poland has also tried to institute a ban, with backlash from the European Commission.[ Bulgaria effectively banned cultivation of genetically modified organisms on March 18, 2010.