In May of this year, the San Jose Convention Center hosted “SynBioBeta: The Global Synthetic Biology Conference.” In attendance was Organic & Natural Health Association board member, Alan Lewis, who also serves as director of government affairs and food and agriculture policy for Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage. Alan shared this quote from a speaker at the conference: “Agriculture is Destroying the Planet.” Hearing it was quite chilling. 

As we quickly approach the most pivotal event in our dietary supplement industry, SupplySide West, I find myself very much looking forward to our presentation, Bioengineered Ingredients: The Science Supports Full Disclosure. (October 30, 3:15-3:45, FI North American Theater – Booth 1250).

The infiltration of ingredients that are synthetically derived from GMO crops has been steady, but interestingly, relatively quiet. Why? There is no federal requirement for disclosure of synthetic biology (SynBio) ingredients unless the ingredient or product contains detectable DNA from the GMO crops used to create the substance. If there is detectable DNA, then companies are required to list “Contains Bioengineered Ingredients” on the label. I see it on several of the snacks distributed by the airlines. To date, I haven’t seen many such labels on the trade show floor of our largest dietary supplement ingredient conference. This is likely to change since these companies have recently begun to promote their investor campaigning and become a force in our industry on stage and in the exhibit halls. 

My colleagues, Alan Lewis and John Fagan, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer at Health Research Institute (HRI Labs), will join me once again on the SupplySide stage. Last year John shared his analysis of Perfect Day’s SynBio ‘milk-like’ product. He found more than 92 metabolites, waste products, and byproducts of the GMOs used in the fermentation process, none of which can be matched using any mass spectrum library. These never-before-seen compounds have never been tested for safety for human consumption. Though present in substantial amounts, we do not know if they are toxic, allergenic, or disruptive to nutrition and biome function. In contrast, John’s analysis of real, organic bovine milk found 59 compounds, identifiable by name and function including lipids, vitamins, and fatty acid-carnitines. None of these important milk nutrients were present at significant levels in the Synbio Milk-Like Product.

How did we get to this place?  

Unintended consequences? I think not. In the thick of the GMO labeling efforts, the conversation took a twist. In 2018, the more than 14,000 public comments on the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard were directed to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Marketing Service. The FDA was involved, but not in charge. The Organic & Natural Health Association was vehemently opposed to the regulation. Not so all the other trade organizations. I’ll go out on a limb and assert it was always the intention to have USDA enable the proliferation of SynBio projects, which takes me back to the quote, “Agriculture is destroying the planet.”

The SynBio narrative preys on the faith of vegans who are diligent in their genuine commitment to minimizing the exploitation of, and cruelty to animals. The SynBio narrative consistently references the environmental cost of ranching and farming. What it does not reference is the extraordinary environmental cost of harvesting the innumerable acres of GMO crops to feed the bacteria that create these products. Nor does acknowledge the beneficial impact of organic practices that work to feed the soil, not deplete it.  

The very first time I learned about SynBio was at a pre-COVID Expo East session. I remember thinking, why do we need to synthetically create cannabis when, in fact, it is an actual weed? It was only later I began to realize the myriad of costs associated with the process. The challenges we face regarding the potential proliferation of these products and their infiltration into finished products are many.

• Our efforts to protect the integrity of the dietary supplement supply chain are hampered by not knowing what to test for. However, our efforts to find the DNA are in process and we are confident we will succeed.
• We are forced to generate an entirely new body of research.  
• The misuse of self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) for these ingredients and products is already occurring.
• The brands deeply invested in organic, regenerative, and sustainable practices will suffer from lower-priced competition by entities that replace quality ingredients with SynBio products. 
• The consumers we serve rely on transparency, traceability, and most importantly, the safety of our products. What will happen to consumer trust? 

In the SynBio world, ingredients are not viewed as ‘commodities.’ They are intellectual property, created in a process that resembles the creation of computer code. In our world, it’s all about food, nutrition, the health of the planet, and as a result, the health of its people. We’ll need help to achieve our objective and force transparency on these companies. We’ll need education campaigns on what constitutes synthetically derived meat, ingredients, and any other substances in the pipeline. Publicly traded companies are not yet embracing this technology. Let’s make sure the public doesn’t either.