According to a July 1999 U.S. News & World Report, “It is now virtually impossible for Americans to avoid eating genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, as they’re often called. Bioengineered corn and soybeans in particular are used as ingredients in a wide range of processed food, from soft drinks and beer to breakfast cereal. They are also fed to farm animals. Even products found in health-food stores, such as tofu and canola oil, often contain genetically modified ingredients.”

In Europe, genetically modified foods have been a controversial topic for years. The European Union (EU) has blocked the importation of some genetically altered crops, and since 1997 has required that such foods be specially labeled. In 1999 French protestors brought more attention to the issue when they piled manure in front of several McDonald’s restaurants to protest...