Purina^® Organic Chicken Feeds

All organic ingredients and products must be raised and manufactured according to the rules established by the National Organic Program. Organic ingredients cannot be fertilized with chemical fertilizers, treated with insecticides/fungicides/pesticides, etc. and cannot be genetically modified. Organic feed products cannot contain chemical preservatives, medications, hormones or animal by-products. It takes a minimum of three years to become certified as a producer of plant or animal organic products. Products certified as organic will carry a seal or statement from the certifying agency that verifies their authenticity.

A genetically modified organism (GMO) means that a change has been made to the genetics of an organism by direct insertion of DNA pertaining to a specific trait. In nature this occurs as a mutation, where a spontaneous change in DNA results in a new trait. Selection for specific traits in plants and animals has been practiced by mankind for thousands of years. Commercially grown GMO crops used for animal feed in the US are currently limited to corn, soybeans, canola, alfalfa, cotton and sugar beets. GMO crops are not approved for use in certified USDA Organic products. 

Non-GMO ingredients have not been genetically modified by direct gene insertion and do not carry the same meaning as organic. Organic indicates the way ingredients are grown, whereas GMO describes what happens at the cellular level. For example, an ingredient could be non-GMO but still not qualify as organic if it is grown with synthetic fertilizers, treated with insecticides, etc.  

Most animal feeds fall under the conventional feed category. Conventional feed may contain both GMO and non-GMO ingredients. For instance, if you look at a feed ingredient list, you might see a combination of GMO and non-GMO ingredients.