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“Ohne Gentechnik” without New Genetic Engineering: International Associations Collaborate
Florian Faber, Kerstin Geißler and Tanja Busse at the Non-GMO Summit 2026, Photo: Nina Werth
Consumers rightly and quite naturally expect that an “Ohne GenTechnik” seal also stands for “free from new genetic engineering”. From a purely legal perspective, there would be no other option, as a recent legal opinion commissioned by the Association Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG) has yielded: Following EU deregulation, NGT plants would still be considered genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which are not permitted products labeled in “Ohne Gentechnik”.
An industry-wide international approach is essential
For VLOG, it is therefore essential to develop an industry-wide approach to the future exclusion of NGT from the “Ohne Gentechnik“ system. To this end, experts from the VLOG office are collaborating closely with the association’s Standards Committee and other European “Ohne Gentechnik“ standard-setting bodies such as ARGE Gentechnikfrei and Donau Soja, as well as with the organic sector across industries, to jointly cordinate measures and regulations applicable to all.
At the Non-GMO Summit 2026 in Frankfurt, Kerstin Geißler, Head of Quality Assurance at VLOG, and Florian Faber, Managing Director of the Austrian ARGE Gentechnikfrei, presented the current status of the joint deliberations to the specialist public for the first time.
Key points for future NGT exclusion
As there will most likely no longer be a comprehensive mandatory labelling requirement for all NGTs following the planned EU deregulation, the concept aims to close this labelling gap. To this end, the following key points have been drawn up:
- Following EU deregulation, the VLOG certification requirement for NGT-relevant crops will begin with the initial recording of plant-based raw materials and will apply consistently through to the sealed plant-based or animal-based food product.
- For raw materials or feed materials from overseas, various safeguards will be implemented depending on the regulatory situation in the country of origin.
- Wherever possible, it should be possible in future to make use of pre-stage certifications recognised by VLOG in order to efficiently utilise already established certification systems and their structures. To this end, VLOG is in close dialogue with established European and global sustainability standards to harmonise requirements and develop any necessary add-ons.
The VLOG system is thus intended to continue to robustly and reliably guarantee the “Ohne Gentechnik“ quality of the certified products. Once the concept has been finalised with the Standard Technical Working Group and approved by the VLOG Executive Board, VLOG will provide information on the key content and changes so that VLOG-certified companies and stakeholders can adapt to the new requirements in the long term.
Implementation in the VLOG Standard from 2027
Subsequently, concrete amendments to the VLOG Standard will be drawn up based on the concept’s content. As things stand, the next version of the VLOG Standard, V28.01, is scheduled for publication on 1 September 2027 and will already contain the requirements and measures through which NGTs will be excluded from the VLOG system in the future.