WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - A leading U.S. consumer group called on Tuesday for the U.S. government to require labels on food products containing ingredients made from genetically modified crops. Consumers Union said it was making the recommendation after a survey published in the September issue of its Consumer Reports magazine found that many common food products contain genetically modified ingredients. Despite the group's recommendation, the article in Consumer Reports noted that "there is no evidence that genetically engineered foods on market are not safe to eat."

"The U.S. requires labeling orange juice 'from concentrate' and vegetables as 'frozen,'" said Jean Halloran, director of the Consumer Policy Institute, a division of Consumers Union. "Ignoring 'genetically engineered' threatens to undermine public trust in a labeling system millions rely on every day."

Genetically modified crops contain a gene borrowed from another organism to increase a plant's resistance to certain herbicides or pests. The group said it wants the U.S. government to require labels on any domestic or imported food product that contains genetically modified ingredients.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not required special labeling of food made with genetically modified crops on the grounds that the the final food product has not been significantly changed. Critics argue genetic engineering may increase natural toxins or decrease nutrients in some foods, and that additives in genetically modified foods could cause allergic reactions. The U.S. government has given assurances that the varieties of genetically modified foods it has approved pose no threat to consumers.

The European Union and Japan have proposed labeling requirements for food made from genetically modified crops. That would create a headache for the U.S. grain industry, which normally does not separate genetically modified crops from traditional varieties.

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