Such labels wrongly plant the idea with consumers that biotech food products are inferior or pose a health threat, says Bill Olson, director of federal government affairs for the Biotechnology Industry Organisation.

The US Food and Drug Administration requires that nutrition information appear on most foods, and any claims on food products must be truthful and not misleading.

Special labels are not required for biotech products.

Labels identifying food as biotech- or GE-free are allowed, which frustrates BIO because the group believes such labels are misleading.

He said the biotech industry is optimistic that as consumers more fully grasp the benefits of biotechnology, such as producing drought- and cold-tolerant crops and minimising the environmental impact of farming, they will embrace the technology.

Ultimately, it will come down to what must be done to feed, clothe and fuel a booming global population, he said.

The number of people in the world is increasing, but the amount of crop and grazing land is not.

He also noted that studies have shown that while consumers may say they prefer food to be labeled according to whether it was produced with biotechnology or not, that does not translate into action at the retail level.