Background: There has been substantial debate surrounding the use of genetically modified foods (GMFs).
Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe the content of news articles covering GMFs.
Methods: A search was completed on Google News using the key words "genetically modified foods" and the resulting 100 English-language news articles were analyzed for content.
Results: Only 26% of the articles analyzed were from professional or government sources. Among all content categories, definition or explanation of GMFs with a featured product as an example had the highest coverage, being addressed in 74% of the sample. Identification of GMFs from food labels (p = .001), was significantly associated with the source of the article (p > .05).
Conclusions: Opportunities exist for scientists, educators, and health experts to present evidence-based and science-based information, with a balanced emphasis on the risks and benefits of GMFs to help consumers to make well-informed choices.
Keywords: Genetically modified foods; genetically modified organism; labeling; online news; regulation.