Frito-Lay Doesn’t Want Bioengineered Corn

Snack food maker Frito-Lay Inc. has asked its hundreds of contract farmers to grow corn that has not been genetically modified in case U.S. consumers shun bioengineered products. Frito-Lay, a unit of PepsiCo Inc. and maker of Doritos and Tostitos corn chips, bought 1.2 billion pounds of U.S. corn last year. More than 95% of the corn is bought from farmers who hold contracts with the company, a spokeswoman said. The Food and Drug Administration has deemed genetically engineered food safe for human consumption but held three public hearings late last year to gauge consumer concerns. “The bottom line is we’re stepping back and seeing what happens,” Frito-Lay spokeswoman Lynn Markley said. Frito-Lay has no immediate plans to promote its products as free of biotech ingredients, Markley said. An estimated 60% of packaged foods sold in U.S. supermarkets have genetically engineered ingredients.