Short answer: You can’t always.
Long answer: That may change soon for several states prompting the feds to consider a more consistent way of identifying genetically modified foods.
Technically speaking, GMO foods might not be bad for us. But many of the foods are genetically altered to resist damage to certain herbicides and pesticides – get absorbed in the produce. It’s certainly possible that higher concentrations of these harmful chemicals could end up as part of our meal when we eat these foods.
There are some ways to tell:
“PLUs starting with 8 indicate genetically-modified produce, so you might see 84395, 84396, 84394, or 84052 for papayas. (A 9 at the start indicates organic.)”
But it’s not always consistent from retailer to retailer.
Let’s hope that changes soon.