That in turn increases both the amount of fluid and the movement of food in the intestine, helping it function better.

FORBES: Brains Over Guts

But the Food and Drug Administration does not prospectively review food claims because American law says that foods are allowed to affect the "structure and function" of the body, so long as they do not actually claim to treat disease.

FORBES: Magazine Article

At the time scientists inside and outside the EPA unanimously agreed that the test posed negligible risk. (I wrote the analysis submitted by the Food and Drug Administration.) No new genetic material had been added--only a single gene whose function was well known had been removed--and the organism was obviously harmless.

FORBES: Commentary