Final answer:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates companies that research and commercialize genetically modified foods, ensuring their safety for human consumption and environmental impact. The FDA works in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Scientific consensus indicates that genetically engineered crops are safe to eat.
Step-by-step explanation:
Companies that research and commercialize genetically engineered or genetically modified foods are regulated by several federal agencies. The correct answer to which federal agency regulates these companies is: b) Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA, together with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA), plays a key role in ensuring that biotechnology products, such as genetically engineered crops, comply with federal safety standards to protect human health and the environment.
Regarding the safety of genetically modified foods, the FDA conducts evaluations before they can enter the market, while the USDA assesses their potential impact on the agricultural environment. Additionally, the EPA reviews the environmental safety of the pesticide-related aspects of these foods. The consensus among several scientific organizations, including the US National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and the American Medical Association, is that genetically engineered crops are safe to eat and no substantial evidence has shown that genetically modified foods have harmful effects on consumers or the environment.