A Non-GMO Shopping Guide – The Risks of Genetically Modified Foods and the Role of Agribusiness

Have you noticed the size of green peppers these days? In fact, when you walk down the produce aisle, you might be impressed by how bright, colorful, and larger-than-life fruits and vegetables look. But did you know that, unless you specifically buy foods labeled organic, most foods in the produce aisle (and other aisles, too) have been genetically modified?

Also called recombinant DNA technology, this practice changes the core genetic makeup of the organism. This genetic manipulation gives scientists the ability to create any trait they wish, natural or unnatural. Food marketers have decided that the tomatoes should be sweeter, the peppers larger, and the fruit blemish-free. And scientists have put their specifications. If it’s not perfect, food vendors assume, or more precisely, dictate, that we don’t want it (or shouldn’t). But GM foods are far from perfect.

Simply put, GM foods are foods that are grown from seeds whose DNA has been genetically modified. An example of genetic alteration is the insertion of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) in the seed.

These Biopesticides are promoted as less harmful than chemical pesticides because they are biologically based (being viruses, bacteria, pheromones, natural plant compounds, etc.) in contrast to synthetic chemicals. But a pesticide in which the active ingredient is a virus, fungus or bacteria, or a natural product derived from a plant source may well be far from benign, despite its ‘natural’ origins.

Why? In short, the danger lies not in the origins of these pesticides, but in the ramifications of their use. Bts result in increased herbicide use and consequent herbicide resistance; “great grass”; traces left on and in food crops; genetic contamination from non-GM crops harming organic and conventional farmers; and damage to surrounding wildlife.

Also, Bts combines with our own gut bacteria gene; Eating food treated with Bts gives birth to a dangerous pesticide in the human body.

What is the role of agribusiness in all this, certainly not altruistic? The giant corporation Monsanto is at the forefront of the problem. Monsanto is the largest producer of hybrid or transgenic seeds. Monsanto is now patenting seeds that restrict the farmer from using any seed other than their own. In fact, the farmers have been sued by Monsanto for doing the opposite.

GM technology made its way through the door many years ago when the government directed the FDA to promote biotechnology. The man who was appointed to lead the charge was actually a former Monsanto attorney!

Unfortunately, there was very little, if any, evidence on the safety of GM foods. The FDA stated that it was not aware of any information showing that GM crops were different from non-GM crops and therefore did not require testing. Due to an eventual lawsuit, 44,000 internal FDA documents made public showed that this was an outright lie.

There was an overwhelming consensus among the FDA’s own scientists that GM foods were indeed different and could give rise to hard-to-detect allergens, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. Could that explain the sudden rise in food allergies, food sensitivities, and digestive problems?

GM foods aren’t just found in the produce aisle, either. 75% of all processed foods contain GMO ingredients. Corn and soybeans are the largest GM crops, and corn and soybeans are found in just about everything. (As always, read the ingredients, you’ll see for yourself.)

The list of GM products is long and getting longer. The USDA decided that GM foods do not need to be labeled for the American consumer (you and me). However, most other countries will not import food from the US unless it is clearly labeled GM or not.

If you’ve read any of my other articles, you already know how far the food in our supermarket aisles has strayed from the essential qualities we should be entitled to expect: real, natural, wholesome, and nutritious.

A Non-GMO Shopping Guide:

Pay attention to those little hard-to-read stickers on fruits and vegetables. They contain a series of digits that are your key to identify if the product is from conventional or organic farming and, also, if it is genetically modified (GM).

Translation:

• A four digit number indicates conventional farming.
• A five-digit number beginning with 9: It’s organic.
• A five-digit number beginning with 8 — your GM.

Almost all of the following foods are GMO, so do your best to avoid them:

• Soy
• Corn
• cottonseed
• Canola
• Processed foods, period.

Creating a healthy diet is your responsibility, unless the USDA makes some changes, foods won’t be clearly labeled as GM anytime soon.