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 may be in awe of the way fruits and vegetables look bright, colorful, and larger than life. But did you know that unless you specifically buy foods labeled organic, most of the food in the produce aisle (and other aisles as well) has been genetically modified?

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

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

These biopesticides are touted as less harmful than chemical pesticides because they have a biological basis (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 bacterium, or a natural product derived from a plant source may well be far from benign, despite its “natural” origins.

Why? In short, the danger does not lie in the origin of these pesticides, but in the ramifications of their use. Bts results in increased herbicide use and resulting herbicide resistance; “super weeds”; footprints left on and in food crops; genetic contamination of non-transgenic crops that harms organic and conventional farmers; and damage to surrounding wildlife.

Also, Bts combine with our own gut bacteria gene; Ingesting food treated with Bts leads 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 other seed other than his own. In fact, Monsanto has sued farmers for doing the opposite.

GMO 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 for the safety of GM foods. The FDA claimed 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 that were released proved this to be an outright lie.

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

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

The list of transgenic products is long and growing. The USDA decided that GMO 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 grocery aisles has strayed from the essential qualities we should be entitled to expect: real, natural, healthy, and nutritious.

A GMO-Free Shopping Guide:

Pay attention to those little hard-to-read stickers on fruits and vegetables. They contain a series of digits that are the key to identify if the products are grown conventionally or organic and, in addition, if they are genetically modified (GM).

Translation:

• A four-digit number indicates a conventional crop.
• A five-digit number that begins with 9: it is organic.
• A five-digit number starting with 8: your GM.

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

• Soy
• Corn
• Cotton seed
• Canola
• Processed foods, period.

Creating a healthy diet is your responsibility; Unless the USDA makes some changes, foods will not be clearly labeled GMO anytime soon.