You may have heard from FDA that genetically modified (GM) food, such as corn, is safe, properly tested, and necessary to feed a hungry world. UNTRUE!

According to Jeffrey Smith,author of Seeds of Deception, the best-selling book on genetic engineering,  the most common result of GM is surprise side effects. These side effects come in four main categories:

1. Allergenic
2. Toxic
3. Carcinogenic
4. Anti-nutritional

GM crops in the U.S. include soy (91%), cotton (88%), canola (88%), corn (85%), Hawaiian papaya (more than 50%), zucchini and yellow squash (small amount), and tobacco (Quest® brand). And,

Although the GM tomato has been taken off the market, millions of acres of soy, corn, canola, and cotton have had foreign genes inserted into their DNA. The new genes allow the crops to survive applications of herbicide, create their own pesticide, or both.

For those who are new to the topic, genetically modified foods are grown from organisms that have had their DNA altered in a way that does not occur in nature.

These genetically modified organisms (GMO) are used to grow GM plants, which in turn grow genetically modified food crops.

Tips for avoiding GM crops:

*1    Buy Organic

Certified organic products are not allowed to contain any GMOs.  Therefore, when you purchase products labeled  “organic,”  all ingredients in these products are not allowed to be produced from GMOs.

*2   Look For “Non- GMO” Labels

Companies may voluntarily label products as “non-GMO.” Some labels state “non-GMO” while others spell out “Made Without Genetically Modified Ingredients.”

*3   Avoid At-Risk Ingredients

Avoid products made from the “Big Four:” corn, soybeans, canola, and cottonseed, used in processed foods. Some of the most common genetically engineered Big Four ingredients in processed foods are:

Corn

• Corn flour, meal, oil, starch, gluten, and syrup
• Sweeteners such as fructose, dextrose, and glucose
• Modified food starch

Soy

• Soy flour, lecithin, protein, isolate, and isoflavone
• Vegetable oil* and vegetable protein*

Canola

• Canola oil (also called rapeseed oil)

Cotton

• Cottonseed oil

Sugar

• Anything not listed as 100% cane sugar

In addition, GM sugar beet sugar recently entered the food supply. Look for organic and non-GMO sweeteners, candy and chocolate products made with 100% cane sugar, evaporated cane juice or organic sugar, to avoid GM beet sugar.

Organic foods are not allowed to contain GM ingredients. Although there are a percentage of non-organic ingredients allowed in foods labeled organic, even these non-organic ingredients are not allowed to contain GMOs.

(Just as with the organic ingredients, however, there is no testing required and it is possible that some contamination may have occurred.)

Want  to know more  about genetically modified food?

Then, post your question below.

Tweet me in Tweeter and follow me on Facebook.

Yours truly, Polly – Organic Gardener