Monthly Archives: April 2015

Now that we know how to identify GMO’s in their simplest form, we need to be able to identify them in their complex forms as well.

Marketers have become skilled at making a product sound healthy when its really no better than anything else on the shelves. Unlike organic labels and the Non-GMO Project Verified seal, the terms listed below don’t have clear definitions and are not backed by any standards that indicate the absence of GMO’s:

1. “Natural” means only that a food product must be “minimally processed” and contain no artificial ingredients. This label can be on food from animals raised on GMO feed or given GMO hormones.
2. “All Natural” has no legal meaning. Products described as “all natural” may contain GMO’s
3. Surprisingly, foods labeled “GMO-Free” may contain GMO’s. The term has no legal meaning.
4. The term “Pure” also has no legal meaning and there are no standards that support “pure” products being non-GMO.

Now That I know The Risks of GMO’s, How Can I Avoid Them?

Most GMO’s come from only 5 plants, those of which 90% are genetically modified. Remember the 2 S’s and 3 C’s!*

1. Soy- Used in soybean oil, lecithin, protein powders, and vegetable protein added to many packaged foods.
2. Sugar Beets- refined into sugar
3. Corn- used to make corn syrup, corn oil, and feed for many animals.
4. Canola- Made from the rapeseed plant, this oil is a common ingredient in salad dressings, mayonnaise, and snack foods
5. Cottonseed- Oil is used to fry processed foods such as potato chips. common ingredient in baked foods and margarine.

What is a Genetically Modified Organism? How does it affect me? How can I avoid them?

We are excited to bring you this first post of a three-part blog series about Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMO’s. A GMO is a food or food additive that is genetically engineered, meaning that a foreign gene has been introduced into a plant or animal product. Proven studies have shown eating GMO’s can be harmful to our health, having been linked to cancer and premature death. Unfortunately, GMO’s are now in more than 75% of foods in America! The worst part? GMO foods are not required to be labeled in the US! That means most of the time, we don’t know that we are eating them even though they are hidden in most of our food.

Silent Supermarket Takeover

GMO’s quietly began to appear on shelves in 1994 and then they began to slowly infiltrate supermarkets. Most people were unaware of this change at the time, so there was little backlash on the issue. Therefore, food manufacturing giants were able to stop legislation in regards to labeling.

GMO’s are genetically modified to resist insects, produce higher levels of certain nutrients, and resist the toxicity of herbicides. The stronger herbicides are more effective in killing weeds, but they also leave a more toxic residue within the plant, which is passed onto us when we consume it.