It is encouraging to learn that biotech approvals in this country are on the decline, however I'm still concerned about this issue. For instance, a recent study found you have a 70 percent chance of picking a food with genetically modified (GM) ingredients off the shelf at your local grocery store. This is because seven out of every 10 items have been genetically modified!

Americans are kept largely in the dark about GM products, and most are not aware they are eating these foods because there are no labeling requirements for GM foods. This, despite the fact that there have been no studies done with humans to show what happens when genetically modified foods are consumed, and an ABC News poll (PDF) found that 92 percent of Americans want mandatory labels on GM foods.

Avoiding Genetically Modified Foods

As you can see, the absence of guidelines or regulation of GM foods, plus the fact that there is no telling what effects these foods have on the body when consumed, is a dangerous risk to human health. It would be wise to try to avoid GM foods at all costs. Therefore, I would like to offer you several ways to reduce your chances of eating GM foods:

Buy Organic. Buying organic is currently the best way to ensure that your food has not been genetically modified. By definition, food that is certified organic must be free from all GM organisms, produced without artificial pesticides and fertilizers and from an animal reared without the routine use of antibiotics, growth promoters or other drugs.

Read Labels. GM soybeans and corn make up the largest portion of genetically modified crops. When looking at a product label, if any ingredients such as corn flour and meal, dextrin, starch, soy sauce, margarine, and tofu (to name a few) are listed, there's a good chance it has come from GM corn or soy (unless it's listed as organic).

Look at Produce Stickers. Those little stickers on fruit and vegetables contain different PLU codes depending on whether the fruit was conventionally grown, organically grown or genetically modified. The PLU code for conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers, organically grown fruit five numbers prefaced by the number 9, and GM fruit five numbers prefaced by the number 8.

Avoid Processed Foods. About 70 percent of all processed foods contain genetically modified ingredients. There are many reasons why processed foods are not optimal for your health -- for instance they often contain trans fat, acrylamide and little nutritional value -- so avoiding them will not only help you to cut back on the amount of GM foods you are consuming, but will also boost your health.

If you are interested in learning more about the problems with GM foods, I strongly recommend reading the incredible series, Seeds of Doubt, written by staffers at the Sacramento Bee.

Related Articles:

Genetically Modified Crops Are Contaminating Your Food

How do You Know if Your Food is Genetically Modified?

Genetically Modified Foods, Inc.

United States Grows More GM Crops Than Any Other Country

Biotechnology is a Vital Issue That Impacts All of Us