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By
Dr. Joseph Mercola
with Rachael Droege
When polled only about one-quarter of Americans report having eaten
genetically modified food. However, if you randomly pick an item
off your grocery store’s shelves, you have a 70 percent chance
of picking a food with genetically modified (GM) ingredients. This
is because at least seven out of every 10 items have been genetically
modified.
If more Americans were aware of this fact, the polls would certainly
turn out differently, but 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.
Even more concerning is the fact that genetically modified organisms
are not easily contained. The
Washington Post reported "techniques for confining genetically
engineered ... organisms are still in their infancy, and far more
work needs to be done to make sure the new products do not taint
the food supply or wipe out important species." As a consumer,
one way you can voice your resistance to these widely untested,
experimental organisms is by not purchasing GM products, a task
that is not easy to achieve when you consider the extent to which
GM products have already saturated the American market.
There are, however, several ways to reduce your chances of eating
GM foods--if you know where to look.
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
-
From an animal reared without the routine use of antibiotics,
growth promoters or other drugs
However, GM crops are becoming more and more prevalent, and the
spread of GM seeds and pollen is a major concern. Even organic products
may be contaminated with traces of GM elements that have been spread
by wind or insects such as bees.
Read Labels
GM soybeans and corn make up the largest portion of genetically
engineered crops. When looking at a product label, if any of the
following ingredients are listed there’s a good chance it has
come from GM corn or soy (unless it’s listed as organic):
Corn
Derivatives
|
corn flour and meal
|
fructose and fructose syrup
(unless specified non-corn) |
corn syrup
|
|
malt
|
baking powder
(corn starch is the usual filler) |
malt syrup
|
| malt extract |
monosodium glutamate |
maltodextrin
|
| sorbitol |
mono- and diglycerides |
starch
|
| food starch |
modified food starch |
confectioner's sugar
|
| dextrin |
vitamins that do not state
"corn-free" |
|
Soy
Derivatives
| most miso |
soy sauce |
tamari |
textured vegetable protein
(usually soy)
|
| teriyaki marinades |
tofu |
soy beverages |
soy protein isolate
or protein isolate
|
| tempeh |
shoyu |
lecithin or soy lecithin |
many non-stick sprays
rely on soy lecithin
|
| bread |
pastry |
margarine |
|
| Mayonnaise and salad dressings also
may include lecithin. |
As you can see, there are many products that may
contain GM soy or corn derivatives (or GM vegetable oil). Some
of these products include:
|
infant formula
|
salad dressing
|
bread |
|
cereal
|
hamburgers and hotdogs
|
margarine |
|
mayonnaise
|
crackers
|
cookies |
|
chocolate
|
candy
|
fried food |
|
chips
|
veggie burgers
|
meat substitutes |
|
ice cream
|
frozen yogurt
|
tofu |
|
tamari
|
soy sauce
|
soy cheese |
|
tomato sauce
|
protein powder
|
baking powder |
|
alcohol
|
vanilla
|
powdered sugar |
|
peanut butter
|
enriched flour and pasta |
|
| Non-food items include cosmetics, soaps, detergents,
shampoo, and bubble bath. |
Aside from corn and soy, other GM foods grown in the United States
include cotton, canola, squash and papaya.
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 engineered. 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.
For example:
-
Conventionally grown PLU: 1022
-
Organically grown PLU: 91022
-
Genetically modified PLU: 81022
In terms of fruit, another strategy is to avoid hybrid varieties,
which are fruits that have been altered by humans. Typically hybrid
fruits contain more sugar than regular varieties so they taste sweeter
and can be picked out because generally they don't contain seeds
(seedless watermelon, seedless grapes, etc.). Although there are
also seeded hybrid varieties, avoiding seedless fruits is one of
the more prominent ways to avoid hybrid fruits.
Avoid Processed Foods
About 70 percent of all processed foods contain genetically modified
ingredients, and the food manufacturers themselves often don’t
know for sure whether their products contain GM elements. 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.
Related Articles:
Seeds of Doubt
Genetically Modified Crops
Are Contaminating Your Food
Gene-Altered Giant
Salmon Cannibals
Genetically Modified Crops
Are Contaminating Your Food
United States Grows More
GM Crops Than Any Other Country
Prominent Scientists Form
Group to Counter GM Food
Europeans More Resistant
to Genetically Modified Foods
Genetically Modified Foods,
Inc.
Even Mice Don't Like Genetically
Modified Food
GM Crops Raise Price of Organic
Food
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