This is an issue that has become really important to me in past year: the rise of genetically modified organisms in our food supply. I know that the phrase ‘GMO’ gets thrown around a lot without much explanation or information, so I wanted to help clear the fog for any of you who might be wondering exactly what all the fuss is about GMOs. Let’s talk about this.
I’m not a scientist or an expert on genetics by any means. But I have done my fair share of research on the subject, and am familiar with the laws surrounding the labeling of food in the United States.
With that said, this is a very simplistic explanation of exactly what GMOs are and why YOU should care about it if you care about your health (which I know you do!).
GMO crops are food crops whose genes have been altered by the use of technology. They are altered for the financial interests of the corporations who grow them, the most prominent example being that crops are genetically altered to be resistant towards toxic herbicides. This way the crops can be sprayed very heavily to kill any weeds that are around, but the food crops themselves are engineered to be able to survive such chemical applications. Food crops are also modified to produce their own toxins to kill insects. Creepy. And so far from what natural food is supposed to be.
So all this is probably sounding slightly nefarious to you, but you still might be wondering…there are so many “bad” things in our food–why should I care about GMOs?
When these corporations use technology to shift around genetic material, they are taking a huge and unprecedented gamble at the risk of our safety. This is a new issue so we won’t even know all the negative effects of genetically modified food for years to come, but the majority of credible scientific research shows us that GMOs are bad news. Not only is there evidence that the foods themselves are toxic, but they are sprayed with a ridiculous amount of toxic chemicals that they have been engineered to withstand but that WE are not engineered to withstand.
Since the introduction of genetically modified foods in 1994, we’ve seen a huge increase in food allergies, chronic diseases, and reproductive problems like infertility and birth defects. The CDC reported that food allergies have increased by 18% between 1997 and 2007. I’m sure all of us know someone who struggles with a food allergy, and I can’t imagine how many more would be struggling if that rate increases like it has been. Unfortunately, GMOs are fully allowed into our food and have almost completely permeated the US food supply. From animal feed to preservatives to fruits and vegetables, GMOs are everywhere. And they are not labeled by our government.
Without getting overly political (which could easily happen with this conversation), I think it’s just important to realize the dangers of GMOs and realize what we can do to avoid them.
The good news is that there are many food brands that we can trust! Companies like Amy’s, Blue Diamond, Silk, Earth Balance, and So Delicious (those links go to the GMO info page for those companies) are leading the way by making products that are verified to be free of GMOs (click here for a full list of brands). If you’re ever in doubt, here’s a couple things to look for:
You’ve probably seen the above seal on your food or in the grocery store before. Anything with this seal means that it has been specifically tested for genetic modification and verified to be GMO free by the Non GMO project. This is your safest bet in avoiding GMOs.
We’re all familiar with this one. Buying USDA certified organic products is another great way to avoid GMOs. While products aren’t specifically tested like they are for the Non GMO label, the USDA doesn’t allow any GMO ingredients into certified organic foods.
For those of you lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe’s, I have more good news! All Trader Joe’s store brand products are GMO free.
I came across an article through Laura’s blog that questions the truthfulness of the Trader Joe’s claim. I’m glad she posted the article because I didn’t know that people had such skepticism about the store. Many of you know that I worked for Trader Joe’s so I’m pretty familiar with the company and the brand. I have nothing to gain by saying anything positive about the company at this point (don’t work for them anymore), and I wouldn’t unless it reflected my true feelings. I have to tell you that I believe 100% that you can and should trust Trader Joe’s. They have been non GMO long before it was cool because they knew it was in the interests of their health-minded consumers. They verify the ingredients that go into their foods. My coworkers and I got a response straight from the company when I was an employee to confirm that yes, the store brand is free of GMOs. Keep in mind that this doesn’t apply to other brands that TJ’s carries, only the store brand (which is only one of the many places where that attack article gets confused). If you don’t mind paying a little more (yeah I said it), the Whole Foods store brand is also GMO free. 🙂
So there you have it! Buy verified Non-GMO, buy organic, buy from retailers like TJ’s whenever you can! There’s even handy tools like an app to tell you which foods are most likely to contain GMOs and which ones are worry free. When I grocery shop, I either 1) buy exclusively from Trader Joe’s (I told you I trust them!) or 2) budget to buy organic of any dirty dozen produce and high risk GMO foods.
To hear all this explained in a much better way, take a little time to watch the awesome documentary called Genetic Roulette (you can watch it online for free!).
This probably seemed like a long post, but I only touched the tip of the iceberg on this issue! There are social, economic, environmental, and political problems worked into this that I haven’t even mentioned. Email me (dashofsoulblog@gmail.com) if you’re interested in some of my sources or want to learn more about GMOs. Knowledge is power, and I really do believe that as consumers we have more power than we want to give ourselves credit for.
I hope this was helpful to some of you! Now go change the world!
-Lauren
13 Responses
Cynewulf
I’m very scared of GMOs in my food. I’m so happy that my mommy tries to feed me good food! In fact I am going to keep whining for better and better food until I get me some raw chicken wings!
Lauren @ Dash of Soul
BAHAHA…Kenny, you are NEVER getting a raw chicken wing. Sorry to dash your dreams. Also your grammar needs a little work.
Love, your mom
Lauren
I’m totally on your side but I thought I’d mention that in some malnourished countries, genetic engineering is used to add nutrients to foods. I don’t think there’s enough information to know if that will have a positive or negative impact on those populations in the future but I thought I’d point out one instance where GMO’s aren’t necessarily evil. I learned that in a nutrition class and thought it was interesting and something I’d never considered in the argument against GMO’s.
Lauren @ Dash of Soul
I’m really glad you brought that up, I forgot to mention this! I know that Monsanto says GMOs can be used to help the hungry, but from what I’ve read that’s sadly not what they’re actually using it for. If this power was used to help others that would be a whole other deal! It seems more like at the moment it’s being used to increase profits for corps here in the US, which sucks. I don’t think this technology is evil, I just think they need to at least tell us when it’s in our food!
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Kaitlyn @ Shoot the Breeze
Interesting post, Lauren… I’m not sure where I stand on the issue of GMOs. I can certainly see how GMOs can be “bad” in some cases, but I might also venture to say that I think there are some food issues that are worse than GMOs (for example, the current state of meat production for human consumptions is, quite frankly, disgusting). And while some GMOs were not made for the benefit of humans, some ARE- and furthermore, almost all of the food we eat today has been genetically modified many times. I know tomatoes and peas have been genetically modified to the point where there is no longer an “all natural” tomato or pea available. Plants have been genetically modified long before they became the latest issue to health-conscious individuals.
I hope you don’t take this comment as rude or offensive; I guess I am just musing on some counterpoints. I find it difficult to take a stance on issues such as these because so many food corporations are not transparent at all, and THAT is something I really take issue with. As a consumer I do not like feeling like I have been lied to. As you point out, honesty is so important… and I think simply labelling GMO products would go a long way to making many consumers happy.
Lauren @ Dash of Soul
Hi Kaityln! This isn’t rude at all, I think this is an important conversation to have and I agree with a lot of what you are saying. I agree that there are MANY other food issues that are important, and I have written about some of those before. I’m not sure what type of genetic modification you’re referring to that has been happening for so long though. Plant breeding has certainly been going on for ages, but the recombinant DNA techniques being used in our food didn’t happen until the 1990’s. But yes, I COMPLETELY agree that labeling is the most important goal here. We deserve to know what’s in our food!
Erin @ Girl Gone Veggie
Proud supporter of Whole Foods and Trader Joes! Love those stores! 🙂
Lauren @ Dash of Soul
Wohoo! 😀
Aubrey
So many head nods to this post. My husband and I have been GMO free for some time now, since watching the documentary The Future of Food. I will never ever go back, for all of the reasons you listed. Thanks for sharing a topic that I think is so important for the world to know because I’m so fed up with the organizations doing this with our food.
Lauren @ Dash of Soul
Yay, thank you so much for your support on this issue! I actually haven’t seen The Future of Food–putting on my list now! 🙂
Melodi Saeli
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