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