What Do I Need To Know About GMOs?
Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are organisms that have been modified by adding segments of foreign DNA or scrambling or deleting existing DNA.
The US, Canada and Argentina are currently the 3 major producers of GMO crops.
Which foods have been genetically modified?
It is highly likely that you have eaten GM foods in their whole and processed forms. Here is a list of common GM crops:
- Corn
- Canola
- Soy
- Potato
- Tomato
- Crookneck Squash
- Flax seed
For those in the US, the list of GM foods is longer, including: sugar beet, dairy products (rBGH- bovine growth hormone) radicchio and papaya.
It is estimated that in the US 61% of corn, 89% of soybeans, 83% of cotton, and 75% of canola grown are genetically modified. In fact, it is estimated that GMOs are now present in more than 70% of products in the average US grocery store.
The major GM crops include: soy, corn, and canola.
The other GM foods are grown less frequently in their GM form. Although you may not specifically eat these products whole from the supermarket, they are processed and used in most processed foods as thickeners, sweeteners and texturizers. Corn is found in many hidden forms including: vegetable oil, Vitamin C, malt, dextrose and grain alcohol. Not to mention processed soy, from which are derived: lecithin, tocopherol and Vitamin E.
Most countries in the world have mandatory labeling for products containing 1% GM material. In the US and Canada, the regulations are less stringent. For example, the FDA has approved commercial production of GMOs based on studies done by the companies who created them and profit from their sale. In Canada, the Canadian General Standards Board recently put out a draft for the voluntary labeling of GMO products, stating that any product containing up to 5% GMO ingredients can be labeled as ‘not a product of gene technology.’
Labeling is a problem—without it, we can’t make informed decisions about what we eat. In addition, if there is no way of tracking GM foods it is impossible to accurately determine the health impacts. A mandatory (not voluntary) labeling system is required to resolve these issues.
Why Should I Care?
Genetic Modification should be a concern for those of us who want to live healthfully and naturally and have a measure of control over the foods we eat. Further, with GMOs come a host of issues that have yet to be resolved.
1) Foreign genes inserted into an organism may do one thing in isolation but quite another in combination with the organism as a whole. Despite our significant advancement in gene technology we still have limited understanding of how these transgenics interact with the whole organism or the environment. An unsettling example is of GM pollen shown to have transferred its genes to the bacteria residing in the stomach of the bees that ingested it. The scope of genetic contamination thus becomes increasingly difficult to track and can have serious impact on other systems.
2) GMOs are also becoming increasingly associated with pesticide use. One study suggests: “Agriculture biotechnology is essentially pesticide promoting technology.” The next generation of GMOs are now resistant to not one, but two kinds of herbicides. So farmers can spray with abandon and know their crops won’t be damaged. But are these the crops you want to be ingesting? At this point we aren’t getting any extra nutritional benefit from GMO crops, so why put our bodies at risk?
3) Farmers that use GM crops to increase yield in order to compete are being forced to buy new seed every year, putting all the power in the hands of corporations. The new GM seeds don’t act like regular seeds; they possess terminator technology preventing subsequent seed from germinating. This creates a need for the farmers to purchase seed year after year, padding the pockets of the corporations who created them.
We have just touched on the various issues surrounding GMOs. If we have piqued your interest, check out our suggested links to find out more.
Upcoming GMOs
There are numerous GMO products that could hit the market in the next ten years, including: plants and animals that produce plastics, pharmaceuticals and other industrial materials, salmon that grows at faster rates and trees modified to have less lignin so that they can be pulped more easily. Although these new products may appear to improve our lives, we need to be aware of who is actually profiting and how these actions are impacting our environment and health.
What Can I DO?
1) If you are concerned about GMOs on your table, there are some simple steps you can take:
2) Whenever possible, choose organic foods from a supplier that has a non-GMO purchasing policy (see www.nongmoproject.org).
3) Educate yourself. Learn which ingredients are likely to be GMOs and then read labels.
4) Avoid processed foods.
5) Write to your government representatives and tell them that you don’t want GMOs in your food supply. Demand accurate labeling.
6) Maintain a healthy, strong immune system. It is your body’s front line of defense against foreign substances and compromised food.
Ingredients to avoid if seeking to minimize intake of genetically modified foods
CORN DERIVATIVES
Zein: from corn protein, used as a vitamin coating
Xanthan Gum: from corn sugar, used as a food thickener
MSG/Glutamic acid/hydrolyzed vegetable protein or starch: used as flavour enhancers
Inositol/inosinate: an ingredient in vitamin B supplements
Oleic acid and Bi-products: from vegetable oils, used especially in cosmetics
Stearic acid and Bi-products: from cottonseed, corn or other vegetable oils, used variously
Lactic Acid: from fermented corn and potato starch
Lecithin: emulsifier and supplement from corn or soy
Linoleic Acid: from vegetable oils, such as cottonseed and soybean
Lysine: Amino acid often derived from corn
Ascorbic Acid: Vitamin C supplement most often derived from corn
Phospholipids: derived from lecithin (see above)
Pectin: could be derived from corn sugars, such as dextrose or fructose
Phytic Acid: used to chelate heavy metals for supplements
CORN SUGARS
Dextrose, fructose, dextri-maltose, maltodextrin, cyclodextrin, diacetyl, amylose, amylopectin, invert sugar, isomalt, levulose, monosaccharide, lactate condensation, polyamino sugar condensate, confectioner’s sugar.
Other Ingredients Which May Contain CORN
Baking Powder, white vinegar, aspartame, methanol, citric acid, table salt (dextrose), caramel, excipients and bill binders, malt, mono and diglycerides, sorbitol, vanilla extract, milo starch.
SOY DERIVATIVES
Soy Lecithin: an emulsifier and supplement derived from soy
Glycine: an amino acid derived from soy
Tocopherols: Vitamin E supplement, whose natural form comes from soy or wheat germ
Phospholipids: derived from lecithin
MSG/Glutamic Acid/etc.: from various vegetable proteins such as corn or soy
Products Containing SOY
Vegetable proteins and isolates, tofu, tamari, tempeh, antioxidants (vit E.), textured vegetable protein, TVP, protein supplements, defoaming agents used in the manufacturing of yeast and sugar, vegetable oil, natto, natural flavours.
Resources
The Organic Consumer’s Organization
Scientific Criticism of GMO Technology
Institute for Science and Society
Genetically Engineered Food: A Self-Defense Guide for Consumers, Ronnie Cummins and Ben Lilliston. Marlowe & Company, 2000.
Genetic Engineering, Dream or Nightmare?, Mae-Wan Ho. Gateway Books, 1998.
Genetically Engineered Foods: Are They Safe? You Decide, Robin and Laura Ticciati. Keats, 1998.
Genetically Engineered Food: Changing the Nature of Nature, M. Teitel and K. Wilson. Part Street Press, 1999
