How To Say NO To GMOs

GMO “Genetically Modified Organism”

Or as I like to call it “Franken-food”

In the U.S., GMOs are everywhere in our supply chain. 75-80% of all conventional, processed foods contain some form of GMOs according to the Grocery Manufacturers. In this post, I can try to guide and inspire you to avoid GMOs at all costs.

It is debated when GMOs were first developed. Traditional breeding of seeds and animals where pollen from one plant passes to another by wind or insect or hand, or by cross-breeding of animals to improve the quality of meat and milk cannot naturally occur with GMOs.

GMOs are genetically engineered by introducing cloned DNA into various plants and animals in a laboratory. The new genetically modified plant or animal is now introduced into the food chain
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GMO plants can withstand direct herbicide applications that can produce their own insecticides to kill insects trying to eat the plant or seed from the plant and can also eliminate weeds from fields.

“Monsanto and other biotech companies claim genetically modified (GM) crops have no impact on the environment and are perfectly safe to eat. I think otherwise.

Federal departments in charge of food safety in the US and Canada have not conducted tests to affirm this alleged “safety,” but rather have taken the industry-conducted research at face value, allowing millions of acres of GM crops to overtake farmland.

These foods, largely in the form of GM corn and soy (although there are other GM crops, too, like sugar beets, papaya and crookneck squash), can now be found in the majority of processed foods in the US.

In other words, if you eat processed foods, you’re already eating them… and these crops are already being freely planted in the environment. But what if it turns out that Monsanto was wrong, and the GM crops aren’t actually safe…

This is precisely what a number of scientists have been warning of for years, and the latest to sound the alarm is Dr. Mae-Wan Ho of the Institute for Science in Society, who has concluded that, by their very nature, there is no way GMOs (genetically modified organisms) can be safe”.

Here’s how you can say NO to GMOs

• Buy food labeled “100% organic” or labeled by the 3rd party non-GMO project. These are the ONLY labels that legally guarantee food is 100% non GMO.

• Buy meat that say the animals were fed 100% organic fed or grass-fed/finished. Or better yet, find a local farmer.. Be sure to ask them if they’re committed to producing non GMO products.

• Buy 100% organic eggs that state “from 100% organic feed.” Safe grocery store brands include Organic Valley, Eggland’s Best, and Land O’ Lakes Organic eggs.

• Buy 100% organic dairy products (grass-fed is even better) or European products from Switzerland and Greece (100% non GMO) and France (mostly non GMO). Kalona Farms, Organic Valley, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods’ 365 Brand are safe brands.

• Shop at farmer’s markets and remember that most produce is safe non GMO, even conventional varieties, with the exception of corn, radicchio, beets, Hawaiian papaya, zucchini and yellow summer squash.

• Organic whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds are safe. One caveat… conventional rice which has been contaminated with GMOs. Buy organic rice only… safe brands include Lotus and Lundberg.

• Keep eating out to a minimum.

• Avoid processed and packaged foods/beverages that are not non GMO.

Avoiding GMOs is also made easy by looking at the packaging or produce stickers with at least one of the following:

• USDA Organic Seal
• Other organic designation (organic food must be non-GMO, but unless the product is labeled, not all non-GMO products are organic)
• Non GMO project seal
• “Non GMO” on packaging
• “Non GMO” on ingredients list

Corn and soy are the most common GMO foods, and if the package isn’t marked Non GMO, and contains any soy or corn ingredients, you can be almost certain it DOES contain GMO ingredients (if the product is certified Organic you can rest assured that nothing in it will be genetically modified) These are common ingredients made from corn, soy, and a few other crops that are often genetically modified:

Baking Powder
Canola Oil
(Rapeseed Oil)
Caramel Color
Corn
Corn Flower
Cornmeal
Cornstarch
Corn Syrup
Cottonseed Oil
Dextrin
Dextrose
Food Starch
Artificial Flavoring
Fructose
Glucose
Glutamate
Glycerides
Glycerin
Glycerol
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Hydrogenated Starch
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Isoflavones
Lecithin
Malt
Malt Syrup
Malt Extract
Maltodextrines
Maltose
Margarine
Milk Powder
Modified Food Starch
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Shoyu
Sorbitol
Soy
Soy Flour
Soy Isoflavones
Soy Isolates
Soy Milk
Soy Lecithin
Soy Oil
Soy Protein
Soy Sauce
Starch
Sucrose
Tamari
Tempeh
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
Tofu
Vegetable Fat
Vegetable Oil
Whey
Yeast Proteins

I hope this article gives you some insight on what GMOs are and how/why to avoid them.