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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Science is driven by facts. Governments are driven by the will of the people they serve. Food companies are driven to make a profit. What does all this have to do with the non-GMO movement (no genetically modified foods)? Everything.
A genetically-modified organism has been altered by having the genes from one species extracted and artificially placed into the genes of another to produce a desired effect. Plant changes are produced in a very specific, time-efficient manner that may have taken generations of growing cycles when traditional grafting or cross-breeding was used. For many, this process seems unnatural and they are concerned about the resulting safety of the plants produced.
Quite the opposite is true. There has never been one instance of a documented illness or death or an allergic reaction from a genetically modified food. Many of the new plant species produced are drought resistant, requiring less water to grow. Some become naturally resistant to disease or pests. Some are nutritionally superior. The Hawaiian papaya was devastated by the ringspot virus in the 1960s and 1970s. It was saved from extinction with GMO technology when traditional plant-breeding techniques failed. According to the US Grocery Manufacturer’s Association, 75% to 80% of processed food has a GMO ingredient.
GMO crops are also among the most regulated and tested for safety of any crop grown in the US. They are regulated by the US Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration. Most experts agree that eating GMO modified food poses no more risk than eating any food.
You are still not convinced. You want the state or federal government to demand GMO food labeling. In 2012 voters in California rejected Proposition 37 (California’s Right To Know Genetically Engineered Foods Act). Vermont passed a GMO labeling law due to go into effect in 2016. Its implementation is now being hashed out in the courts. Do we need these state GMO labeling laws? Not really.
To pass a law or formulate a regulation, first there has to be a definition of genetically modified plants and foods. Will cross-breeding and hybridization be considered a form of genetic engineering? What about mutagenesis? There are now thousands of mutagenically created foods, including the organic Ruby Red grapefruit. This process, which can be used in organic crops, attempts to induce favorable genetic mutations using ultraviolet light, radiation or chemicals to produce plant changes.
If you wish to avoid foods with GMO ingredients, we already have two safeguards in place. The USDA Certified Organic seal (http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/NOPOrganicStandards) assures that no organic farmer can plant GMO seeds and animals cannot be fed grains from GMO crops. Organic farmers and processors must show that they have protected their products from contact with GMOs from farm to table. On food labels, the Non-GMO Project Verified seal (http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/understanding-our-seal/) shows shoppers that the food has gone through a third-party verification process and can be accurately labeled as containing no GMO ingredients.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already allows food companies to label foods as non-GMO, if they wish. Food companies like Nature’s Path, Kind, Amy’s Kitchen and Pirate’s Booty among many others have chosen to use non-GMO ingredients and label accordingly. The fast food chain Chipotle removed genetically modified foods from its menu and Whole Foods Market promises to label all GMO products at its US and Canadian stores by 2018.
For those consumers who want non-GMO food options, they already exist. Will an additional patchwork of state laws and regulations provide any further safeguard for those who wish to avoid GMO ingredients? What we do know is there will be added costs for the farmers to plant, harvest, and ship GMO crops separately from non-GMO crops. Then the food producers will need to implement processing systems for non-GMO brands separate from those that use GMO ingredients. This all creates extra cost, which is passed along to the consumer. Because we spend close to $640 billion yearly at the supermarket, it is worth the investment by many companies if they can grab your food dollar.
Bottom line: If you wish to avoid genetically modified foods that is your choice. Just appreciate what is driving your decision. Have you examined the scientific facts to clearly understand risk versus benefit of GMO foods? Are your legislators listening to both their constituents as well as scientific advisors so they craft the best legislation for the people they serve? What is the real motivation for food companies and restaurant chains when they declare their brands non-GMO?
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with sales of more than 8.5 million books.
Look for:
The Diabetes Counter, 5th Ed., 2014
The Fat and Cholesterol Counter, 2014
The Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2013
The Calorie Counter, 6th Ed., 2013
The Complete Food Counter, 4th ed., 2012
The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.
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