Organic Food 101: GMO foods---Why the big deal?

April 11, 5:21 PMOrganic Food ExaminerNatalie Rotunda

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Living with allergies my entire life has conditioned me to be very aware of what I put in my mouth. Choosing good, healthy, safe food is, therefore, a basic in my world, and ranks at the top of my priority list. (Nina Merrill also chose organic foods as a priority.)When I arrived at that fork in the road---healthy good versus unhealthy cheap---I chose organic, the only logical direction my priority could take me.

About 10 years ago, right around the time I landed with both feet in the world of organic foods, I heard a new (to me) term---genetically-modified foods. Known as GMOs, GMs, GE or biotech foods, whatever they go by, they’re polar opposites of organic foods.

It’s a funny thing (funny odd, not funny ha-ha), those GMOs. While consumers filled their shopping carts at conventional grocery stores, then and now, they were/are unaware they were buying biologically-altered foods, foods having no proven track record for safety. Those foods silently stole their way onto grocery store shelves. No fanfare, No banners to announce GMO FOODS ARE HERE in the weekly store chains’ newspaper ads. Nothing. Make no mistake about it, though…they are here.

Fortunately, several watchdog agencies got the lowdown on GMOs and, through their efforts, concerned consumers are at least able to recognize the enemy through a reverse labeling process. Ingredients like these are GMOs: canola oil, cornstarch, corn syrup, cottonseed oil, lecithin, soy oil, soy protein, soy sauce. In fact, you’ll find GM soya---lecithin, soya flower, soya protein, vegetable oil---in approximately 60% of all processed food. Surprised by that number? I was.

While our own government doesn’t require companies like the Monsantos to label their packages with GMO warning statements (maybe our choice to leave it on the shelf will hurt biz?), at least some of the planet recognizes GMOs for what they are: the European Union requires---mandates---such labeling. Some countries have led the charge by altogether banning genetically-engineered foods.

Why is it a big deal? Are we fussing over a non-issue? Are GMO foods safe? (Are any chemical additives safe?) In “GM Foods: A Guide to the Confused,” geneticist Dr. Michael Antoniou, Professor Joe Cummins, Professor Emeritus of Genetics at the U of Western Ontario, and Luke Anderson, a UK compaigner/lecturere spell it out in pretty clear terms: Genes are removed from one species and inserted into another species. [Emphasis added.] Is it precise? They say no. “It’s impossible to guide the insertion of the new gene” that “can lead to unpredictable effects.”

Several trusted sources tell me what I already know: Take action by avoiding the probable dangers of GMOs, by eating organic foods; by shopping where store policy prohibits GMO Foods (Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Wild Oats). Check out www.greenpeace.org. Type “The True Food Shopping List” in the search bar, then prepare to be amazed at all the foods you know and possibly love that contain GMOs. A side-by-side column lists non-GMO foods.

To learn more about why GMO foods are the ones to avoid, check out www.saynotogmos.com. Their ‘get started’ section contains articles that will educate you on the many aspects surrounding the GMO danger. By the way, Say No to GMOs stands clearly behind food manufacturers being mandated to label their products as containing GMOs; requiring independent testing---read: no testing by anyone affiliated with Big GMO Food Manufacturers/Producers, and this: “Full corporate liability for damages resulting from the irresponsible introduction of GMOs to the food supply and environment.”

Good, safe, healthy food that nourishes, not harms, our bodies. If that’s your priority, spend your economic vote every time you shop by buying at least some organic foods, and avoid GMOs. Urge your legislators to support mandatory labeling and testing, so that we can choose whether we’re buying GMO-laden foods.

Bottom line? What’s your good health worth? What are you willing to do to get and stay healthy?