Whatever Happened to Genetically Modified Food?

Have you ever wondered what happened to genetically modified (GM) food? Does any of our food actually come from GM organisms, and does GM food have a future on the supermarket shelves?

Growing genetically modified crops which are hardier, pest-resistant or produce fruit with a longer shelf life was once thought to be the future of farming. However, the British public did not embrace the idea of eating GM food, and now it is hard to find GM food on the shelves, and no GM crops are grown commercially in the UK.

The first GM product seen in the UK was tomato puree, produced from GM tomatoes, which was introduced by Sainsbury's and Safeway in 1996. The puree was clearly labelled as coming from GM tomatoes, and this fact was well-publicised by the supermarkets. The puree was extremely popular, being slightly cheaper and having a better texture than its non-GM equivalent.

So why has GM tomato puree now vanished from the supermarkets? The British public turned against GM food in a big way, and this was probably triggered by a story in 1999 about rats suffering ill effects after eating GM potatoes. Although the study was extremely controversial and described as 'flawed' and 'misleading', it was scary enough to give anti-GM campaigners the upper hand. You may find genetically modified products in processed food

The first GM crops to be grown on a large scale were herbicide-resistant soya and pest-resistant maize. Growth of these crops is widespread in many countries including the USA.

Most processed foods contain products derived from soya or maize, and these foods were immediately labelled GM if there was a chance they contained anything derived from GM crops. However, this meant that customers rarely had the option to buy non-GM, and British food producers very quickly started to source from certified non-GM crops.

The European Union has not approved the sale of any fresh GM produce - the only GM foods you are likely to see in Europe are imported, processed foods. GM food is much more widespread in the USA and does not have to be labelled as GM. The justification there is that GM products used in food have been determined to be safe, and not substantially different from non-GM versions, therefore the mode of production is irrelevant.

In the EU, food must be clearly labelled if it 'intentionally' contains products from GM crops at any level. Food which 'accidentally' or 'unavoidably' contains GM-derived products at less than 1% does not need to be labelled. A lot of animal feed contains GM soya or maize-derived products, but animal products (meat, eggs etc) from animals fed on GM food do not need to labelled.

Food produced using 'GM technologies' does not need to labelled either. A good example of this is the enzyme chymosin. Chymosin is the active ingredient of rennet, normally extracted from the stomach lining of calves, and used in the production of many cheeses. Most cheeses are now made using chymosin isolated from genetically modified microorganisms, as this is cheaper and vegetarian-friendly. GM crops in the UK

Growing GM crops has not been banned in the UK, but is unlikely to occur for commercial purposes before 2009, if at all. GM crop trials are being tentatively re-introduced in the UK. In December 2006, permission was granted for a trial of blight-resistant potatoes.

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Genetically-Modified Foods May Increase Rates of Food Allergies in Humans

Genetically-modified (GM) food crops are a contentious issue for many. While some believe they will save humanity from pollution and disease associated with conventionally-grown foods, others question the wisdom of playing with the basic structure of our food, concerned that such meddling will have untold health consequences.

Although at this point, scientists are still unsure of the direct health repercussions of eating genetically modified organisms (GMOs), they are sure that GM foods can increase rates of allergic reactions. That's because genes of common allergens are often combined with other plant food, potentially passing the allergen onto the newly created food. Allergic substances from the proteins found in eggs, fish and shellfish, peanuts, milk, wheat, and tree nuts-proteins that are the cause of more than 90 percent of food allergies-can be combined with new strains of corn, for instance, making this once innocuous food a potentially deadly food for those with allergies to these substances. The US Food and Drug Administration has attempted to address this issue by requiring that new GM organisms be free of any allergenic substances on the main allergen list.

Health issues aside, GM foods come with other consequences, most specifically for the environment. While some GMO produce will be able to better fend off specific pests and diseases, this tampering could threaten biodiversity. Of most concern is the possibility that the bioinsecticides may actually kill off beneficial insects. An insect resistant strain of corn called B.t. that was used first in 1999 is suspected of being lethal to monarch butterfly caterpillars.

Additionally, pests and weeds may become resistant to inbred bioinsecticides and biopesticides. This may inevitably increase the need for pesticides and herbicides instead of having the intended benefit of decreasing their use. Not only that, the genes of these modified food crops may spread, via wind and water, to non-GMO crops.

Whether we like it or not, the GMO-age is upon us. GM technology may be found in your corn, soybeans, papayas, zucchini, and tomatoes. The US is the biggest grower of GM crops with nearly 60 million hectares being cultivated with these seeds. You can avoid GM foods by choosing organic foods. If you're not sure, the four-digit PLU Code on your produce will be preceded by a "9" if it is organic. If it is a GMO product, it will be preceded by an "8" instead.

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Are Genetically Modified Foods Safe?

Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from genetically modified organisms (GMO), in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur in nature.

GM foods were first put on the US market in the early 1990s. Nowadays, the US alone plants over 50% of the world's GM crops, followed by Argentina and Brazil which take up another 30%.

The four most commonly found genetically modified (GM) crops in the US are:

1. Soy (91% of all crops)
2. Cotton (88%)
3. Canola (88%)
4. Corn (85%)

All these are common ingredients used in modern food manufacturing. Hence, if your diet consists of mainly processed foods, you will be eating about 75% GM foods.

So, are GM foods safe? According to the biotech industry and the US government, a GM food is deemed safe as long as its composition and nutritional characteristics are substantially equivalent to an existing food.

The truth is GM foods have never been properly tested for human consumption. Only feeding studies on animals have been done and the results have raised much alarm.

In the following, you will discover that there is much more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse effects on human health and the environment. Thus, unless you want to be a guinea pig in this "experiment", you should really think twice before buying GM foods.

Why GM Foods Are Produced --

The initial objective for developing plants based on GM organisms was to improve crop yield. As the world population is expected to grow from the current 6.8 billion to reach 9 billion by 2040, GM food manufacturers argued that this is the way to ensure an adequate food supply for the booming population. GM crops promised to meet this need by being:

• Pest resistant
• Disease resistant
• Herbicide tolerant
• Cold tolerant
• Drought tolerant
• Salt tolerant

The largest share of GMO crops planted globally is owned by a US company called Monsanto, which is also the manufacturer of the world's best selling herbicide called Roundup.

Monsanto produces these patented GMO seeds which are also Roundup-tolerant, known as Roundup Ready crops. Such crops allow farmers to use Roundup as a post-emergence herbicide against most weeds.

Current Roundup Ready crops grown in the US include soy, corn, canola, sugar beet, and cotton.

Is it safe to eat crops sprayed with Roundup? Monsanto claims so and it has consistently relied on industry-funded data to declare the safety of Roundup. However, objective research published in peer-reviewed journals tells another story.

• Various studies on rats and humans have challenged Roundup's alleged safety, ranging from hormonal disruption, impairment of liver and kidney function, to genetic damage.
• Environmentalists claim that Roundup is toxic to beneficial soil organisms and harmful to birds and small mammals by damaging their food supplies and habitat.
• Studies show that farmers use multiple times more Roundup on Roundup Ready crops than conventional ones, resulting in an epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds and the use of even more toxic herbicides in developing countries, including those banned in the US and Europe.

Additionally, have you ever considered what may come to your health when you are eating a genetically engineered crop that has been made resistant to such a potentially toxic herbicide?

Lastly, the claim by the biotech industry that GM varieties of plants produce higher crop yields has not been substantiated. A 2009 report published by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) concludes that despite 20 years of research and 13 years of commercialization, genetic engineering has only increased US crop yields marginally and is unlikely to play a significant role in increasing food production in the foreseeable future.

Potential Dangers Of GM Foods --

The biotech industry says that millions have been eating GM foods without any ill effects. However, no one has ever monitored the human health aspects of GM foods. Besides, even if the foods were creating health problems, it may take decades before the cause can be identified.

A good example was the introduction of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (transfat) back in the 1960s. Manufacturers claimed that it was healthier than animal fats, and it took the US government decades to acknowledge that transfat was in fact, the culprit of an epidemic rise in heart disease, breast and prostate cancers in the US.

We are playing with technology that we do not fully understand. At this point, no one knows the full extent of what happens to the end product when you splice in new genes, and then eat that product for several generations. However, GM foods have already raised enough concern that they may be inherently unsafe for humans and the environment.

Allergies. Allergic reactions occur when the immune system interprets something as foreign, different, and offensive, and reacts accordingly. All GM foods, by definition, have something foreign and different. Soon after GM soy was introduced in the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50% in a single year. Soy allergies in the US have also soared after GM soy came to the market.

Gene transfer. There is the possibility that genes from GM crops may transfer to the DNA of human gut bacteria. A particular concern is the antibiotic resistant genes used in creating GMOs. Scientists use them as marker genes to identify the genes that have been successfully altered. Eating GM foods with these marker genes may encourage gut bacteria to develop antiobiotic resistance. Further, this foreign DNA may continue to produce inside our body even after we stop eating GM food.

Animal studies. There is hardly any feeding study on humans but the ones on animals have resulted in potentially pre-cancerous cell growth, damaged immune systems, smaller brains, livers, and testicles, and higher death rates.

Environmental impact. Outcrossing is the movement of genes from GM plants into conventional crops and related species in the wild. Nobody knows about the longer-term ecological consequences of such unintended cross-pollination.

To date, there is no direct link between eating GM foods and health problems. However, there is enough circumstantial evidence to raise concern. Given a choice, do you still want to eat GM foods?

Ways To Avoid GM Foods --

There are 30 countries around the world including Japan, Australia, and the EU countries that require all food and animal feed products linked in any way to GM crops to be clearly labeled as "genetically modified".

In the US and Canada, there are yet regulations stipulating the labeling of GM foods.

Therefore, as individual consumers, you need to send the message that you do not want GM foods by voting with your dollar and shopping only at stores that endorse non-GMO. Here are two grocery chains that have embraced this standard:

Trader Joe's - all products in Trader Joe's private label are sourced from non-GMO ingredients.

Whole Foods - the two house brands, 365 Every Day Value and Whole Foods Market, are non-GMO.

There are many more that endorses non-GMO. Go to http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/search-retailer-endorsers/ to find one in your neighborhood.

If you want to avoid GM foods:

1. Buy organic
2. Buy products that carry a "Non-GMO" label
3. Avoid at-risk ingredients made from corn, soybeans, canola, and cottonseed, which are commonly used in processed foods.
4. Buy products listed in this Non-GMO Shopping Guide http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/SG/DownloadtheGuide/index.cfm

Carol Chuang is a Certified Nutrition Specialist and a Metabolic Typing Advisor. She has a Masters degree in Nutrition and is the founder of CC Health Counseling, LLC. Her passion in life is to stay healthy and to help others become healthy. She believes that a key ingredient to optimal health is to eat a diet that is right for one's specific body type. Eating organic or eating healthy is not enough to guarantee good health. The truth is that there is no one diet that is right for everyone. Our metabolisms are different, so should our diets. Carol specializes in Metabolic Typing, helping her clients find the right diet for their Metabolic Type. To learn more about Metabolic Typing, her nutrition counseling practice, and how to get a complimentary phone consultation, please go to http://cchealthcounseling.com/

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