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GMO (that cumbersome acronym for genetically modified organisms) is with us to stay, but you can easily steer yourself clear of these mutants....

How to buy GMO-free produce

1. Be aware. Over 70 percent of processed foods sold in the United States contain genetically modified ingredients. Bioengineered corn, tomatoes, sweet corn, squash, sugar beets, potatoes, papaya, and soybeans have been deemed acceptable for human consumption by the US Food Drug and Drug Administration (FDA).[1]
2. Know the code It wont help you identify processed GMO food but GMO produce will have a sticker number that begins with the number 8.
3. Buy organic. Organic foods can not contain GMO components so to be sure stick with organic.

Buying GMO-free produce helps you go green because…

• Although research is ongoing, it's believed by many that genetically modified crops do the environment more harm—with potential threats to biodiversity and natural organisms—than good.

In 2006, 252 million acres of genetically modified crops were planted in 22 countries (11 developing countries and 11 industrialized countries) by 10.3 million farmers. Ten years prior, in 1996 (the year GMOs were first grown commercially) 7 million acres were cultivated globally. The United States—with 54.06 million hectares—was the leading producer of GM crops in 2006, followed by Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, and China. An additional 29 countries, including Japan, that don’t grow GM crops allow them to be imported.[2]

The genetic dozen

Below are 12 genetically modified plants grown for human consumption in the United States. All have completely or partially passed regulations established by the FDA, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The USDA ensures that the plants are actually safe to grow and the EPA makes sure that any pesticides introduced to the plants don’t harm animals, humans, or the environment. Finally, the FDA decides whether the plant is safe for humans and animals to consume.[1]

Genetic traits implanted in crops include virus, herbicide, and insect resistance, delayed ripening, pollen control, and altered oil content.[3] The most ubiquitous GMOs are crop plants—soybeans, for example—grown as ingredients for other food products and not consumed whole. GM fruits and vegetables that can be eaten whole, such as papaya, are either currently not grown/marketed, or sold in limited markets.

• Corn: GM corn ingredients are found in most processed foods since growers do not separate GM corn from non-GM corn. In 2003, about 40 percent of the corn supply was genetically modified. Only 3-5 percent of sweet corn, sold by the ear, has been altered. Consuming GM popcorn and canned sweet corn is highly unlikely.
• Cotton: Although cotton is primarily used by the textile industry, cottonseed oil can be found in various food products. In 2002, 71 percent of the cotton crop was bioengineered.
• Flax: Although, domestic approval to grow GM flax was granted in 1998, the only field of GM flax was voluntarily destroyed and has not been regrown since.
• Papaya: 50 percent of Hawaii’s papaya output is GM. Since most papayas in the US are imported from Mexico, Brazil, and the Caribbean (and aren't GM), those living in Hawaii and the West Coast are most likely to encounter hybrid papayas.
• Potato: GM potatoes have not been grown since 2001 due to weak sales. When they were actively sold, they only represented 2 to 3 percent of the American potato market.
• Radicchio: GM radicchio plants were approved in 1997 but withdrawn by the developer in 1999 and never marketed.
• Rapeseed: Canola oil is extracted from rapeseed. Most canola oil is imported from Canada where around 60 percent of the rapeseed crop is bioengineered.
• Rice: The FDA approved herbicide-tolerant rice in 2000. EPA approval is pending.
• Soybeans: Consumers are highly likely to consume GM soybean-based foods. Tofu or soy milk for example, usually contains GMOs, unless it is organic. An estimated 81 percent of 2003’s soybean crop was genetically modified to be herbicide-tolerant.
• Squash/zucchini: Both are readily available in GM varieties but only a small number of farmers grow them.
• Sugarbeets: Although bioengineered sugarbeets have undergone design and approval stages they have yet to be planted for commercial purposes.
• Tomato: Several varieties of GM tomatoes have been given the green light but only one has appeared in American grocery stores—FlavrSavr, a failure that survived for two years in limited markets.[4]

Environmental benefits and dangers

A main point of contention in the GMO debate—aside from the ethical and moral questions—are the possible effects that genetic modification may have on the environment. Supporters of GMO production believe that crops implanted with certain genes benefit the environment. For example, Hawaii-grown hybrid papayas contain bioinsecticides that make the use of traditional, chemical insecticides obsolete.[1] Bioengineering in crops is also used to fend off weeds with bioherbicides and to boost yields without using excessive energy, soil, and water. And, as the global population grows at a rapid pace, backers of genetic modification believe it may be a way to feed the world without depleting natural resources.[1]

Critics of GM farming consider it eco-tampering and a threat to biodiversity.[5] One possible hazard: pests may become resistant to GMOs that produce their own pesticides, just as some mosquitoes became immune to DDT, which was once used in conventional agriculture.[6] Another concern is the unintentional spread of transgenes through cross-pollination—in other words, the genes of GM crops can be transferred via pollen (through wind and insects) to non-GM crops making it hard to tell which crops are actually bioengineered and which are not. Self-pollinating plants, such as soybeans and tomatoes, do not pose such risks.[7]

A notable debate relating to cross-pollination began in 1999 after the results of a study revealed B.t. (insect resistant) corn to have lethal effects on the monarch butterfly caterpillar. Although corn is not fatal to monarch caterpillars, there is worry that pollen from the B.t. corn can travel by wind into nearby fields and contaminate milkweed plants, a caterpillar food source. The caterpillars might eat corn pollen off the milkweed plant and die. However, the initial findings weren't conclusive, so the potential risks of GM crops to other species continues to be researched and debated.[6]

GMO labeling

Although GM produce is signified by its PLU Code (an 8 proceeds the fruit or vegetable’s four-digit code), mandatory labeling for processed foods containing GMOs is not required in the United States unless the GM product has different nutritional values than its conventional counterpart. Alerting consumers to the presence of GMOs in processed foods may prove to be difficult as GM corn, for example, is not segregated from non-GM corn once it is harvested. With a push toward GMO-free farming and strict labeling in Europe, a GMO labeling system in the US must focus on three basic issues: the language of the label, the foods subject to labeling, and maintaining accuracy.[8]

Related health issues

Scientists believe that GM food does not endanger human health. There are, however, concerns about the occurrence of allergic reactions when a gene containing an allergen is spliced into another plant. For example, a proposal to integrate a gene from the Brazil nut into the soybean was abandoned due to concern about possible allergic reactions.[6]

In 1998, scientists in the UK revealed that soy-related allergies grew 50 percent from the previous year. This increase was correlated with the rise of GMO soy ingredients in processed foods.[9]

On the other hand, GM crops may also serve as important tools in conquering human disease. For example, research is underway on a project that unites a hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine with bananas in hopes of curbing the HBV epidemic in developing countries. Although other crops such as carrots and lettuce were tested, bananas have emerged as an ideal vehicle to deliver the vaccine. Researchers believe bioengineered food to have economic and other advantages over the current, injected vaccine. Worldwide, 75-100 million people may die from complications resulting from HBV infection.[10]

Glossary

• DDT: A once-common pesticide until banned in the US in 1972. It still enters the environment through use in other countries where it isn't banned. Human exposure comes from eating contaminated leafy and root vegetables and fatty meat, poultry, and fish.[11]

External links

• The Daily Table
• The Ethicurean
• Genetic Engineering News
• The Guardian - Special Report: The GM Debate
• The National Agriculture Library
• Organic Consumers Association
• Say No To GMOs!