shopping/avoid GE foods

[Guest guest]

I dont know if this is overkill, but better safe than sorry. What is

left to eat now?!

 

 

HOW TO SHOP TO AVOID GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS:

Here are some general guidelines prepared by Judy Kew for use in the

USA, though much is also applicable for other countries. Individuals

need to decide for themselves to what degree follow these

recommendations.

THESE COMPANIES USE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS IN SOME OR ALL OF

THEIR PRODUCTS:

Coca Cola (corn syrup and/or Aspartame), Fritos (corn), Green Giant

Harvest Burgers (soy), McDonald's French Fries (potatoes), Nestle's

chocolates (soy), Karo Corn Syrup (corn), NutraSweet (Aspartame), Kraft

Salad Dressings (canola oil), Fleishmann's margarine (soy), Similac

Infant Formula (soy), Land o Lakes butter (rBGH), Cabot Creamery Butter

(rBGH).

AVOID ALL OTHER CONVENTIONAL (NOT CERTIFIED-ORGANIC) TOMATOES, POTATOES,

CORN, SOY, CANOLA OIL, COTTON SEED OIL, AND YELLOW CROOK-NECK SQUASH:

TOMATOES: Genetically engineered with bacteria-derived kanamycin

resistance genes, Antisense backwards DNA, antibiotic marker genes,

viruses, and DNA of flounder and North Atlantic shellfish. This and the

following genetically engineered foods have antibiotic marker genes used

to facilitate the genetic engineering process. They can cause allergies

and autoimmune disease.

POTATOES: Genetically engineered with wax moth insect DNA; genetically

engineered to produce its own pesticide internally with the DNA of

bacillus thuringiensis bacteria.

CORN: Genetically engineered to tolerate high quantities of the chemical

pesticide glufosinate, and genetically engineered with a virus and the

DNA of the bacteria bacillus thuringiensis.

SOY: Genetically engineered and DNA-altered by Monsanto with bacteria;

capable of tolerating heavy doses of Monsanto's Roundup brand chemical

pesticide (glyphosate).

YELLOW CROOK NECK SQUASH: (Available in USA, not sure of other

countries) Gene-spliced with two experimental viruses and arbitrary

marker genes, capable of causing unpredictable and unexpected effects.

CANOLA OIL: Genetically engineered and DNA-altered with California bay

turnip and various viruses and bacterium in order to produce high

quantities of lauric acid.

COTTON SEED OIL: Genetically engineered and DNA-altered with Arabidopsis

bacterium, and viruses to be able to withstand large applications of the

chemical pesticide bromoxynil. Bromoxynil causes birth defects in human

beings.

PAPAYA: (Available in USA, not sure of other countries) Some have been

genetically engineered.

AVOID PRODUCTS DERIVED FROM THE ABOVE NON-ORGANIC ITEMS

As of the beginning of 1997, these products will have been genetically

engineered and on the market as a percentage of the total conventional

food supply. Since they are sold unlabeled in the conventional market,

there is no way to tell specifically which tomatoes, potatoes, corn,

soy, etc. have been actually genetically engineered. If you live in a

nation which may receive imports from the U.S. and Canada, you should

also avoid these non-organic foods as a safety precaution. Your own

nation or another exporting to yours may be doing genetic engineering.

Eat only organic food if possible. Even if you buy seeds to grow your

own food, buy only organic seeds.

AVOID EATING IN NON-ORGANIC RESTAURANTS

Unless the restaurant management makes it clear in writing that they are

committed to using only non-genetically engineered foods and products,

avoid eating out as much as possible. Since genetically engineered foods

are not labeled, they also have no idea which of their tomato, potato,

corn, soy, canola, yellow-crook-neck squash products may be genetically

engineered.

READ LABELS CAREFULLY: BE CAREFUL WITH ALL PROCESSED FOODS WATCH OUT FOR

CONVENTIONAL, NON-ORGANIC CORN AND SOY, BECAUSE THEY ARE IN SO MANY

PRODUCTS:

Avoid corn syrup, fructose, and fructose corn syrup in almost all

beverages and sodas (even health food brands), and in almost all sweet

products, yogurt, and aspirin. Avoid corn oil, corn starch, corn meal,

baking soda, baking powder, glycose syrup; Avoid soy; soy flour in baked

goods; pizza, cookies, cakes, pasta; fillers in meat products, (for

example Big Macs) vegetarian meat substitutes, (for example tofu, tofu

burgers, tofu hot dogs) soy milk, infant formula, baby foods; diet and

protein shakes, protein bars; chocolate and candy bars; margarine; ice

cream; pet food; soy oil in salad dressings & snack chips; soy sauce;

lecithin and soy lecithin. In all, well over 30,000 products!

AVOID rBGH MILK & DAIRY PRODUCTS (available in USA, not in Canada or

Europe): Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rBGH),

marketed through veterinarians and injected into dairy cows, causes

increased milk production and horrible mastitis. These cows then require

constant medical supervision and continuous high doses of antibiotics.

Their milk contains high levels of pus. The cow's milk and dairy

products made from this milk also contain rBGH, bovine growth hormone.

This hormone increases cancer risk in human beings.

AVOID ASPARTAME:

This is known as the artificial sweetener Equal or NutraSweet and is

made up of three chemicals and a genetically engineered enzyme. It has

been implicated in many diseases. It breaks down into formeldahyde in

the body.

EAT ONLY ORGANIC RENNETLESS CHEESE (apologies to strict vegans): Most

non-organic cheeses are made with a genetically engineered rennet called

chymosin.

AVOID DOUGH CONDITIONER:

This is a code word for a combination of genetically engineered enzymes

and other components, found in cheaper breads and baked goods.

OTHER GENETICALLY ENGINEERED ADDITIVES AND ENZYMES

Avoid Amylase (used in making bread, flour, whole wheat flour, cereals,

starch), Catalase (used in making soft drinks, egg whites, liquid whey)

and Lactase.

FOODS TO FAVOR:

BUY AND EAT ONLY CERTIFIED ORGANIC FOODS: Certified organic tomatoes,

potatoes, corn, soy, canola oil, cotton oil, and yellow-crook-neck

squash are safe. Many other genetically engineered products will be

coming to market in 1997 and 1998 if the bio-tech industry has its way.

By buying only organic foods of every type, you will protect yourself

and your family from Frankenfoods. Almost everything that can be found

in your conventional food

market is also produced by the organic food industry. If you buy a few

carefully chosen conventional foods, keep up-to-date on which few

conventional foods are safe through the websites and mailing lists at

the end of this consumer report.

MEAT AND POULTRY (apologies to vegetarians) Most livestock are being fed

genetically altered feed, as well as a disgusting mix of ground-up and

often diseased and discarded animal carcasses. The only safe beef and

poultry will be those fed only organically grown grain. Avoid

commercially produced seafood. Commercial pork has been genetically

altered with DNA from human beings. Great time to decide to be

vegetarian.

FAVOR DAIRY PRODUCTS FROM COMPANIES THAT DO NOT USE (rBGH) BOVINE GROWTH

HORMONE (BGH is approved in USA, not in Canada or Europe) Research and

buy only from suppliers that promise on the package or in other writing

that their products are rBGH-free. Be especially careful with butter.

Buy only organic butter, because even otherwise good companies buy cheap

rBGH milk to make butter, or else they buy their butter (rBGH) from

other companies.

 

Take good care.

 

Love,

Renee and Jerry