Consumer's Guide to 'Genetically Altered' Food

[Guest guest]

Consumer’s Guide to Genetically Altered Food

 

Excerpt from the new book,

" Imagine a World without Monarch Butterflies "

By Alex Jack

 

 

As we enter the 21st century, the world food supply is undergoing rapid

transformation. For the first time, human beings are eating foods that have not

developed naturally—foods whose genetic structures have been changed in ways

that millions of years of natural evolution could never achieve.

 

Genetically altered foods (also known as genetically modified and genetically

engineered foods) have moved invisibly into the marketplace.

 

Today a majority of items in American supermarkets and restaurants—and possibly

even natural foods stores—include GA ingredients.

 

No long-term studies have been done on the impact of these new foods on health

and the environment.

 

No labeling is required by the U.S. government, and the ordinary individual or

family has no way of knowing what they are buying in the store, eating at the

restaurant, or even growing in their garden.

 

At the present time:

 

• An estimated 90 million acres in the U.S. are planted with GA crops,

constituting about one fourth of the total farmland

 

• This includes about 55% of soybeans, 35% of corn, 40% of cotton, and 5% of

potatoes

 

• 30% of American dairy cows are in herds injected with a genetically altered

growth hormone (BGH), which has been banned in Canada

 

• 50-60% of processed foods in the U.S. contain GA foods or ingredients,

especially soy and corn derivatives. This includes margarine, mayonnaise, salad

dressing, shortening, bread, and baked goods

 

• Most meat, chicken, eggs, and other animal products are produced from

livestock fed genetically altered corn, soybeans, and cotton.

 

Modern science has contributed many benefits to society. New technologies such

as genetic engineering have several positive dimensions. For example, DNA

screening is now widely used to analyze blood and bodily fluids and has resulted

in the release of scores of individuals convicted of crimes they did not commit.

Similarly, paternity suits and ancestral bloodlines are now being convincingly

established on the basis of genetic testing. Anthropology, archeology, and

several other fields may benefit.

 

Applied to food production and agriculture, however, genetic engineering is

fraught with risks. Because no long-term studies have been done, we have no way

of gauging their impact on personal health, social health, and planetary health.

Preliminary short-term studies suggest potentially serious consequences to

humans, plants, and animals. Unlike many consumer products, such as automobiles,

toasters, or even drugs and medications, genetically altered crops cannot be

recalled if they are found to be unsafe. They are out there forever,

multiplying, mutating, and spreading novel genes, viruses, and toxins, and

overturning 4 billion years of natural evolution. Their effects are

irreversible.

 

Most of the rest of the world, especially Europe, has begun to control and limit

this new technology. Sensitized by the epidemic of mad cow disease, the British

Medical Association called for a moratorium on the introduction of GA crops and

foods, pending comprehensive studies of their impact on health and the

environment. The Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation, Consumer’s Union,

and other groups have also called for a halt. Scientists are warning about an

increase in allergies, immune-deficiency diseases, cancer, and other disorders,

as well as peril to insects, birds, and mammals.

 

Virtually alone among nations, America has ignored the warnings and forged

recklessly ahead to redesign the world’s flora and fauna. But that changed

almost overnight when Cornell University researchers reported that the pollen

from GA corn could migrate to adjacent milkweed plants and kill the larvae of

Monarch butterflies. The peril to the majestic orange and black creatures—a

symbol of beauty, perseverance, and hope and widely regarded as America’s

national insect—served as a wake up call to the nation. CBS News produced a

two-part documentary on “Amber Waves of Altered Grains,” sensibly asking why

this potentially dangerous new technology was not labeled and went virtually

unregulated. The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Times, and other

mainstream publications also began more serious, in-depth coverage of the

subject, especially the looming trade war between America and the European Union

over this issue.

 

Since 1992, when the FDA declared that engineered foods would be regulated no

differently from regular foods, the biofoods industry has transformed American

agriculture with virtually no regulation, oversight, or public awareness of the

hazards involved. The “don’t know, don’t test” mindset that prevailed through

most of the 1990s has now peaked. As public health, scientific, environmental,

and religious organizations in the U.S. weigh in on this issue, fueled by

grassroots activists, organic farmers, and natural foods consumers, the biotech

industry is in full retreat. In this rapidly changing social, economic, and

political climate, some form of consumer labeling in the U.S. is inevitable.

Ultimately, GA food makes for bad science, bad business, and bad eating.

 

Over the last generation, our country has undergone a tremendous health

revolution. The importance of a balanced diet based on whole grains, vegetables,

and other fresh foods has been widely recognized. It will take dramatic,

concerted action to protect freedom of choice, end the war on nature, and ensure

the health of America and the planet as a whole.

 

Countries with Genetically Altered Foods

Scores of genetically altered foods and products have been introduced around the

world. Those currently available include:

 

• United States (50+ foods in total)

 

• Canada (30 foods)

 

• Japan (22 varieties of 6 crops)

 

• European Union(9 foods)

 

• Argentina (3 foods)

 

• Mexico (3 foods)

 

• Australia (2 crops—cotton, carnations)

 

• Brazil (1 food)

 

• South Africa (1 food)

 

• China (1 crop—cotton)

 

Selected U.S. Companies Using GA Foods

• Crisco (shortening)

 

• Frito, Dorito, Tostito (corn chips)

 

• Green Giant (harvest burger)

 

• Isomil and ProSobee (soy formula)

 

• Kellogg’s (corn flakes)

 

• Kraft (salad dressings)

 

• McDonald’s (french fries)

 

• Nabicso (sundry)

 

• Nestle (chocolate)

 

• Old El Paso (taco shells)

 

• Ovaltine (malt beverage)

 

• Parkey (margarine)

 

• Pillsbury (sundry)

 

• Procter & Gamble (sundry)

 

• Quaker Mills (sundry)

 

• Wesson (vegetable oils)

 

Sources: Consumer Reports, September 1999, pp. 41-46; New York Times, September

8, 1999; and other published reports.

 

Corn and Other Grain Products

Corn is the only genetically altered grain currently on the American market. An

estimated 35% of the U.S. corn crop, including corn for both animal feed and

human consumption, is now engineered. GA corn contains Bt, a bacteria that

releases a toxic protein that is designed to kill the corn borer and other

organisms that can damage the crop, but the plant’s pollen can migrate to

adjacent milkweed plants and kill the larvae of Monarch butterflies. Many

processed food products in the supermarket and natural foods store contain corn

syrup, cornstarch, corn dextrose, corn oil, corn flour, or other corn product

that may be genetically altered.

 

In Japan, scientists announced that they have produced an altered form of rice

that contains three times more dietary iron than conventional rice. The

high-iron rice is made using by inserting a soybean gene that produces a protein

called ferritin into the rice plant DNA. Meanwhile, Swiss and German researchers

are developing a rice engineered to have a vitamin A derivative with genes

spliced from a daffodil and from a bacterium.

 

 

 

Genetically Altered Corn

 

Products

 

• Corn on the Cob

 

• Popcorn

 

• Corn Tortillas

 

• Grits

 

• Polenta

 

• Corn Syrup

 

• Corn Fructose

 

• Corn Starch

 

• Corn Dextrose

 

• Corn Oil

 

• Corn Flour

 

• Other Corn Products

 

Genetically Altered Processed Foods

 

and Products with Corn Ingredients

 

• Corn Chips

 

• Cookies

 

• Candies and Gum

 

• Bread

 

• Cereals

 

• Pickles

 

• Margarine

 

• Alcohol

 

• Enriched Flours and Pastas

 

• Salad Dressings

 

• Vanilla

 

Genetically Altered Grain

 

Products in Development

 

• Rice

 

• Wheat

 

• Barley

 

Soybeans and Soy Products

Soybeans are the only altered beans currently available in the U.S. and commonly

are spliced with genes that help make them resistant to herbicides or alter

their oil content. The Journal of Medicinal Foods reported the results of an

independent study showing that GA soybeans have from 12 to 14% less

phytoestrogens than normal. These are naturally occurring substances that help

protect against cancer and heart disease.

 

About 50% of the American soybean crop is genetically engineered. GA soybeans,

like most GA foods in the U.S., are produced by Monsanto, a large biotech

company headquartered in St. Louis. They are sold commercially as Roundup Ready

Soybeans because they are designed to withstand the application of Roundup, the

herbicide which Monsanto also manufactures and sells to farmers. Since Japan

imports 86% of its soybeans from America, many processed soy foods sent back to

the U.S. may contain GA soy. In one independent spot test conducted by the New

York Times, a majority of soy products tested positive for GA ingredients.

Soybean oil constitutes 80% of the vegetable oil consumed in America and is used

in margarine, salad dressings, mayonnaise, shortening, and other common foods.

Many other foods and products contain soy products or derivatives such as

lecithin, soy protein, and soy flour.

 

Genetically Altered

 

Soy Products

 

• Soybeans

 

• Tofu

 

• Tempeh

 

• Soymilk

 

• Miso

 

• Shoyu

 

• Tamari

 

• Lecithin

 

• Soybean Oil

 

• Soy Flour

 

• Soy Protein

 

• Soy Isolates

 

• Genistein

 

• Other Soy Products and

 

Derivatives

 

 

Processed Foods and Products

 

with Genetically Altered Soy

 

Ingredients

 

• Soy hotdogs

 

• Soy burgers

 

• Soy cheese

 

• Soy yogurt

 

• Dairy Ice Cream

 

• Frozen Yogurt

 

• Sauces and Dressings

 

• Candies, Cookies, Chocolate

 

• Bread and Baked Goods

 

• Breakfast Cereals

 

• Peanut Butter

 

• Protein Powder

 

• Infant Formula

 

• Shampoo

 

• Cosmetics

 

• Other Foods and Products

 

Potatoes, Tomatoes, and Other Vegetables

GA potatoes (such as the Burbank Russet) commonly have built in pesticides and

are used to make french fries, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, potato chips,

and other products. They are also used to make potato starch and potato flour

which is found in many processed foods. In laboratory studies in Scotland, GA

potatoes fed to rats resulted in stunted growth and damage to major organs,

including kidney, spleen, thymus, and stomach. To its credit, McCain Foods USA,

the world’s largest potato company, has not embraced the new technology and

requires farmers to declare if they are using GA potatoes. Several varieties of

tomatoes on the market are altered and include spliced organisms that may

withstand herbicide applications. One variety of engineered squash is also now

available, with many others vegetables expected to be introduced in the next few

years.

 

Genetically Altered Vegetables

 

• Potatoes

 

• Tomatoes (regular

 

and cherry)

 

• Yellow Squash

 

• Red-Headed Chicory

 

(Radicchio)

 

 

Genetically Altered Processed Foods Containing Potato or Tomato

 

Ingredients

 

• French Fries

 

• Mashed Potatoes

 

• Baked Potatoes

 

• Potato Chips

 

• Potato Soup

 

• Tomato Sauce

 

• Tomato Soup

 

• Tomato Purée

 

• Lasagna

 

• Pizza

 

• Italian Foods

 

• Mexican Foods

 

• Other Foods and Products

 

 

 

Genetically Altered

 

Vegetables in Development

 

• Peppers

 

• Cucumber

 

• Peas

 

• Broccoli

 

• Carrots

 

• Cauliflower

 

• Lettuce

 

• Sweet Potatoes

 

• Beets

 

• Other Vegetables

 

Milk and Dairy Products

An estimated 30% of the cows in the U.S. are in herds given Bovine Growth

Hormone (BGH), a genetically engineered growth hormone that increases yields. In

medical studies BGH has been linked with cancer and it increases mastitis and

other diseases in dairy cows. The European Union and most recently Canada have

banned the use of BGH. Genetically engineered enzymes are also used in cheese

production, and Consumers Union reported that 60% of all hard cheese products on

American shelves are made with an engineered form of rennet. Animal feed

(including corn, soybeans, and cotton) commonly includes GA ingredients, so that

almost all non-organic dairy products includes engineered components.

 

 

 

Genetically Altered Dairy

 

• Milk

 

• Butter

 

• Cream

 

• Sour Cream

 

• Whey

 

• Buttermilk

 

• Ice Cream

 

• Yogurt

 

• Dairy or Soy Cheese made

 

with Chymosis or Chymax,

 

(GA Rennet)

 

 

 

Processed Foods Containing

 

Genetically Altered Dairy Ingredients

 

• Whipped Cream

 

• Cottage Cheese

 

• Milk Shakes

 

• Cocoa

 

• Candies

 

• Cookies

 

• Bread

 

• Cake Mixes

 

• Sauces and Dressings

 

• Soups

 

• Other Products with Dairy

 

Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Other

 

Animal Foods

Both genetically engineered and cloned cattle, sheep, chickens, and fish are in

development but their meat, milk, eggs, or other products have not yet been

approved for human consumption. However, with the exception of animal food

produced from organically grown grains or other natural foods, almost all meat,

diary, poultry, and factory-bred fish in the United States are raised on feed

that is genetically altered or contains GA ingredients. Up to 90% of America’s

total corn and soybean production goes to feed livestock, and from one third to

one half of these crops are genetically altered. Moreover, 90 to 95% of soy

meal, including the outer hulls of the beans, used in human foods are recycled

in animal feed. Cottonseed oil and cotton byproducts are also added to silage,

up to 50% in some cases, and fed to livestock. About 40% of the cotton grown in

the U.S. is genetically engineered.

 

 

 

Animal Foods Commonly Made with Altered Feed

 

(Corn, Soy, and Cotton)

 

• Beef, including Hamburger, Steak, etc.

 

• Pork, Ham, Hot Dogs

 

• Lamb

 

• Chicken, Eggs, Turkey, and Other Poultry

 

• Factory-fed Trout, Salmon, and Other Fish

 

 

 

Genetically Altered Fish and Seafood in Development

 

• Abalone

 

• Atlantic Salmon

 

• Catfish

 

• Prawns

 

• Trout

 

 

Fruits and Juices

Papayas are the only fruit currently engineered, but bananas, grapes,

strawberries, and many others are expected to appear in the next few years.

Fruit drinks at the present time may contain GA corn syrup and corn dextrose.

Dried fruit is commonly sprayed with an oil derived from soybeans that may be

GA. This includes raisins, sultanas, currants, dates, and dried fruit in

breakfast cereal.

 

 

 

Gentically Altered Fruits

 

• Papaya

 

 

 

Genetically Altered Fruits in Development

 

• Apples

 

• Grapes

 

• Strawberries

 

• Pineapples

 

• Bananas

 

• Melons

 

• Other Fruits

 

Canola, Cotton, Peanut, and Other Oils,

 

Seeds, and Nuts

 

About 60% of the canola oil produced and sold in North America is GA. Canola is

an increasingly popular oil in restaurants and institutional cooking because of

its polyunsaturated quality, light texture, and mild taste. It is widely used in

processed foods and products. Along with soybeans, corn, and canola oil, cotton

is one of the four major engineered crops in America. An estimated 50% of all

cotton grown in the US is GA. In addition to clothing, linens, and other fabric,

its derivatives, especially cottonseed oil, are used in manufacturing chips,

peanut butter, cookies, crackers, and other processed foods. GA peanuts just

entered the market and are used in peanut oil for cooking and peanut butter.

 

 

 

Genetically Altered Oils, Seeds,

 

and Nuts

 

• Canola Oil

 

• Cottonseed Oil

 

• Peanuts and Peanut Oil

 

 

 

Processed Foods and Products

 

Containing Genetically Altered

 

Oils or Cotton

 

• Chips

 

• Cookies

 

• Crackers

 

• Margarine

 

• Fried Foods

 

• Sauces and Dressings

 

• Soups

 

• Baked Goods

 

• Peanut Butter

 

• Soaps

 

• Detergents

 

• Cottons (Jeans, T-Shirts, etc.)

 

• Linens

 

• Other Fabrics

 

• Other Products Containing

 

Canola, Cotton, or Peanuts

 

 

 

Genetically Altered Oils, Seeds,

 

and Nuts in Development

 

• Chestnuts

 

• Sunflower Seeds

 

• Walnuts

 

• Other Oils, Seeds, and

 

Nuts

 

Vitamins and Supplements

Several vitamin supplements especially vitamin C, is made with corn fructose

which may be genetically altered.

 

 

 

Genetically Altered Supplements

 

• Vitamin C

 

Enzymes

Enzymes are proteins that accelerate biological processes. They are used widely

in the food industry to make beer, bread and baked goods, sugar, dairy foods,

and other products. Because they are not considered foods, enzymes are not

required to be labeled on products. Now new genetically engineered enzymes has

been introduced. They also are unlabeled, and the government does not require

that manufacturers notify the FDA. The following GA enzymes are known to have

been introduced:

 

 

 

Genetically Altered Enzymes

 

• Ampha Amylase (White Sugar, Corn Syrup, Honey)

 

• Aspartic (Cheese)

 

• Chymosis (Cheese)

 

• Novamyl (Bread and Baked Goods)

 

• Pullulanase (High Fructose Corn Syrup)

 

 

 

Foods Commonly Made with Enzymes

 

• Bread and Baked Goods

 

• Beer and Wine

 

• Dairy Products

 

• Fruit Juices

 

• Oils

 

• Sugar

 

How Can You Tell What Foods Are Safe?

In the absence of mandatory labeling, there is no way to know whether a food

contains GA ingredients without testing it in a genetic laboratory. GA foods

tend to be more uniform, bigger, and more blemish free than usual foods, and in

some cases GA perishable foods are reported to last for months without spoiling.

As a general rule, smaller, irregular, less shiny, and faster ripening and

faster spoiling foods contain a better balance of nutrients and energy and are

safer to eat, even though they may not win a beauty contest.

 

Safety Issues Related to Organic Foods

Whole unprocessed foods that are organically certified are generally grown from

natural seed and do not contain genetically altered ingredients. Processed or

packaged organic foods can in some states contain up to 5% non-organic

ingredients, which could be GA. The biotech industry lobbied extensively for its

GA seeds to be considered organic, but after opposition by the organic farming

community and the natural foods movement USDA Secretary Dan Glickman pledged

that new national organic standards soon scheduled to be released will, by

definition, not include GA components.

 

Unfortunately, this does not mean that organic food is necessarily GA free. Some

organic fields, for example, those growing organic corn, have become

contaminated by “genetic drift,” pollen blown by the wind from nearby

genetically altered corn fields. A major organic farm in Britain was reportedly

decertified as organic because of such contamination.

 

Another major concern is that GA corn, cotton, and other crops will produce new

strains of Bt-resistant organisms that will spread to organic farms. Naturally

occurring Bt—a much less toxic variety than engineered Bt—is the most widely

used pesticide on organic farms. The organic foods community is worried that its

industry could be destroyed if natural Bt is rendered ineffective as a result of

GA Bt.

 

Commenting on the drift of GA modified corn and contamination of organic

fertilizer, Gary Anson, an organic farmer in Calhoun, Missouri, commented, “It’s

coming at me from every direction. I’ve got nowhere to hide.”

 

Geneticist Bill Beavis, a researcher at the National Center for Genome Resources

and a supporter of genetic engineering, conceded that he is worried about the

health effects of GA crops and the risks of introducing them into the

environment. He said that the challenge of keeping them separate from organic

crops is baffling because organic crops could still be contaminated in a

cooperative’s grain elevator or mill. “It’s just virtually impossible to

segregate. We’d have to change our whole agricultural system to do that [and] it

would interfere with the freedom of farmers to do as they please.”

 

Margit Kaltenekker, a certifier for the Organic Crop Improvement Association,

reported that many organic farmers are spending hundreds of dollars per field

for genetic tests to prove their crops are not contaminated. “It’s tough for

them,” she said. “They can do everything right and still be ruined by the guy a

mile away.”

 

Chicken feed, commonly used as fertilizer on organic food, may also contain

remnants of feed made from gene-spliced corn.

 

Meanwhile, in Europe regulators for the European Union are discussing whether to

set permissible limits for genetic contamination on non-GA foods, including

organic food, because they question whether genetic pollution can be controlled.

An allowable threshold of up to 1/2 to 1 percent GA material has been proposed

to protect organic and sustainable farmers whose crops may unintentionally

contain minute amounts of altered ingredients.

 

Sources: Mothers for Natural Law; Scot Canon, “Missouri Organic Farmers Struggle

to Keep Crops Chemical-Free,” Kansas City Star, August 24, 1999; and Ronnie

Cummins, “Hazards of Genetically Engineered Foods and Crops,” Campaign for Food

Safety, August 1999.

 

Consumer Group Calls for Organic Standards and Crop Liability

 

In autumn 1999, Consumers Union called for national standards that prohibited GA

foods or ingredients from being labeled organic. It also called on the U.S.

government to required a comprehensive review of the safety of altered foods

before they are marketed, a policy to hold the biotech industry liable for

economic or health damages resulting from GA crops, and mandatory labeling.

“Consumers have a fundamental right to know what they eat,” the nation’s largest

consumer organization stated.

 

Source: Consumer Reports

http://www.cybermacro.com/articles15.html

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

DietaryTipsForHBP

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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