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