Consumer’s Guide to Genetically Altered Food

[Guest guest]

Consumer's Guide to Genetically Altered Food

JoAnn Guest

May 26, 2004 17:55 PDT

 

Consumer's Guide to Genetically Altered Food

Excerpt from the new book,

" Imagine a World without Monarch Butterflies "

 

By Alex Jack

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

 

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, September 1999, pp. 41-46.

 

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

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest