There are Two Types of Genetic Engineering: Genetically engineered food comes from crops that have been altered by mixing and matching genes, usually from genetically modified organisms. They take genes from one species and force them into another species – even between species that have never mated in nature. There are two main types of GE foods:
Herbicide-tolerant crops: Plants engineered to withstand heavy herbicide spraying without sustaining damage
Pesticide-producing crops: Plants engineered to produce their own pesticides – so if a bug bites one, its stomach explodes and it dies.
The process of genetic engineering is highly imprecise and riddled with unintended consequences. Viruses are typically used to genetically engineer the genes into a new species. Inserting the gene and then cloning it can triggers massive collateral damage – sometimes hundreds to thousands of genetic mutations down the line. The end result is a gene sequence that doesn't exist anywhere in nature. What could possibly go wrong? Well, plenty can and does go wrong. (from Mercola.com)
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Unintended Health Risks: Did you know... since 1996 Americans have been eating genetically modified (GM) ingredients in most processed foods.
... GM plants, such as soybean, corn, cottonseed, and canola have had foreign genes forced into their DNA. And the inserted genes come from species, such as bacteria and viruses, that have never been in the human food supply.
... GMOs are not safe. They have been linked to thousands of toxic and allergenic reactions, thousands of sick, sterile, and dead livestock, and damage to virtually every organ and system studied in lab animals.
In 1992, the Food and Drug Administration claimed that they had no information showing that GM foods were substantially different from conventionally grown foods and therefore were safe to eat. But internal memos made public by a lawsuit reveal that their position was staged by political appointees under orders from the White House to promote GMOs. FDA scientists, on the other hand, warned that GMOs can create unpredictable, hard-to-detect side effects, including allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged long term safety studies, but were ignored. The FDA does not require any safety evaluations for GMOs. Instead, biotech companies, who have been found guilty of hiding toxic effects of their chemical products, are now in charge of determining whether their GM foods are safe. (The FDA official in charge of creating this policy was Michael Taylor, Monsanto's former attorney and later their vice president.) (from Spilling the Beans)
High-Risk Crops (in commercial production as of December 2011):
- Alfalfa (first planting 2011)
- Canola (approx. 90% of U.S. crop)
- Corn (approx. 88% of U.S. crop in 2011)
- Cotton (approx. 90% of U.S. crop in 2011)
- Papaya (most of Hawaiian crop; approximately 988 acres)
- Soy (approx. 94% of U.S. crop in 2011)
- Sugar Beets (approx. 95% of U.S. crop in 2010)
- Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash (approx. 25,000 acres)
Tips to help Avoid GMOs:
- Buy Organic Certified organic products cannot intentionally include any GMO ingredients. Buy products labeled “100% organic,” “organic,” or “made with organic ingredients.”
- Look for Non-GMO Project Seals
- Avoid at-risk ingredients If it’s not labeled organic or verified non-GMO: Avoid products made with ingredients that might be derived from GMOs: Corn, Soybeans, Canola, Cottonseed, Sugar Beets, Hawaiian Papaya (most) and a small amount of Zucchini and Yellow Squash. Sugar If a non-organic product made in North American lists “sugar” as an ingredient (and NOT pure cane sugar), then it is almost certainly a combination of sugar from both sugar cane and GM sugar beets. Dairy Products may be from cows injected with GM bovine growth hormone. Look for labels stating No rBGH, rBST, or artificial hormones.
Millions Against Monsanto and Non-GMO Shopping Guide
For a somewhat different take on GMOs, spend another hour to watch this BBC documentary
Jimmy's GM Food Fight, narrated by a British pig farmer. He goes back and forth considering both the unknown side effects of GMOs and the idea that they could be beneficial especially in "feeding the world." He travels from UK to Argentina, the US, and to Uganda (where they are testing GM bananas). His point is that GM might not be proven safe yet, but experimental crops should be grown and tested to find out.
*There's a 90 minute version of the video here: Genetic Roulette
or if you don't have much time, this excerpt takes 10 minutes: Genetic Roulette Remix
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