GMO Concerns. Who's Watching Out for the Consumer? Are We Playing "Genetic Roulette"? Are Consumer Concerns Based on Shaky or Real Science? Is the Evidence Anecdotal or Evidence-Based?

 

 

 

Genetically Modified Crops include Bt (Bacillius thuringiensis) Cotton & Corn, and Herbicide-Tolerant (HT) Soy, Cotton, and Corn.  Almost All Soybeans Grown in the United States are Now Genetically Modified. 

Data from USDA Reports  (Mother Earth News Apr/May 2012)

 

If you received this post via email, click here, to get to the web version with all the links, & to watch "Genetic Roulette" 

 GMOs in the Grocery Store?  What Does It Mean, Exactly?

 

A little back-story, to get you started.

 

“Genetic modification” refers to the manipulation of DNA by humans to change the essential makeup of plants and animals. The technology inserts genetic material from one species into another to give a crop or animal a new quality, such as the ability to produce a pesticide.

These DNA transfers could never occur in nature and are not as precise as proponents make them sound. 

Some genetically modified crops have been engineered to include genetic material from BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), a natural bacterium found in soil.

Inserting the Bt genes makes the plant itself produce bacterial toxins, thereby killing the insects that could destroy it. The first GM crop carrying Bt genes, potatoes, were approved in the United States in 1995. Today there are Bt versions of corn, potatoes and cotton.

Roundup-Ready crops — soybeans, corn, canola, sugar beets, cotton, alfalfa and Kentucky bluegrass — have been manipulated to be resistant to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s broadleaf weedkiller Roundup.

These two GM traits — herbicide resistance and pesticide production — are now pervasive in American agriculture.

The Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service says that, in 2010, as much as 86 percent of corn, up to 90 percent of all soybeans and nearly 93 percent of cotton were GM varieties.

You’re eating genetically modified foods almost daily unless you grow all of your food or always buy organic."

-Robin Mather, "The Threats from Genetically Modified Food,"  Mother Earth News, April/May 2012-

The pros & cons of GMO food are more than I could begin to tackle in a single blog post.

To get a handle on the concerns with the pervasiveness of GMOs in our food supply--YOU, dear reader, should you choose to accept this assignment--will have do some homework.  But, no worries.  All the assignments are listed below.

• Watch "Genetic Roulette" before September 23, while it's FREE.
• Read Robin Mather, "The Threats from Genetically Modified Food,"  Mother Earth News, April/May 2012-
• Read Mark Bittman's Opinionator column, "GMO's: Let's Label 'Em"
• Read Linda Watson's piece,"Stanford Organic Study: Should You Take It with a Grain of Salt (Slide Show) in the September 12, 2012 Huffington Post.

Frankly, the whole GMO issue is something I haven't paid all that much attention to.

That's is--until recently.

The published research into the potential adverse health effects of GMO-foods is on the scant-side, because companies like Monsanto don't have to give out their seeds to be tested.  Corporate patent laws protect them from scrutiny.  

 But, reports from respected physicians, veterinarians, botanists, agriculture researchers, policy makers, government scientists, and farmers present a whole laundry list of worrisome side effects:

• Livestock illnesses & malnutrition caused by eating GMO soy & corn (Don Huber, PhD, professor emeritus, Purdue University)
• Pet illnesses, especially of the GI tract, from consuming corn or soy pet food
• Birth defects in birds & amphibians; cancer, endocrine disruption, DNA & developmental damage to mammals exposed to low doses of glyphosate (that's the active ingredient in Monsanto's herbicide, Round-Up which is used as part of the whole package when farmers use Round-Up resistant seeds)  (Check out the 2011 Report "Roundup and Birth Defects: Is the Public Being Kept in the Dark?--a report by 8 international scientists)
• Increases in animal infertility, reproduction disorders, & birth defects. 
• Increases in human food allergies & digestive disorders, like leaky gut--especially in infants & children.  (Dr. Michelle Perro)
• Increases in inflammation caused by GMO allergies & the toxins "genetically embedded into GMO plants"
• Animal liver & kidney toxicity from GMO corn
• Possible autism spectrum connections
• Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder from Bt-embedded plants, which causes "honey bee dementia"
• Intestinal permeability caused by the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) which is genetically implanted into seeds to kill insects.   Bt may also be responsible for changing healthy human microflora in the gut.
• Autoimmune disorders caused as a response to ingesting an "unnatural gene-modified food"
• Infants & children are more sensitive to GMO's in food & formula because of their fast growth rates, high metabolisms, & low body mass.  Consider the widespread exposures to GMO-soy formulas like Similac Soy, Gerber Soy, Enfamil soy, & Walmart Soy.  Sadly, the WIC soy formulas are all GMO. Non-GMO or organic brands are fine.

 

So, how is it possible that there is so little published research on the long-term effects of GMOs on human & animal health, considering that GMO-seeds now totally dominate the farming industry?

Turns out, the FDA allowed Monsanta to conduct its own research prior to approval of GMO seeds in the 1990's.  That's right!  No independent investigators.  Monsanto did their own research in-house.  And none of the studies were long-term, which would be necessary to show any connection to cancer, birth defects, or reproductive disorders.  In fact, there was only one human feeding study conducted, prior to approval of Round-Up ready soy seeds.

The FDA policy commissioner at the time of GMO approval was Michael R. Taylor, who had previous ties to Monsanto as their legal counsel--and has had a revolving door of positions between Monsanto, King & Spalding, a law firm representing Monsanto, & the FDA.  Right now, he's the FDA's "Food Safety Czar".  

 

"As the system now stands, biotech companies bring their own research to the government body overseeing their proposed products. The agency may be the US Dept. of Agriculture, the federal Food and Drug Administration or the Environmental Protection Agency.

These government bodies do no independent studies on the safety and efficacy of the proposed products. Instead, they rely strictly on the research conducted by the companies.

"We don’t have the whole picture. That’s no accident. Multibillion-dollar agricultural corporations, including Monsanto and Syngenta, have restricted independent research on their genetically-engineered crops,” wrote Doug Gurion-Sherman of the Union of Concerned Scientists in a February 2011 Los Angeles Times op-ed piece.

“They have often refused to provide independent scientists with seeds, or they’ve set restrictive conditions that severely limit research options.”

 

Honestly, the whole corporations-versus-consumer-versus-the-FDA-&-the-USDA controversy is so shrouded with secrecy & accusations that it's hard to get a bottom line on the real risks of GMOs to our health & our environment.

 My bottom line:  I'm not a GMO fan.  I'm concerned.  I'm going to make every effort to avoid the stuff.  Why wait until it's too late?

 

Why Not Watch Jeffrey M. Smith's Documentary, "Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives" and Decide About GMO's for Yourself?

 

Do Not Miss This One!!!  It's a  worthwhile investment of 1 hr and 24 mins.   And besides, it's free online from Sept. 15-22nd only.  So don't put this off for too long.

You'll find the link to this disturbing documentary, here.   Sorry, I couldn't insert it into the post.

The Lab Rat & I watched "Genetic Roulette" last night.  It's a new documentary that "reveals the serious health impacts of genetically engineered foods in our diets."   No coincidence that its release is timed to the upcoming California Proposition 37 to label GMOs in food.

We were spellbound--glued to our chairs. Now we "get" what GMO seeds are all about--as well as their potential for harm to humans, animals, & the environment.

Scientists, veterinarians, physicians, policy makers, & farmers, together make one heck of a convincing case against GMO foods-& the biotech invasion into the food industry. But, decide for yourself.

I admit it--I was a little skeptical that it might be sensational pseudo-science. I was wrong (unless someone I respect & trust can convince me otherwise).

Frankly, I was unaware of the health ramifications & the lack of scientific oversight of the GMO industry--by the FDA or the USDA before viewing this documentary.  This is one complex story. 

Do yourself & your family a favor & watch this film--and then decide for yourself how closely you want to start reading food labels.

There's an accompanying phone app & a shopping guide that you can download to check out which foods are non-GMO. The Lab Rat just checked out his Wheat-a-Bix & then went through the fridge reading labels. 

http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/

Which foods are GMO--unless otherwise labeled?

Soy (I only buy non-GMO)
Corn (not popcorn)
Cottonseed (for oil)
Canola (for oil)
Sugar beets (for sugar)
Papaya
Zucchini
Yellow crookneck squash
Alfalfa (for hay)
Aspartame

All of the foods listed above (or their derivatives, like corn syrup, etc), are genetically modified (GMO) if they were grown in the US & are not labeled organic or non-GMO.

Organic foods are all non-GMO.

Mark Bittman of the New York Times Weighs in on GMO's, Too.

"GMO's: Let's Label 'Em"

 

 

Mark Bittman gets to the bottom of the consumer's "Right to Know" Proposition 37--making GMO food-labeling a law. This quick-must-read explains the big Food-Labeling Fight in California. Big-Agra vs Consumers

How many of us want to know if our food is genetically engineered?  

A whopping 91% of Americans--crossing all political party lines. (65% of California's are for Prop 37, 20% against, 15% undecided)

Who's fighting the Proposition 37 in California's Nov. 6th election with tens of millions of $$$?

Monsanto & whole lot of food manufacturers. Why?  Because "as California goes, so goes the nation."  

"Prop 37 isn’t a ban on foods containing genetically engineered material; it’s a right-to-know law.

Big Food is worried that this is the thin edge of the wedge, and I (Bittman) hope they’re right. If we win the right to know what’s in processed food, we might be inclined to demand to know how other food is produced. (You might think of Prop 37 as the anti-ag-gag law.) If genetically engineered food is so terrific, persuade us; if it’s not, well, fine. In any case, it should be up to us to buy it or not, but first we have to know what it is.

I (Bittman) want to know — quite technically, in all the detail available — how my food is produced, and I’m far from alone. We’d be able to make saner choices, and those choices would greatly affect Big Food’s ability to freely use genetically manipulated materials, an almost unlimited assortment of drugs and inhumane and environmentally destructive animal-production methods."

 

The Murky Money Story Behind the Funding for the Stanford Organic Food Study

 

This one's a real EYE-OPENER!!  If you haven't read it already, be sure to read Linda Watson's piece, "Stanford Organic Study: Should You Take It with a Grain of Salt (Slide Show) in the September 12, 2012 Huffington Post.

Just follow the corporate money trail on the recent Archives of Internal Medicine Stanford study that found "no huge benefits" to eating organic produce. How naive of me!!

I believed the article's disclaimer: "The authors received no external funding for this study." But, who funds Stanford's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, & who funded the researchers' study? 

 

 

"A simple look at FSI's 2011 annual report shows that it is funded by Cargill and others who have a strong financial interest in Monsanto, McDonalds, Walmart, and other businesses that profit from industrial food practices.

Before you head out to the market, check out this slide show (in Watson's Huff Post article) to see how the Stanford Institute that funded the study gets its money and to see some of the other reasons to choose organic when you can. Tell us which ones you would take with a grain of salt."

 

Check out: "Uneasy Allies in the Grocery Aisle," by Stephanie Strom, September 13, 2012, New York Times.  Get a better handle on the key players fighting the GMO-Labeling California ballot issue, Proposition 37.

The whole "organic food" & pro-non-GMO story gets even more complicated. Look who's funding the huge anti-GMO labeling campaign to defeat proposition 37 in California?   Along with Monsanto & DuPont are a whole lot of organic food companies who are now owned by big corporations.

 

The Corporate Seed Connection

 

What Do You Think?

 

Are GMOs Something to Be Concerned About

OR

Are Consumer Fears Based on Anectdotal Evidence & Shaky Science?

 

Comments

[Susan]

Thank you for this post. It's not something I've paid much attention to either. But it should be. I'll be looking at the different links you posted. I've been aware about Europe not allowing them... but that's about all.

[Jen]

Thank you for yet another valuable and informative post.

[Janet N]

Thanks for all this great info. I can't wait to watch the movie. I have been aware of, and avoiding GMOs for years. Here is some more homework if you want it: check out this website: http://www.gmwatch.org You can subscribe to their weekly newsletter and be updated regularly. What amazes me is how these corporations keep winning in court despite so much evidence against them. Something has to change and we have to be informed enough to help accomplish it.
Debbie, thanks for all the great info you share. Especially the recipes! They are fabulous!

[Silvia]

Thanks for the video link!
I have tried to avoid gmo for years now (easier in Europe, especially as a vegan) but I never knew that there is actually so much hard evidence of its dangers.
This docu really shocked me!
The most shocking parts in my opinion were the experiences of farmers in India and workers in South Africa because those are people without or with very limited choice in the matter.
Again thank you for your great work with this blog and your facebook page!

[mistah charley, ph.d.]

"What amazes me is how these corporations keep winning in court despite so much evidence against them."

If you start from the assumption that the pursuit of truth, justice, and the American Way is some approximation of what the legal system is here for, and that there is a very large difference between a legitimate government and a criminal gang, then this is "amazing." It is less surprising when you recognize that the levers of power are in the hands of the MICFiC, the Military Industrial Financial Corporate Media Complex, to elaborate on a phrase from President Eisenhower's 1961 Farewell Address, which I hope will one day be taught to every schoolchild.

Eisenhower's speech in draft form had the phrase "the military-industrial-congressional complex", but he took "congressional" out after objections from those who thought it might offend important people - as it would have, of course. I've restored that word, and added a couple of others for comprehensiveness.

MICFiC

M ilitary
I ndustrial
C ongressional
Fi nancial
C orporate Media Complex

The second "i" in MICFiC is not capitalized, which makes it a bit more interesting if it should ever come to the "graphic design" stage, as well as facilitating easy pronunciation -

mick-fick

The elevator explanation:

The MICFiC is a conspiracy to use, abuse, and confuse the people, to "milk, shear, and slaughter the sheeple", figuratively speaking - except the "slaughter" is literal.

[Barbara]

More homework! Bill Moyers interviewed Vandana Shiva about GMO seeds in July. For some reason it appeared on my Facebook page this morning, fresh on the heels of your post. http://billmoyers.com/segment/vandana-shiva-on-the-problem-with-genetically-modified-seeds/

Barbara

[Silvia]

Wow. Thank you for this link, Barbara!
I listened to it and I think Vandana Shiva is a very intelligent and compassionate women.
I am really impressed by what she said in this interview.

[The Healthy Librarian]

Thanks so much, Barbara!!! I remember Vandana Shiva from the documentary "Queen of the Sun"

[anna]

GMO foods are a complete unknown nightmare. I get so angry about this issue. The Bio-tech companies (Monsanto etc) have pushed and pushed for them to be accepted in Europe (we're holding out but for how long?) and forced them onto developing nations. Luckily here in Europe GMO foods have to be labelled as such. I never buy American-produced foods unless they explicitly state Non-GMO. Go onto the "Soil Association" site for a fantastic report on GMO.

You just cannot be really healthy unless you eat ORGANIC and non-GMO.

DOn't get confused about hybridisation (which has been done naturally for centuries) and genetic modification which is about going against nature and inserting a gene from one species into another. One example of what they do - they put a gene from an arctic trout into tomatoes to stop them from frosting over in cold weather. There are no tests for the safety of GMO - none of it is tested on humans - except you're eating them! Who knows what ghastly effects this might have on you? Also, once GM food has contaminated neighbouring farms/fields of crops - which easily happens when the wind takes the pollen from a GMO site to a non-GMO site - there's no going back - GM organisms are released into our environment with no chance of stopping it.

GM is not about feeding the world, or feeding the poor, or providing more food etc etc - it's about us being forced to buy THEIR seeds: THEM controlling the world's food supply.

We're holding out against Monsanto and the others here in the UK... but for how long?

[The Healthy Librarian]

Thank you so much for this comment, Anna. I really appreciate it--and the clarification of the difference between genetic engineering & hybridization. I'll definitely check out the Soil Association site. Appreciate the European perspective.

[anna]

I'm not too good at links but here's the UK Soil Association link for its reports on GM food (they're a very trustworthy source)

http://www.soilassociation.org/gm/news

Seems that Bill Gates is now funding GM!

[anna]

And here's a link to Renee Elliot of Planet Organic (an organic enterprise based in London - very good). No affiliation - just a happy customer!

http://www.planetorganic.com/blog/2009/09/29/why-genetically-modified-foods-should-not-be-grown-or-eaten/

Her article (from where I took my main points in my previous comment) also includes a link to a really good Soil Association report on the US and GM food.

As always, thanks for your blog - shining light into the dark place of food and corporate interests: they're ruthless. Is it really so hard to make the link between this completely gratuitous interference with our food / environment and epidemic levels of cancer?

Only comfort that we vegans have is that we're not eating the animals that have been stuffed to the gunnels with GMO food!