GMO - Another Reason Not to Eat Processed Foods

At this time, the FDA does not regulate or test GMO products and there´s NO labeling to tell U.S. consumers that they're eating GM foods. Congress, we need your help.

The vast majority of processed foods contain derivatives from the four major GM crops: soy, corn, cottonseed and canola. Currently Commercialized GM Crops in the U.S. (Number in parentheses is estimated % that are GM, Genetically Modified.) Soy (89%) Cotton (83%) Canola (75%) Corn (61%) Hawaiian papaya (more than 50%)

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) is an artificially inserted foreign ´gene´ that was developed in the laboratory and then injected into the DNA of a plant. The primary reason companies genetically engineer-plants is to make them tolerant to their brand of herbicide. These GM plants are designed to survive a deadly dose of pesticides. These crops have much higher residues of toxic herbicides. About 68% of GM crops are herbicide tolerant.

Monsanto, a major pesticide manufacturer who now dominates the seed market after buying up most of the seed companies, produces GM seeds by injecting ´genes´ that can only be attached with a virus or bacteria into DNA. Genetically Modified with chemicals makes the food herbicide tolerant and pesticide production, this means the crop produces an insect-killing toxin in every cell. (brings to mind the fruit and vegetable E. coli breakouts in the last decade)

The second GM trait is the built-in pesticide. A ´gene´ from the soil bacterium called Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) is inserted into corn and cotton DNA, where it secretes the insect-killing Bt-toxin in every cell. About 19% of GM crops produce their own pesticide. Another 13% produce a pesticide and are herbicide tolerant. If you eat processed foods, your body has a difficult time disposing of these toxins.

Monsanto acquired patents on these GMO seeds because they´re so unique and then convinced the FDA that there´s no need to test these products because genetically modified corn is substantially equivalent to natural corn (which it isn´t, natural corn doesn´t contain toxic chemicals.) This lack of transparency hides the truth from the U.S. consumer ´Buyer Beware.´

In 1992, the Food and Drug Administration claimed that they had no information showing that Genetically Modified GM foods were substantially different from conventionally grown foods and therefore were safe to eat. According to the Institute for Responsible Technology, ´44,000 internal FDA documents made public by a lawsuit show that this was a complete lie. The overwhelming consensus among the FDA´s own scientists was that GM foods were quite different and could lead to unpredictable and hard-to-detect allergens, toxins, new diseases and nutritional problems. It turns out that FDA scientists, who had urged superiors to require long-term studies, were ignored.

These are serious issues affecting every person on the planet. Starting with why would the U.S. register patents on plants or seeds? These natural living organisms are not inventions, plus most plants and seeds originated in other countries. Anyone wanting to research the effects of GMO and these crops, has to license the rights from the company that´s holding the patent on the seeds. Even more insane, with the blow of the wind, cross-pollination of GMO crops from neighboring acres can insert itself into a natural crop and that farmer can be sued for having a GM crop that´s not licensed. The farmer now has contaminated natural crops, no desire for GMO products in the first place and he's being sued. See Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser

According to Responsible Technology, ´Animals fed on GMO in labs and farms around the world, have exhibited symptoms related to the growing list of diseases in the U.S. population. Various feeding studies in animals have resulted in potentially pre-cancerous cell growth, damaged immune systems, smaller brains, livers and testicles, partial atrophy, odd shaped cell nuclei and other unexplained anomalies besides false pregnancies and higher death rates.´

Deborah Koons Garcia, the widow of the legendary Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia, has written, directed and produced a wonderful film, The Future of Food. This documentary takes an in-depth look at the disturbing truth behind the processed foods that go GMO unlabeled but have patents. Genetically engineered foods have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves over the past decade with corn and canola in an estimated 60 percent of all processed foods. After watching the movie, which is a must see for everyone in this country, I made the connection between processed foods and childhood obesity. The children are getting fat because their bodies are not digesting GMO properly along with the additional empty calories from sugar and fat content. Survey says that our bodies are having a hard time flushing out processed sugars, bad fats and carcinogens. Watch the film - The Future of Food - link provided at the end of this article, courtesy of Snag Films.

Our bodies are natural living organisms that need clean sources of air, water and organic foods to live healthy and disease free lives. Cancer is already an epidemic because of the pollutants in our air, water, soil and processed foods lack nutrition. When the human body is fed empty calories instead of nutrients, your organs are not receiving the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids and enzymes that your body needs to develop and maintain.

Another reason to avoid processed foods is they contain non-food additives, like preservatives that clog your arteries and don´t digest properly in your natural body. These non-food items include GMO, that clog your digestive system with toxins. Many drugs and poisons (pesticides) are Enzyme inhibitors that delay the absorption of nutrients that your body needs.

Europe is being Intimidated and Manipulated because of their determination to keep their food supplies natural.

Europe 'Stopped GM Food Imports´ February 7, 2006 news.bbc.co.uk - The World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled that the European Union illegally stopped imports of genetically modified organisms (GMO) from the US. The case was instigated by the US, Canada and Argentina, which brought the complaint before the WTO in May 2003. They said a EU moratorium on GM food crops, in place from 1998 to 2004, was about protectionism, not science. There´s wariness in Europe about GM foods, in comparison to the US where they are more generally accepted.

* Here's the catch, the U.S. consumer doesn´t know they´re eating GM foods because there´s NO labeling.

From Times Online UK July 1, 2007 Europe Set to Lift Ban on GM Crops - Since 1999 no GM crops have been approved for cultivation, although permission has been given to import some varieties for animal feed. The acceleration of the process for approving GM crops follows mounting pressure from the American government. It has accused the EU of blocking free trade and threatened to take Europe to the World Trade Organization.

In 2007 over three million Italians signed a petition, declaring their opposition to GM crops in their country. France, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Austria, Poland and Romania have all banned Monsanto's Mon 810 GM corn because of its documented hazards to biodiversity and human health. In Europe over 175 regions and over 4,500 municipalities have declared themselves GM-free zones. In Spain alone this includes over 50 municipalities and regions like Asturias, the Canary Islands and the Basque country.

Threaten Human Fertility Jeffrey Smith NewsWithViews.com November 14, 2008 Los Angeles, CA. - A long-term feeding study commissioned by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, managed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health, Family and Youth and carried out by Veterinary University Vienna, confirms genetically engineered GM corn seriously affects reproductive health in mice. The corn is genetically engineered with genes that produce a pesticidal toxin, as well as genes that allow it to survive applications of Monsanto´s herbicide Roundup.

Right to National GMO Bans Upheld: European Commission Defeated foeeurope.org March 2, 2009 Brussels - The European Commission was defeated in its latest attempt to force two countries to drop bans on controversial genetically modified maize. (corn) It was the second and third time that Hungary and Austria respectively had come under attack by the EC for refusing to grow GM maize. French Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo welcomed the vote, which he argued paves the way for a similar decision not to lift French and Greek national bans on MON 810.

Ministers Back Right to Refuse GM Crop Cultivation EurActiv.com March 3, 2009 - Attempts by the European Commission to force Austria and Hungary to allow the cultivation of genetically modified GM maize on their territory were rejected yet again by EU environment ministers yesterday. Twenty-two member states, representing 282 votes out of 345, voted against forcing the lifting of the bans.

EU Parliament wants labeling of meats raised on GM Feed March 29, 2009 - In the plenary session of the European Parliament, MEP voted on the report by Euro-MP Kartika Liotard on Novel Foods. And for the first time the parliament supported a call for the labeling of products from animals fed with GMO. This is a co-decision issue so it will now have to be considered by the Council. Expect a big fight back. The biotech industry knows that consumers will not buy products labeled as derived from GM animal feed. And GM animal feed is the biotech industry's lifeline. Stop GM animal feed and we stop the GM industry in its tracks. (*smart thinking)

Germany Deals Blow to GM Crops guardian.co.uk April 14, 2009 - Germany has thrown its weight behind a growing European mutiny over genetically modified crops by banning the planting of a widely grown pest-resistant corn variety. Agriculture minister Ilse Aigner joins European mutiny over genetically modified crops by banning corn variety MON 810. "I have come to the conclusion that genetically-modified corn from the MON 810 strain constitutes a danger to the environment," Aigner told reporters in Berlin. The Commission will now analyze the German ban, amid fears it could trigger trade tensions with the US. Under World Trade Organization rules, the US administration has the right to retaliate.

In the UK, the Welsh Assembly has declared the country GM-free.

Our new Food Safety team in America includes, Dr. Margaret Hamburg as FDA Commissioner and Joshua Sharfstein as her deputy. They have their hands full with all areas of testing that have been neglected. But updating GMO with scientifically sound regulations that require all food companies to mandatory labeling GMO for the consumer – this needs to be done immediately. Along with implementation of safety testing and the ban of the current GM crops are in the best interest of our health and our children´s.

For more information on The Campaign for Healthier Eating in America, remove GMO from our food supply before the end of 2009. Click on Responsible Technology.

ResponsibleTechnology

To watch the film, The Future of Food - 88 minutes

TheFutureOfFood

Susan Elaine Wheeler

2009 Creative-Perspective-Solutions