GMO v. Non-GMO Foods

You’ve probably been consuming GMO foods for the last 20 plus years, and may not have even known it since non-GMO foods are in the minority. Maybe, like me, you only became aware of GMO’s in the last couple of years. Have you had, or do you have health problems? I’m not saying any of our health problems are because of or related to consuming GMO food, but we also don’t know for sure if they are in some way contributing to health issues. Why? Because, I believe, we are living in the experiment.

GMO’s are a reality in our food chain, and it is up to each of us individually to decide for ourselves whether we include them in our diet or not. We cannot make that decision if we do not get at least some basic education on the topic.

Full disclosure: I try not to eat GMO’s by reading labels, and eating organic or non-GMO foods labeled as such. I am a natural skeptic about many things. I have a bias toward steering clear of GMO’s. With this in mind, I will still attempt to provide a neutral presentation with some links so that you can decide for yourself what you think is best for you.

What is GMO?

GMO stands for genetically modified organism. You may also see GE, which stands for genetic engineering. A gene belonging to one species is transferred into the DNA of another species. An example would be a gene that is resistant to insects in a bacterium would be transplanted into corn for an insect resistant crop. These modifications can range from insects to plants and large animals raised for food production. None of this would occur naturally through selective breeding or other natural crossover on the genetic level. They are created in laboratories exclusively.

Why are they making GMO’s?

There are multiple reasons for GMO production. To make plants that are resistant to insects. Either the plants are engineered to be resistant to chemical herbicides or they are engineered to produce insecticides on their own. Others to produce a greater yield either by area or time period. Some to produce a faster yield, such as with GMO salmon which are altered to grow to maturity in 18 months rather than 3 years. Still others to produce better tasting or more nutrient-dense crops. Or some to have a longer lasting yield such as an apple or potato that doesn’t brown.

These all sound like good or noble reasons to modify the food. And they are for the most part good reasons to at least ask the question. But if these are really for the benefit of all, why were they introduced to our food supply slowly and quietly over time? Why didn’t they announce this wonderful break through? Why are large companies fighting labeling in recent years?

My eyes were opened to GMO’s a few years back when a law was passed in one state, I think the state was California, that made the manufacturers label GMO’s. For about a year you could pick up a product and see the words “partially produced with genetic engineering” on the package. I was shocked to see how many products had this label. It was probably on about 80% or more of the food in the center of the store. Meaning almost everything but produce and meat. It only lasted about a year because another state had a lawsuit that stopped the labeling.

Who has in interest in GMO production?

The list of companies fighting the proposed law requiring GMO labeling in California may be surprising. While Monsanto is a well-known agribio company, other companies that produce and sell genetically altered seeds include E.I. Lily, BASF Plant Science, Dow Agrosciences, Bayer Cropscience and Syngenta Corp.

Large agribusiness food companies joining the foray against the law include ConAgra, Pepsi (owner of Naked Juice), Coca Cola (owner of Odwalla, Simply Orange, Honest Tea), Kellogg (Kashi, Gardenburger, Morningstar Farms) and Dean Foods (Silk Soy Milk). These companies and many others invested in the continued use of genetically altered food ingredients have contributed literally millions upon millions of dollars in a fight against the proposed GMO labeling law. https://www.thealternativedaily.com/gmos-who-what-where-why/

Additionally, GM crops are patented. Why does that matter? Because GM crops can cross breed with related plants and non-GMO varieties of the same plant. There have already been occurrences where a GMO crop growing in a field next to a non-GMO or organic field has cross pollinated because the wind blew from the GM field direction to the non-GM field. When a lawsuit is filed, the non-GMO farmer not only has his crop contaminated by the GMO cross pollination, he is also found to have violated patent infringement by growing a GMO crop.

Left unchecked, entire crops like corn and soy could eventually become GMO only, allowing a few multinational companies such as Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta, DuPont and Dow to control the entire supply. All because the wind blew.

GMO food

GMO food and their derivatives are mostly found in processed mainstream food, drinks, and animal feed. Hence the labeling mentioned above. This is a partial list. More information can be found at https://organichawaii.org/gmo-foods-list-genetically-engineered-food/ and is worth a look.

• Corn
• Soybeans
• Rapeseed/Canola
• Beet and Sugar Beet
• Potato
• Papaya
• Zucchini and Squash
• Alphalpa
• Flax
• Apple

We’ve been looking at the food we put into our bodies directly that are GMO, but what about indirectly? A lot of animal feed is GMO, but let’s simply consider cattle for the moment. Corn is used in cattle feed. There is debate about whether cattle should eat corn since it’s not a part of their normal diet, or what they would eat in the wild. Now alter the DNA of the corn they eat, that is not their natural diet, to be insecticide resistant or to produce it’s own insecticide, and then ferment it in their stomach. Fermentation is part of how they digest. Could this impact the animal? Could this impact you if you consume the animal? Can we even know the answer?

What about the studies?

There is some debate over whether there have been long term studies or not. In my opinion, there have not been long enough termed studies. We’ve had GMO’s in our food supply since the 90’s. What studies were done before introducing them to our food supply? Whose body is better equipped to handle any problems, if there are any, a young persons body or an older persons body? What effect does eating one GMO food have on the body? What effect does eating multiple GMO foods have on the body? Are there interactions between the foods in the body based on their modification?

You can find information at this link about studies that have been done. https://geneticliteracyproject.org/gmo-faq/why-are-there-no-long-term-gmo-safety-studies-or-studies-on-humans/

Where are GMO’s in the world?

It appears the United States is the largest producer of GM crops in the world, and has granted FDA approval of their use for human consumption. Other countries to varying degrees have some bans on both production and sale of GMO foods. If you want to do some digging these two sites offer a good start. https://gmoanswers.com/gmos-around-world and  https://geneticliteracyproject.org/gmo-faq/where-are-gmo-crops-and-animals-approved-and-banned/

A Moot point

Now that more people are aware of and looking into the safety of GMO foods by pushing labeling of GMO’s for informed choice for example, there is new technology that moves the conversation away from GMO’s on a technicality. The labeling of non-GMO foods may become a moot point.

You may or may not have heard of CRISPR technology. It is a gene editing tool. Think of it like a software program. GMO’s add code from another program to change the outcome of the program being edited. So it combines code from at least two different programs. CRISPR does not add code from anther program, it edits the existing code of the software undergoing change. It adds to or subtracts from the original programming.

So, from the earlier example, instead of a gene that is resistant to insects in a bacterium being transplanted into corn for an insect resistant crop, a code is written into the DNA to make it insect resistant. Same result, different method, and the resulting crops are not considered GMO. You can take a look at this article for more information on CRISPR technology. https://newatlas.com/biology/crispr-edits-crops-gmos/

Here to stay

GMO’s are prevalent and not going anywhere any time soon, even if replaced with CRISPR technology, which may or may not be a good thing, we can’t know without time and studies.  We each have to decide what we believe is best for ourselves.

For me, when it comes to GMO v. non-GMO foods, I will stick to the unadulterated version the way God made it where ever and whenever I can. This includes things like using original grains for bread over the modern varieties that people have developed intolerances to, even though they are not GMO. They have been selectively bred and hybridized to the point that the nutrition and composition has changed. I have had health problems and believe food is medicine, and want to eat food as close to the way it was created as possible.

P.S. In case you’re wondering I have an article entitled Are Organic Foods Healthier?