Proponents for Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and gene- editing seem convinced that this is the latest and greatest Science can bring us. More of this technology is being incorporated into agriculture and pharmaceuticals.
As a health practitioner it horrifies me! We still do not really know how food is converted to energy in the body. We still do not know how our food is actually digested at the molecular level. We still do not know so many, many things that Mother Nature takes care of for us.
The Institute for Responsible Technology sums it up with :
“We’ve entered the genetic Wild West where anyone can redirect the streams of evolution.
With gene editing techniques such as CRISPR, genetic engineering is cheap and accessible, prone to side effects, without meaningful regulation, and able to create self-propagating GMOs. This is a recipe for disaster.
Anything with DNA is up for grabs. Nature could be permanently corrupted by countless GMOs and our food supply – INCLUDING ORGANIC – could be overrun.
Our choice, our health, and our future, are in the balance.”
Currently the GMO foods in the United States are soy, corn, sugar beets, alfalfa (for livestock), cotton, canola, papaya from Hawaii, some zucchini and yellow squash, pink pineapple and a new “white Russett” potato, and a salmon (AquaAdvantage). However, the GMO ingredients that are not labeled sneak into foods in many ways. Here’s a list from IRT site (https://nongmoshoppingguide.com/):
OTHER SOURCES OF GMOS:
Dairy products from cows injected with the GM hormone rbGH
Food additives, enzymes, flavorings, and processing agents, including the sweetener aspartame (NutraSweet) and rennet used to make hard cheeses
Meat, eggs, and dairy products from animals that have eaten GM feed
Honey and bee pollen that may have GM sources of pollen
Contamination or pollination caused by GM seeds or pollen
SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS THAT MAY BE GENETICALLY MODIFIED:
Vegetable oil
Vegetable fat
Margarines (made with soy, corn, cottonseed, and/or canola)
INGREDIENTS DERIVED FROM SOYBEANS:
Soy flour
Textured vegetable protein
Soy protein
Tofu
Soy isolates, soy isoflavones
Tamari, soy sauces
Tempeh
Soy lecithin
Soy protein supplements
Vegetable proteins
INGREDIENTS DERIVED FROM CORN:
Corn flour, corn mesa, corn starch, corn meal
Corn syrup/high-fructose corn syrup
SOME OF THE FOODS THAT MAY CONTAIN GM INGREDIENTS:
Infant formula
Ice cream
Salad dressing
Frozen yogurt
White vinegar
Hot dogs, hamburgers
Bread
Veggie burgers
Baking powder
Enriched flour
Cereal
Chips
Protein powder
Peanut butter
Cookies
Chocolate
Confectioner’s glaze
Margarine
Fried food
Tomato sauce
Crackers
Candy
Alcohol
Meat substitutes
Tamari & soy sauce
Vanilla (may contain corn syrup)
Any sugar not 100% cane
If you want more info check out these resources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnhB99I86G8
(Part 1 of Genetic Roulette Documentary)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmXXu5zh3Q4 (Part 2 of Genetic Roulette)