In a world that strives for political correctness, labeling is looked down upon. To many people, using a label means passing judgment. At times, that’s true. At other times, a label is just a matter of factual information.When it comes to food, labels matter. In fact, while a good deal of information is already printed on labels (much of it mandatory, like calories and fat counts), labels tell only part of the story. And while the Nation is now aware of the difference between foods labeled as “all natural” versus “certified organic,” many people don’t realize they are eating “food” genetically engineered in a lab.
The acronym GMO, meaning “genetically modified organism,” is now commonly used in the United States. It is basically a label used to identify plants and animals that have been altered at a genetic level. The process is technologically complex, but the basics are that genes are spliced and DNA is merged from different species of plants or animals. Doing so creates new combinations that can involve even bacterial and viral genes. These new versions of organisms can be unstable and do not occur in nature. Therefore, our planet does not know what to do with them. Our bodies are not equipped to break down, digest and assimilate them either.
Bodily Changes
Due to the influence of the GMO food we’re consuming, is it any wonder we as a Nation are more obese, sicker, frailer and more allergic in recent decades than ever before?
The original purpose of GMO was to provide organisms that could withstand the direct spraying of insecticides and herbicides in farming. That makes sense, right? You want to keep away bugs, but keep the produce looking clean and bright, too — even when drenched in chemicals that kill bugs (live organisms). And this is scary: We are eating food contaminated with chemicals meant to kill living organisms.
Although the United States allows GMO in the food supply and does not require its farmers or vendors to let us citizens know that we are not eating natural food, dozens of countries around the globe have banned their use. In its brilliance, the U.S. government allows GMOs because tests carried out by the same companies that make them supposedly show that they are safe.
What’s more, lobbying in Washington has kept vital information about these foods away from Americans’ ears and eyes. We have experienced a serious lack of education about these foods, and they are not even mentioned on food labels.
The chemical sprays used to preserve farming crops are bad enough, but these genetically altered foods are currently sold in the chain stores where you purchase your groceries. And you don’t even know it.
Problematic Foods
Here is a partial list of foods that are known to be GMO modified or at risk for contamination based on contaminated fields and feed:
- Alfalfa
- Corn
- Canola
- Eggs
- Flax
- Honey
- Cotton
- Papaya
- Soy
- Rice
- Sugar Beets
- Zucchini
- Yellow Squash
- Meat
- Milk
Rules And Regulations
While there are now strict rules and regulations for a food to be labeled “Certified USDA Organic,” no rules exist to cover conventional foods that are non-GMO. But there should be some sort of labeling regulations.
Without such labels, Americans are again being snookered into purchasing “all natural” foods — and even whole foods right from roadside farm stands and markets — that are not organic and, in many cases, have been modified through genetic engineering. These foods have been made to look like the normal food we eat. But they are not made in the way nature intended; thus, they are potentially deadly to our minds and bodies over time.
In California, voters recently defeated Proposition 37, which would have required the label “genetically engineered” on all raw food products created through genetic engineering or partial genetic engineering. It would have prohibited the use of such misleading labels on GMO foods as “natural,” “naturally made,” “naturally grown” and all natural.”
Large agrochemical, biotech and food companies spent more than $40 million to defeat that bill.
The Right To Know
I believe we have the right to know how and where our food is grown or engineered. Democracy is about choice — real decision making based on information provided. Not labeling GMO food strips us of this choice and also keeps us in the dark. And our health is certainly paying the price, as well as our wallets.
Until such a bill passes in your State, stay away from GMO foods as much as possible. The only safe way is to go organic. This is about doing the best we can given the choices in front of us. Do some research on the foods in your area and choose the best of the options available.
If our cells build and repair based on our diet, do we want to become genetically modified humans? That might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but the risks are real.
Source: Labels Matter When It Comes To Food
