In the last 15 years, since GMOs were introduced into our food supply – an increase of more than 500 million pounds of herbicide and 19 million pounds of the pesticide “Roundup” have been sprayed on our crops and into our environment – The same type of chemicals that the President Cancer’s Panel has determined is the reason why 41% of us will experience cancer in our lifetime.
- Vani Hari, Food Specialist and author The Food Babe
Well that is disturbing to read.... If you are not familiar with GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), you should be. GMOs are foods biologically manufactured in laboratories and are injected with new DNA, viruses, herbicides, insecticides and/or other chemicals to be resistant to certain insects and pesticides.
You may be thinking, "Wait, so you mean to tell me that the bugs won't eat it, but we humans do?" And I would answer, "Yes, you are correct!" Pretty bad huh? And would you be surprised to know that they are in 90% of our processed foods?
I was very surprised to hear such a high percentage of GMO presence in processed foods and that these far from natural organisms are not labeled in the US. GMOs are a very controversial topic in the states as over 60 countries around the world require GMOs to be labeled or regulated. The US does not. Despite polls consistently showing that more than 90% of the population want GMOs to be labeled, our leaders in Washington refuse to acknowledge this truth and will not implement mandatory GMO-labeling at the federal level.
Here are a few concerns about GMOs:
- Health Concerns: There have been no studies tracking the long-term effects GMOs may have on humans. Researchers fear that the health risks may include: Exposure to allergens, antibiotic resistance, endocrine disruption, reproductive disorders and accelerated aging (definitely not good).
- Safety Concerns: The FDA does not treat GMOs any differently than conventionally grown crops. Companies can choose to go through a voluntary safety consultation; no additional testing is required.
- Ethics: Some feel that GMOs are a violation of nature and an infringement on a natural organism’s intrinsic value.
Very common items containing these GMOs include:
- Baby Foods from Isomil Infant Formulas (Abbot Labs), Enfamil Infant Formulas (Mead Johnson), Nabisco (Phillip Morris)
- Baking Goods from Aunt Jemima (pancake, waffle and muffin mixes), Betty Crocker (pancake muffin and cookie mixes), Bisquik (all items), Duncan Hines (all muffin mixes), Hungry Jack (pancake and muffin mixes), Mrs. Butterworths (all pancake mixes), Pepperidge Farms (pancake, muffin and roll mixes), Bakers (all baking chocolates, including Hershey's, Nestle and Tollhouse chocolate chips)
- Beef; if it is not 100% grass fed
- Bread from Holsum, Pepperidge Farms and Wonder
- Breakfast Items from Kellogg’s (nutri-grain bars and pop tarts), Nabisco (granola bars and fruit and grain bars),Pillsbury (toaster strudles and scrambles), Quaker (granola bars and frozen waffles), Eggo Frozen Waffles, Hungry Jack Frozen Waffles
- Common Cereals from General Meals (including Chex, Cheerios, Total, Trix, Golden Grams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and others) , Kellogg’s (including Frosted Flakes, Special K, Rice Krispies, Corn Pops, Fruit Loops, Smart Start, Complete, Raisin Bran and others), Post (including Raisin Bran, Bran Flakes, Honey Bunches of Oats, Fruity Pebbles, Post Selects and others), Quaker (Life, 100% Natural Granola, Oat Bran, Cap’n Crunch and others)
- Pretty much every chocolate bar in the grocery stores from the big brands
- Condiments from Del Monet, Hellman's, Hunts, Kraft, Nabisco, Otrega, Pace and Tostidos
- Frozen Dinners from Banquet, Green Giant, Healthy Choice, Kid Cuisine, Lean Cuisine, Marie Callenders, Ore-Ida Frozen Potatoes, Stouffer’s, Swanson, Weight Watchers and others
- Heat & Serve Meals from Chef Boyardee, Dinty Moore, Kids’ Kitchen and Franco-American, Pasta Roni, Rice-a-Roni, Uncle Bens, Tombstone, Tostidos
- Meat from non-organic large chain brands (the animals are fed a GMO based diet in order to produce more milk
- Milk and Dairy from non-organic brands (many cows are fed GMO products to increase milk production)
- Snack Foods from Act II Microwave Popcorn, Frito-Lay, Orville Redenbacher, Pop Secret, Pringles and others
- Soda and Juices from Coca Cola (all products), Capri Sun, Fruitopia, Fruit Works, Gatorade, Hawaiian Punch, Hi-C, Kool Aid, Squeeze It, Sunny Delight, Tropicana Twisters and V-8
- Soups from Campbells, Pepperidge Farms, Healthy Choice and Progresso
- Tomatoes and Sauces from Hunts, Del Monte, Healthy Choice, Prego and Ragu
- Vegetables that are canned or have heavy waxes often contain GMOs. Additionally, Corn that is not organic almost always contains GMOs. If you use corn, only use 100% organic.
See the comprehensive list of GMO items here as well as a printable guide from the Center for Food Safety to buying non-GMO products.
With all that being said, it appears as though these large multi-million dollar, name brand companies have turned to genetically modifying our foods to satisfy costs and profits. At what point do we stop calling our food, well food? And how many people are going to have suffer from cancer before something is done about it?
And if that does not scare you, President Obama just signed a bill that protects makers of genetically engineered crops from federal courts.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/30/obama-signs-bill-that-protects-makers-genetically-engineered-crops-from-federal/#ixzz2PKUvpiRA
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/30/obama-signs-bill-that-protects-makers-genetically-engineered-crops-from-federal/#ixzz2PKUvpiRA
Take a look at what you are consuming. Do you believe it is adding nutritional value to you and your family? Can you read and understand all the ingredients in your boxed or bagged foods? All these hidden, and terrifying organisms and fake "foods" are causing a health crisis across our nation. If you would like to take the pledge against GMOs and require companies to clearly label GMOs, please click here. Since the federal government is not doing anything about the labeling crisis, Vani Hari is starting at the state level. The first state they are targeting is North Carolina in hopes that it will begin the required labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods across the country.