The biotech industry is fond of saying that they offer genetically modified (GM) crops that resist pests, conjuring up the image of insects staying away from GM crop fields.
But "resisting pests" is just a euphemism, for "contains its own built-in pesticide." When bugs take a bite of the GM plant, the toxin splits open their stomach and kills them! So what does that do to us?
According to Jeffrey Smith’s research, between 1994 and 2001 – a period during which GM foods flooded the market – food related illnesses doubled.
GMO foods can be:
Despite claims by giant GMO manufacturers like Monsanto that genetically modified foods are no less healthy than non-GM foods, the research says otherwise.
- Allergenic
- Toxic
- Carcinogenic
- Anti-nutritional
Smith addresses recent GMO-related health problems in both animals and people in his video. GM foods can also:
In case you’re unfamiliar, people with the bizarre Morgellons Disease, which has been cropping up worldwide, describe a sensation of bugs moving around beneath their skin. This unsettling sensation is accompanied by open lesions that ooze blue, black or white fibers that can be several millimeters long. These fibers are strong enough to distend the skin when pulled and are painful to remove.
- Cause cancer
- Contribute to food allergies
- Possibly cause damage to your immune system
- Create super-viruses
- Potentially cause outbreaks of Morgellons Disease
The traits of GM crops can get passed on to other non-GM crops. This means that a crop engineered to contain a vaccine, or to be sterile, could easily taint an entire region, and eventually the entire world. As Smith points out in the video, the environmental impact of GMOs is potentially much greater even than the health impact.
How to Recognize GM Foods
The offspring of these products include products such as maltodextrin, soy lecithin, and high fructose corn syrup. Other GMO products include:
Examine produce stickers on the fruits and vegetables you buy. The PLU code for conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers; organically grown fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number nine; and GM fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number eight.
- Some varieties of zucchini, crookneck squash, and papayas from Hawaii
- Milk containing rbGH
- Rennet (containing genetically modified enzymes) used to make hard cheeses
- Aspartame (NutraSweet)
Buy organic produce as often as you can. By definition, food that is certified organic must be free from all GM organisms.
Stay away from processed foods. Most of these contain corn and soy products.
The True Food Shopping Guide is also great tool to help you determine which brands and products contain GMO ingredients. Print it out and take it with you every time you go to the grocery store.
What Else Can You Do to Fight for a Safe Food Supply?
As a consumer you have power. Large portions of Europe have already succeeded in kicking GMOs out of their food supply, forcing food manufacturers to use real ingredients in their European product lines.
You can be the change you want to see in America by educating yourself and spreading the word.
- Refuse to purchase genetically modified products
- Ask your local supermarket to stock the shelves with more natural organic foods
- Avoid all processed food products and buy only fresh, locally grown, organic foods
- Let your elected officials know how you feel about GM foods. Demand the implementation of a precautionary principle: GMOs should not be allowed into the food system until extensive long-term, third-party studies -- not studies funded by seed technology companies -- have been performed. And as long as it is present in food, all products must be clearly labeled as to whether they contain GMO crop ingredients.
- Visit www.responsibletechnology.org/donate to be a part of this worthwhile and important cause
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