Better Choices: GMOs

It seems like it has been a while since I did a Better Choices entry because March technically got two so I could sneak in dyes before Easter.  To get caught up, we have talked about grains, dairy, dyes and here is why I am doing this.  Today, we are going to talk about GMOs, genetically modified organisms.  This is one of the more political food topics out there and I really try to stay away from politics, so have been debating talking about this for a long time. Last fall, during the election, one of the choices on the California ballot was Proposition 37, to require labeling of genetically modified foods. It didn’t pass, but since then more and more states are starting to try to pass similar bills. So today, I am going to try to stay away from the political pieces of it, while still trying to give you the 101 and what you need to know, including better choices you can make if trying to avoid them.

So what are GMOs, also sometimes known as genetically engineered foods? Simple answer: food meets science. Accordinging to the World Health Organization, “genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally.” There are six companies that control the majority of these seeds/crops: Monsanto, Dow, BASF, Bayer, Syngenta and DuPont. You will probably recognize a lot of them to be chemical companies. Monsanto is even the company that developed Roundup that is sprayed on crops. First trigger in your brain perhaps??

So why are GMOs used? The number one reported reason is to improve yield. This is done by making crops resistant to disease by altering their genes to withstand weed killer or by making them more tolerant of herbicides and pesticides. Basically, spraying herbicides on crops to kill weeds, while leaving the crops unharmed.  In the future, the WHO believes “genetic modification could be aimed at altering the nutrient content of food, reducing its allergenic potential, or improving the efficiency of food production systems.”

Sounds good right? Think again! There are many oppositions to the use of GMOs. To start off, overall pesticide use has increased by more than 527 million pounds from 1996 to 2011. Additionally, there has been an increase in super weeds growing, therefore the focus now being needing the invention of stronger herbicides. Additionally, there are concerns about the health of the consumers. There has been no long term human studies done. Once again the United States took the route of allowing the use of GMOs, because they hadn’t been proven unsafe, where other countries decided to not allow them until proven safe. Subsequently, there has been a marketable increase in illness rates (cancer, food allergies, behavioral issues, etc), with some sources saying up to 90% environmental factor causes (ie not genetics / hereditary), since their introduction in the late 1990s. There was even a recent study in France done on rats spanning their entire life span. I will spare you the pictures, but the study results showed premature death, tumor growth and organ damage.  Second brain trigger??

**Just this past weekend, I read about a new study that links Roundup chemicals that are sprayed on food, to health problems such as Parkinsons, infertility and cancers. Check out here and here for more info. **

So this leads us to the controversy - trying to not get too political. People want to be informed, via labeling in order to make their own decisions. Again, the primary reason because there has not been long term studies done on humans, we don't know the exact affect they can have on humans. There are 60 nations, including countries such as Europe, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Russia and even China that require labeling of GMOs and many companies have reformulated the exact same product to be sold in those countries without the use of GMOs. A few examples include McDonalds fries, Quaker oatmeal, Ritz crackers, just to name a few. In the United States, labeling is not required and it is said that 70% of processed foods now contain genetically modified ingredients. Here is one excerpt on why labeling makes sense.

So what Better Choices can you make? Avoiding GMO foods is the easy answer, but that is easier said than done.

There are nine GMO foods on the market today:

• Corn
• Soybeans
• Canola
• Cotton
• Sugar beets
• Alfalfa
• Hawaiian Papaya
• Zucchini
• Yellow Crookneck Squash

They are also now looking at fish and fruits. So this list might seem easy enough to avoid or limit these nine foods, but where it gets difficult is the amount of products that are made using these foods, especially corn and soybeans. There are products derived from the above, such as maltodextrin, dextrose, sorbitol, citric acid, and lecithin, that are found in a very high percent of processed foods. Here is a picture from the movie Food Inc (a must watch if you have not seen it).

You also have to think about the types of food the proteins you buy consume - meaning grass fed vs corn fed cows, chickens, pigs. How about the milk and other dairy? I am not sure if this is coming full circle for you yet. If you have been following me long, you might be starting to see the trends.

So what am I going to say next....eat organically when you can!!! This is the single best thing you can do right now.  Organic food prohibits the use of GMO seeds.

Additionally, you can start looking for this non GMO verified label. Also, I know not everyone can do this, but Whole Foods currently sells 3,300 Non-GMO Project verified products from 250 brands, more than any other retailer in North America.

A couple of other resources:

• Check out this shoppers guide
• Download this app
• Check out these tips when eating out

On  a positive note, changes are being made as awareness continues to be shared. Whole Foods is the first grocer to announce that they will be demanding all products in their store be labeled, by 2018.

I know it can feel overwhelming at times and remember this is a journey, not an overnight change. Don’t try to do everything at once or you will fail.

"The bottom line is that while none of us can do everything, all of us can do something."

-Robyn O’Brien

Here is a Better Bonus Tip to get you started:

Popcorn!! It is a whole grain and great snack, but have you ever looked at the ingredients on the box of individual bags or have I simply scared you from eating now in general? I see corn and soybean, soy lecithin - three GMO ingredients. Not to mention the partially hydrogenated oil and annatto for coloring - whatever that is?!

Well keep eating popcorn, just skip the conventional bags and buy whole kernels. Most stores will sell these in bags and Whole Foods even sells them in their bulk bins.

Benefits:

• Cheaper
• You control the ingredients
• You can season to your liking
• If you buy organic, you are avoiding GMOs

You might be thinking no thanks - I don’t want to pop popcorn like my grandma did on the stove top. I agree! Popcorn to me is still a convenience snack and needs to stay that way. My husband and I have been playing around with this so we can avoid the stove top.

First few attempts, a brown paper bag.

• Using a paper bag is a pretty popular method, but I feel it isn't 100% fail proof.
• First we just laid the bag in the microwave. Then we tried standing it up - opening it first and then folding over the top. With both of these, we occasionally got burning and / or clumping. Third, we tried cutting off the top of the bag, so it wasn’t touching the top of the microwave, but had room to breath. This seemed to help, but you loose some popcorn from the top. (kind of hard to tell the difference in the last two in the pictures)
• To be honest, we don’t use this method really anymore, because it is so wasteful with a new bag each time. That is also why we didn’t spend a ton of time trying to perfect this method. It would however, be great for a lunch or portable snack.

OR

OR

Second few attempts, a reusable bowl.

• We tried laying a paper towel over a bowl, but didn’t find that worked great, because kernels would sneak out as they popped.
• We then started using a rubberband to hold the paper towel in place.  This worked great to ensure the kernels stayed in the bowl. Can be a one person job, but help always makes it easier. Just make sure you use a couple paper towels so the entire bowl is covered. We never tried this, but wondering if setting a plate on top of the bowl would work just as well?!
• We used a pyrex bowl, because we try to stay away from plastic. The bowl did get a little warm, so we just transfered the popped popcorn to another bowl to eat.

Final attempt, a purchase (actually a gift).

• This method would require a purchase, but is so worth it - the Catamount Glassware Microwave Corn Popper
• My brother in law gives my husband a hard time because he says every time he comes over, it is on the counter. My husband loves it - it is easy and eco-friendly! There are some weeks I swear he uses it 3-4 times.
• Anyway, you can add some butter to the top silicone tray, add your popcorn to the bowl, pop the kernels and then pour into a serving bowl when done.
• It says it is dishwasher safe, but we always hand wash it.
  
  
  

  

  
  

I have found 1/4 c kernels is a good amount. I prefer to set the microwave time for 3 minutes. My husband used to use the popcorn button, but he now sets it manually - for 3.5 minutes, because he likes his done a little more. Either way, just watch closely and stop when the popping sound decreases to 1-2 seconds. Never will all the kernels pop, just as they don't with the conventional store bought bags.

Some Topping Suggestions:

• Butter
• Salt only
• Garlic powder/salt
• Parmesan cheese
• Combination of any of the above
• A New Orleans favorite: celery salt and cayenne pepper
• Ground pepper: my husband loves to do this, but I think it is disgusting :)
• Sweet variety: cinnamon and sugar

Here is to more better choices, one step at a time!


~Ashley