GMO Foods – the contrarian opinion

In the last Cooking Tip, I discussed what GMO Foods are as well as the health and safety claims made about them. There are critics, though, and in this Cooking Tip, I will discuss those. I strongly encourage you to read both Tips so you can make your own decision about whether or not to eat these foods.

One of the main organizations concerned with GMO foods in our diets is the Non-GMO Project. They are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that says it is “committed to building and preserving the non-GMO food supply for all.” Their mission is to offer a “rigorous product verification and trustworthy education that empowers people to care for themselves, the planet, and future generations.”

Their concern is that this biotechnology creates combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods. They feel that we do not have enough “credible, independent and long term studies” to back up the claims of the FDA and others that GMO foods are safe and healthy.

They point to a statement by the Center for Food Safety entitled, Are GMOs safe? No consensus in the science, scientists say in peer-reviewed statement. They also encourage consumers to read the 2014 publication GMO Myths and Truths. There is also an updated and condensed version in book form.

They feel that the governmental Food Disclosure Standard discussed in my last Tip is lacking because of the exemptions to the labeling standard. Other concerns are the negative consequences on farmers and the environment. You can read more about these here.

In answer to the question of whether GMOs are safe, the Non-GMO Project states, “In the absence of credible, independent, long-term feeding studies, the safety of GMOs is unknown.”

The Project has what they term the “High Risk List,” a list of crops and inputs (defined as “any material or substance that is used in the production of a wholesale or retail consumer good that they feel have a high chance of being genetically modified.”) The following list are those considered high risk as well as being able to be tested for the presence of GMOs.

• Alfalfa
• Canola
• Corn (except popcorn)
• Cotton
• Papaya
• Soy
• Sugar beet
• Zucchini and yellow summer squash

They have other high-risk crops that they consider “non-testable” as they are not necessarily detectable by current tests.

• Canola
• Potato
• Soy
• Apple
• Eggplant
• Pineapple

Food derived from animals are also considered high-risk due to the prevalence of GMOs in animal feed. These include the following.

• Meat
• Dairy
• Eggs
• Wool
• Hides
• Honey
• Seafood
• Livestock and poultry feed
• Bee forage and feed
• Fish and other aquatic animal feed
• Any other materials or substances originating from animals

The Project raises the question of what they say is a double standard when looking at studies that claim no health or safety concerns from eating GMO foods and those that raise questions. The former studies are usually industry-sponsored while the latter are considered independent. Researchers raising questions are considered to be “GMO deniers” and are met with a “kill the messenger” response.

They have their own non-GMO symbol, which is given to products that go through their verification process. They also have a section on their website where you can search for verified products.

Although the Non-GMO Project doesn’t outline any specific health risk concerns, these are the ones to which most critics point.

• Toxicity – the concern is that genetically engineered foods are unstable, with a theoretical possibility of creating toxins.
• Allergic reactions – it is felt that this process can transfer allergens from foods that people know they are allergic to other foods that they think are safe. This was actually found when a gene from a Brazil nut was engineered into soybeans, causing an allergic reaction in those with a nut allergy. This product was abandoned and no further reports of allergic reactions have been made. Also noted is the possibility of creating proteins with the possibility of new allergic responses.
• Antibiotic resistance – critics warn that this bioengineering could create disease-causing bacteria that might be resistant to antibiotics. Some GMOs are engineered for antibiotic resistance and in theory, those genes could be transferred to humans who might develop the same resistance.
• Immunosuppression – this condition was supposedly found in an animal study looking at the effects on rats of the consumption of genetically engineered potatoes.
• Cancer – concern is about a genetically engineered growth hormone that is meant to increase milk production in dairy cows. This hormone had been banned by some regulatory bodies in Canada and Europe due to a possible link to some cancers.
• Loss of nutrition – this is a hypothetical concern about a negative impact on nutrient levels in bioengineered foods.

As I said at the beginning, I encourage you to read both this Tip and the prior Tip that outlines the opinion that GMO foods are safe and healthy. Only by educating yourself will you be able to decide what is best for you and your family. I will admit that if you decide to go GMO-free, it may be more difficult than you think given the increasing use of this technology and its presence in our food supply.