Should Your Students Care About GMO’s?

                Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #116 - February 9, 2013

What are GMOs?

You’ve probably heard about GMOs, which are also referred to as genetically modified organisms, GE (genetically engineered), herbicide-tolerant (HT) or Bt crops. In simple terms, a GMO is an organism that has been changed injecting it with genetic material from another species.

"GE seeds were introduced commercially in 1996 and now dominate the production of corn, soybeans, and cotton in the United States. GE crops contain one or both of two major categories of traits:

• Herbicide-tolerant (HT) crops, more commonly known as "Roundup Ready crops," are genetically engineered to survive direct application of one or more herbicides during the growing season, chemicals that would otherwise kill or severely stunt the crop.

• Bt crops are engineered to produce toxins...that kill certain agricultural insect pests."* In other words, the crops themselves contain poison.

For more visit information, visit http://www.nongmoproject.org/consumers/about-gmos/.

How safe are GMOs?

In 30 other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs, because they are not considered proven safe.

It is estimated that about 75 percent of processed foods sold in the U.S. contain at least some genetically modified food ingredients. Unlike many other countries, there is no law in the U.S. requiring the labeling of foods that contain GM ingredients. But if you know how to identify which foods are most commonly genetically modified, you can reduce how many GMOs you eat.  The best way to avoid GMO products is by buying unprocessed 100% certified organic local whole foods.

Since grocers and farmers are not legally required to label foods that have been genetically altered, how can we avoid buying these products?

Read the PLU labels. If the five digit PLU number starts with “8,” the food is either genetically modified or genetically engineered.  If the five digit PLU number starts with “9,” it’s organic. Also, by watching for the absence of either the 8 or 9, which means the produce is neither organically grown or genetically modified, you can recognize traditionally grown produce. Ensure your produce is not genetically modified by reading the number on the sticker, and by buying 100% certified organic.100% certified organic food is by law never genetically modified!