Healing with Food Article

Genetically Modified Foods

Accompanying recipe: Better than Fried Chicken

Genetic engineering, which has been in use for over a decade, transfers genes between species. Genes can be taken from any plant, animal, insect, bacterium or virus and inserted into a plant grown for food. For instance, a bacteria gene that secretes an insecticide was moved into corn to presumably decrease farmers' insecticide use.

It's with good reason that many European countries refuse commerce in genetically modified organisms (GMO). Unlabeled genetically manipulated foods are on our dinner plates and they lack adequate long-term safety tests.

Over 60 percent of all processed foods contain manipulated corn, canola and/or soy. I invite you to take a tour of your pantry and fridge to see how many packaged foods do not contain these top three GMO ingredients. Note: they appear under numerous guises including:sugar, fructose, lecithin, soy isolates, soy protein, soy nuts tvp, autolized yeast, flavorings and more.

Other top GM food crops are:

• Cottonseed
• Sugar Beets
• Hawaiian Papaya (most)
• Some Zucchini and Yellow Squash.

What is the obvious response to this sobering news? Purchase foods that carry Non-GMO Project Seals. Purchase dairy products that are labeled No rBGH, rBST, or artificial hormones. Purchase organic food (which by law cannot include GMO foods).

That means that organic eggs and poultry come from chickens raised on natural, not tainted, foods. The same is true for dairy products and meat. Favor sustainably-harvested foods.

For additional details and resources, see the Non GMO Project.

May you be well nourished,

Rebecca Wood