Every day we eat food that is genetically altered. Most people might not be happy with this if they realized exactly what it means.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Their numbers are increasing in our food supply. It’s important to know how safe they are for the regular consumer. GMO food has had its genetic makeup artificially manipulated. GMOs do not exist in nature. Scientists have done such things as create a tomato that is frost-proof. This was done by combining the genes of a fish and a tomato. This is just one example of many. When shopping in the produce section of your store, there are ways to know if you are choosing GMO food. You need to know there are GMO foods available in the whole form as well as ingredients for processed foods.
HIGH-RISK GMO FOODS
Alfalfa
The main use for alfalfa is as livestock feed. It is often used to feed dairy cattle. This GMO food is regularly consumed by dairy cows. It will then go into the cow’s system. This results in GMOs becoming part of all milk supplied by dairy cattle. If you want to avoid GMO food, you must stay away from all commercially produced milk and milk products. This also means you should avoid eating alfalfa unless you know it’s organically grown.
Yellow Summer Squash and Zucchini
These are often used in many different types of products. If you want to avoid GMO in such products, you need to only use organic summer squash and zucchini.
Canola
This is a food product that was genetically engineered to decrease levels of erucic acid. When you consume canola oil, you are eating a form of a GMO plant that is highly concentrated. Avoiding Canola will always be a challenge. It is found as an ingredient is many different foods. The food industry believes Canola is a healthy choice when it comes to oils. This product is an ingredient in such things as cookies, mayonnaise and more. The only way to avoid this product is to read carefully the labels on the food you are buying.
Sugar Beets
There are a number of reasons sugar can be bad for a person. It’s important to realize the majority of white sugar is derived from sugar beets. It has been estimated that over 94 percent of sugar beets have GMOs. Experts advise that if you want to use sugar, you should use pure cane sugar. Coconut sugar is also a good way to avoid GMOs. It will be a challenge to avoid purchasing foods without sugar. Pasta sauce, fruit juice, potato chips and more all contain sugar.
Corn
It is estimated that over 89 percent of corn grown in the United States is genetically modified. The only way to avoid GMO corn is to only buy fresh or organic corn. Unless corn in a store has a USDA Organic label, it will likely be GMO. There is a good chance it is BtGM corn. This is corn that has been designed to be resistant to pests because it can blow up in their stomachs. This corn is found in such common products as corn flour, corn oil, corn syrup and more.
Soy
Most of the soy produced in the United States has been genetically modified. GMO soy can be found in many different types of processed foods. This type of soy is identified in a number of different things. This includes everything from teriyaki, soybean oil, mono and Di-glycerides, vegetable starch to natural flavorings and more. Some people believe the only way to avoid GMO soy is to avoid processed foods.
Cotton
This is often associated with clothing, not food. It’s important to understand that numerous processed foods contain cottonseed oil. This is a GMO product. Cotton is also a crop that is highly-sprayed. This means it could contain toxic chemicals.
Papaya
This is not the type of fruit most people associate with being GMO. The reality of this fruit is that most of the papayas grown in Hawaii are engineered. If a person doesn’t buy fresh papayas, they need to know about papaya enzymes as well as papaya extract. These are common ingredients found in beauty products, creams lotions, conditioners, shampoos and more.
Conclusion
These are the top worst GMO foods found in our food supply. Some countries around the world have bans on all crops that are genetically modified. The United State is one of the countries that supports using GMO food and food products. The only way this will end is when GMO products are no longer purchased.
Learn more about Product Liability and GMO Foods.
