Genetically Engineered Foods You May Unknowingly Already Have in Your Diet

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are living things that have had their genetic code artificially altered by scientists by inserting genetic code from another organism into their DNA. It’s still a new science but it has already turned out impressive results. Some of these are truly freaky, such as mice that glow in the dark like fireflies ! (And there actually are uses for glowing mice in cancer research, apparently). But the more immediately useful GMOs have been plants and livestock that are hardier and more productive than their natural forms.

It’s a controversial technology, though. Many countries, including much of Europe, have banned GMO foods. In the United States, by contrast, up to 80% of processed foods contain GMOs. Moreover, in the U.S., 95% of animal feed for cattle, hogs, and poultry comes from GMO grains like corn, soy , and alfalfa. In this article, we’ll give you a basic introduction to GMOs and let you know which GMO crops might be on your menu today.

What is a GMO?

GMOs are foods that have been created by genetic engineering. Scientists identify genes from an organism with a desirable trait and copy them into the DNA of another organism. This can be a way of creating a crop that is more disease- and pest-resistant or produces a larger yield. The genes can come from completely different species, such as bioluminescence from jellyfish inserted into mice . Researchers have even succeeded in introducing salmon DNA into tomatoes to make them more cold-resistant—a product that never made it to market.

What is Not a GMO?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture also uses the term “bioengineered” for such foods, and its definition points out that these use techniques that “cannot be created through conventional breeding or found in nature.” So, for example, cross-breeding cattle to get higher milk production or chickens to increase their plumpness and egg-laying are not examples of GMOs. And even though by far the vast majority of livestock in the U.S. consume GMO grains, this does not get their milk and meat labeled as GMO products.

What Are the Benefits of GMOs?

GMOs improve on conventional crops in three main ways:

• Insect resistance, so that fewer pesticides are necessary, saving money and the environment.
• Herbicide tolerance, so that farmers do not have to till the soil to kill weeds. This lowers fuel and labor costs, reduces carbon dioxide emissions, and reduces soil erosion. However, it can lead to higher use of chemical herbicides.
• Resistance to plant viruses, making harvests more predictable and less vulnerable to unexpected outbreaks.

In the end, GMOs make money for farmers, agricultural businesses, research institutions, and the government while allegedly delivering a superior product to consumers.

Why Are GMOs Controversial?

GMOs have been extensively studied. Over 280 research institutions say that GMO crops pose no health risks any more so than conventional crops. Nevertheless, about half of consumers avoid knowingly consuming GMOs . These are some of the reasons:

• Fears driven by misinformation from media and the Internet.
• Personal preferences and beliefs about the benefits of natural foods.
• Opposition to corporate control of the food supply.
• Resistance to novel foods and desire to stick with what is familiar
• Concerns about GMO grains used to sustain the beef industry and as ethanol fuel for cars, both of which are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
• Some types of GMOs increase the use of herbicides and other chemicals on crops.
• Overuse of superior GMO crops can decrease biodiversity, potentially jeopardizing the food supply if a genetic weakness is discovered in the future.

Many of these fears are not unfounded. However, antibiotics are a clearer example of a scientific intervention in the food supply that could harm people. Their overuse in chicken farming allows antibiotic-resistant bacteria to multiply, making them less effective over time for people.

What Countries Use, or Ban, GMOs?

The Genetic Literacy Project maintains a list of the countries that approve or ban GMO crops. 29 countries grow them, with 90% of the world’s GMO crops grown in just 5 countries: the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and India. Nearly 40 countries ban growing GMOs, most notably most of the countries of Europe. Nevertheless, most of these countries still allow the import of GMO products, especially animal feed.

Bioengineered Foods: Plants

What types of bioengineered crops are you likely to encounter? 99% of the global biotech crop consists of soybeans, maize, cotton, canola, and alfalfa. Much of this crop goes into animal feeds, so you absorb it secondarily by eating commercially produced milk, eggs, or meat. Other biotech crops include apples, corn, eggplants, papayas, pink pineapples, potatoes, squash, sugarbeets, and sugarcane.

Bioengineered Foods: Animals

Although most livestock consume GMO crops, there are only two genetically modified animals that have been approved for consumption:

• The GalSafe pig fills a market niche for people who are allergic to alpha-gal sugar, which is found in regular pork.
• The AquAdvantage salmon grow to market size in half the usual time.
• A genetically modified Angus cow that has a lighter coat and tolerates warmer climates is nearing approval to become the first GMO beef available for sale in the United States.

The case of the biotech cow illustrates how genetic engineering can help the world manage the effects of global warming. Conceivably, similar modifications of other species could help prevent not only economic loss and disruption to the food supply but also the extinction of some wild species.

How to Identify Products That Are Not GMO

Keeping bioengineered foods entirely out of your diet can be a real challenge. If this is a goal of yours, here are some tips to keep in mind:

• The U.S. Food & Drug Administration maintains a list of GMO crops and livestock that are approved for consumption. You can try to avoid the things on this list.
• The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service requires that biotech foods carry a label marking them as bioengineered. You can look for this when shopping.
• Small food manufacturers, restaurants, trains, planes, food trucks, and delis can use biotech ingredients without disclosing this to consumers.
• Some food companies go through a verification process by the Non-GMO Project, a non-profit that certifies GMO-free products with a butterfly label. Look for these products.
• You could try to buy imported products grown and produced in countries that have banned GMOs.
• You could buy organic food directly from a farmer who does not use GMO crops or animal feeds.
• You could raise your own food to replace GMO foods.

Finally, if you’re completely committed to a GMO-free life, note that cotton has also been genetically altered, so this is a cloth you would need to avoid in your clothing purchases.

A Moderate Position

Clearly, bio-engineered grains are deeply embedded in the global food chain at this point. Avoiding them will be quite difficult, time-consuming, and expensive as you do a lot of research to find non-GMO products, buy imported foods, or raise your own food. However, it is notable that even countries that have banned raising biotech foods still import GMO grain. This suggests these products have proven themselves to the satisfaction of even some of the countries that are most nervous about them. It’s likely you can feel reasonably safe consuming GMO grains and animals raised on them as well.

When it comes to GMO meats, there is currently no scientific basis for thinking they will be any more harmful than genetically engineered grains. However this is a newer application of the technology with few products on the market. It would be understandable if some consumers decided to avoid GMO meats until they have become more widely used to make sure they will be as safe as their manufacturers promise.

Agreeing to Disagree

Whichever side you take on this issue, it’s important to respect differing opinions. If you think the non-GMO position is scientifically ill-informed, spend a little time looking back at some of the products in the past that were approved and marketed to millions and later turned out to have serious health ramifications. And if you think those who develop and use these products are greedy and “playing God” with technology that is not well-understood yet, then consider all the modern medicines and nutritional supplements we have today that have lengthened our lifespans and improved the quality of life for millions. In the end, we each have to make our own choices about our sources of information and purchasing options and then live with the consequences of those choices, for good or ill.

Up Next:

• The 10 Most Dangerous Foods in the World
• 15 Types of Meat You Should Avoid Eating
• 15 High Vitamin B Vegetables to Grow in Your Garden

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