Genetically engineered foods saturate our diet. Over eighty percent of all processed foods in the U.S. alone contain them. Other products such as rice, corn, wheat, soy products, vegetable oils, soft drinks, salad dressings, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, eggs, meat and animal products contain a hidden array of additives. Independent studies have shown the potential dangers these modifications have towards our health. Consumers however, are often left in the dark because most parts of the United States are prohibited from including them on food labels. Although over 67 bills are currently being written or are under investigation waiting to be passed among 25 states, only 2 states, Connecticut and Maine have passed into law proper identification of any food or ingredient to be labeled if it was genetically engineered. In some municipalities in Burlington, Vermont bans on GE crops are in affect but the state legislation has not been passed as like some counties in California. Those legislations opposed to labeling GM products do so mostly for financial reasons and argue that the changes will also affect the cost of food, allowing the consumers' shopping bill to increase by as little as a few dollars to nearly a 10 % increase in the total cost of the bill. ("The Price of Your Right to Know" http://www.slate.com)
We all have a right to know what is in our foods. If you pick up any product from the shelf in a grocery store the list of ingredients should not look like an endless list. More importantly the ingredients that are in the product you are buying should be labeled if they have been or come from a source that has been genetically engineered. Avoiding GMOs is not easy but there are couple ways to exclude them from your diet. Two surefire ways include not buying processed foods, but rather certified organic. " GE ingredients. aspartame, corn flour, soy flour, sugar (unless it's cane sugar), corn syrup, maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup, vegetable oil, xanthan gum and dozens more, are all ingredients found in thousands of processed foods that are likely made with GE components." There are also online resources such as The Center for Food Safety and the Non-GMO Project where you can print out guides on avoiding GE products. When choosing fruits and vegetables that are not often labeled can also be difficult because of cross pollination. The bottom line is that many products are strewn with GMOs whether added through production or added as a result of the food the animal it came from was fed or raised by. Among the top ten foods that would need to be avoided include meat, milk, tofu, canned foods, frozen foods, vegetable, canola and soy oils, baby formula, cereals, carbonated soft drinks and sweetened juices. (Ten Foods That You Would Have to give up to Avoid Eating GMOs www.dailyfinance.com)
