To the rescue: the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a pro-GMO-labeling environmental nonprofit, has just released a Shopper’s Guide to Avoiding GE Foods to make it a little easier for people to avoid GMOs (GMO and genetically engineered, or GE, are used interchangeably to describe these crops). Why the fuss about GMOs? In addition to the fact that these crops have never been tested for safety, EWG says that GMOs are also increasing herbicide-resistant weeds that no longer die when exposed to the toxic chemicals these seeds were bred to resist. As a result, farmers are turning to ever-more potent and toxic herbicides to cope. Not only that, the widespread adoption of GMOs by American farmers is jeopardizing organic agriculture—unintended contamination of organic crops, such as when pollen drifts from a GMO-based farm to an organic one, has become a major issue for organic farmers. The group cites one estimate from the Union of Concern Scientists that the potential lost income for farmers growing organic corn may total $90 million annually, all because their crops get unknowingly contaminated by nearby GMO farmers. Without labels, EWG says these three steps are the best bet your food will stay GMO free: Step 1: Buy certified organic.The USDA’s National Organic Program prohibits organic farmers from planting genetically engineered seeds and organic food producers from using ingredients derived from GMO crops like corn, soy, and canola. Organic regulations also prohibit organic dairy and livestock operations from using GMO grains (again, corn and soy) to feed their animals. Additionally, says EWG the following crops should ALWAYS be purchased organic. These are the only vegetables that have been genetically modified, and without labeling, you’ll never know if you’re unknowingly buying GMO varieties:• zucchini and summer squash• papaya• sweet corn Step 2: Buy food certified as “Non-GMO Project Verified.” The Non-GMO Project picks up where organic certification drops off, in a way. The USDA prohibits the planting and use of GMOs, but it doesn’t require testing to make sure problem crops weren’t contaminated with pollen from non-organic farms. The Non-GMO Project does, and then certifies products with less than 0.9% GMO contamination. Step 3: Read labels and beware the “Factory Four.“Corn, soy, and sugar (from GMO sugar beets) and the vegetable oils derived from GMO crops are the four most common genetically engineered ingredients you’ll find in your food. Roughly 90% of corn grown in the U.S. is genetically engineered, and while most of that goes to animal feed, about 12% is converted into corn flour, high fructose corn syrup, corn meal and corn oil, all of which are common processed-food ingredients. Soy isn’t much better, as 93% of soy grown in the U.S. has been genetically modified. Like corn, a lot of soy winds up as animal feed, but keep an eye out for these ingredients which you can almost always assume are from GMO soy: soy proteins, soybean oil, soy milk, soy flour, soy sauce, tofu, or soy lecithin. About 55% of the sugar produced in the U.S. comes from sugar beets, 9% of which have been genetically engineered, says EWG. If a product label does not specify “pure cane” sugar, chances are significant that it contains GMO beet sugar. While 90% of so-called “vegetable oils” sold in the U.S. are derived from soy, the rest are made up of canola and cottonseed, which primarily come from GMO varieties, and sunflower seed, rapeseed and peanut, which don’t. Download EWG’s entire Shopper’s Guide to Avoiding GE Food on their website. More from Prevention: Are GMOs Making You Fat?
