GMOs. Most definitely a hot topic in our time and for good reason. There are two separate avenues when it comes to referring to hidden GMO ingredients - one deals with actual ingredients and the other deals more on a chemical level. This article will focus mainly on ingredients but we feel it is important to discuss hidden chemical components in GMO products because of the risk of allergic reactions.

You may have heard the argument that genetic modification has been happening since the dawn of time. This argument states that farmers have been cross breeding crops for desired traits since the dawn of time so why is it such a big deal now?

The answer is that we're talking about two completely different processes. Crossing breeding between similar species of plants for desirable traits is what has been happening for thousands of years. The genetic modification (aka genetic engineering) happening in the last few decades is taking place in a laboratory at a cellular level. Genes are being manipulated, traded and inserted into crops in a way that could never be produced in nature.

In the 1990s, scientists tried to create a healthier soybean by inserting a gene from a brazil nut into it. For those of you highly or even deathly allergic to nuts - this kind of thing happening should alarm you especially since about 94% of soybeans are currently genetically modified according to GMOInside.org. Thankfully, these soybeans were tested on people who were sensitive to brazil nuts and those tests showed reactions to the soybeans which means that that specific GM soybean was never put on the market.

This kind of genetic modification poses a couple HUGE questions in regards to ingredient labeling. For instance, government agencies categorize genetically modified foods as the same as their non-genetically modified counter-parts.  Since that is the case, would companies be required to label (for example) a "Soy/Soybeans containing Brazil Nuts" as containing Nut Allergens? Or would it simply be called Soy?

To take this even further, by genetically modifying a crop, scientists are literally altering its genetic makeup which means that they may (and probably do) act differently on a chemical/cellular level. For instance, there is a higher amount of a common soy allergen in GM soy vs. the non GM variety. So people who may not have reacted to a low level of it in non GMO soy, may now have an allergic reaction. Additionally, it is common for genetically modified foods to contain new protein structures uncommon in non-GMO versions. These new proteins may trigger immune responses in people - aka an allergic reaction.

There is still research being done on the safety of genetically modified foods - which to us is INSANE since according to The Non-GMO Project 80% of processed foods in North American contain GMOs. That is a staggering percentage and it certainly should give us pause, especially when making our way through a grocery store.

Switching gears here, let's talk about common GMO ingredients you will find in a loaf of bread.  One of the major GMO players is soy - as in soy flour, soy lecithin, and soybean oil. Soy lecithin is used for its ability to make bread dough easy to work with by making it less sticky. Soy flour has a bleaching affect on dough and it adds softness and volume to mass produced breads. And Soybean oil is used to extend shelf life, add flavor and make bread softer.  Another GMO ingredient to look out for in bread is cornstarch which is sometimes used for its thickening ability and as a component for bleaching flour. 

You should also watch out for corn oil, vegetable oil, cottonseed oil, dextrose and high fructose corn syrup as they are likely to be genetically modified. And even trickier are enzymes commonly added to dough to make processing easier or to help create a good crust. Many of them are made with the help of genetically modified microorganisms - not that you can find this anywhere on a label. 

GMO ingredients are used in breads (as you read above) for a ton of different reasons - for bread to seem thicker, for dough to be easier to work with, to improve bread coloring, to add nutritional value etc - but the #1 main reason they are used all ties into the fact that most breads are massed produced.

Mass producing a bread means there is no room for error. The dough HAS to be easy to work with. The dough CANNOT be sticky when making its way through machinery. The bread HAS to be shelf stable and able to last for weeks after it is purchased.  Above all else, it has to be consistent for mass producing to be possible.

It all comes down to the industrial revolution and our need to be better, faster and easier. Unfortunately, this value system may have some unintended consequences manifesting in the health of our nation and the rest of the world.

Some people say yes, some say no, some say maybe and some say probably. 

If you Google "GMOs Bad" and "GMOs good" and other variations, you will find hundreds upon hundreds of articles that fight boldly on both sides. You have one side saying 100% yes that GMOs are bad while their opponents simply call people scientifically uneducated or paranoid.

Although we don't claim to have the answers, we do take a stand when it comes to labeling GMOs. We believe that everyone should have the right to know if GMOs are in their food and be given the opportunity to choose for themselves whether they consume them or not.

GMOs have been in our food supply since the mid 1990s and there are studies coming out all the time that should give us cause for concern. 

According to the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (an international organization that has been around since 1965), there have been several animal studies that show that consuming GMOs leads to an increased risk of  "infertility, immune dysregulation, accelerated aging, dysregulation of genes associated with cholesterol synthesis, insulin regulation, cell signaling, and protein formation, and changes in the liver, kidney, spleen and gastrointestinal system."  They go on to urge Physicians to educate their patients on GMOs, to recommend Non-GMO diets for all patients and to document their patients health changes if they cut out GMOs.

Anyone else find it interesting that an internationally known and respected organization comprised of Physicians would boldly urge their peers to keep an eye on GMOs and the role they may play on their patient's health?

GMOs may turn out to be perfectly healthy but until there are legitimate studies done on their safety - why not add a label to them so people can err on the side of caution? Maybe GMOs are the issue here but, maybe, like we've said all along, they simply play their part in the whole perfect storm that we find ourselves in today.

Stay up to date on current GMO issues and research that is coming out all of the time. Keep inspecting those ingredient panels and avoid questionable ingredients like soy, corn and cotton. When in doubt, find products with the Non-GMO Project Verified label.

If you find yourself stumped - feel free to ask your local health food store for help! We know that most natural health retailers are well informed and  more than willing to answer their customers' questions. They are a valuable resource so don't be shy!

When you go to the grocery store, have you noticed foods with messaging like “no GMOs” or “contains bioengineered ingredients” on the packaging? Most likely, you have seen a range of ways food manufacturers have chosen to share (or not share) this information. But starting January 1, 2022, USDA regulations specify how foods sold in the United States that are bioengineered or contain bioengineered ingredients must disclose that information to consumers. 

Background

In July 2016, President Obama signed the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law (NBFDL), requiring food manufacturers to disclose the presence of bioengineered foods and ingredients. A “bioengineered” plant or animal has had a new gene inserted into it to give it a useful trait. GMO papayas, for example, have been given a gene that makes them resistant to the ringspot virus.  “Bioengineering” is a synonym for the more familiar terms “GMOs,” “genetically modified”, and “genetically engineered.”  A bioengineered food or ingredient must contain some of the newly introduced DNA.  

The Required Disclosure

The NBFDL and USDA’s regulations require all foods and ingredients that have modified DNA to make a disclosure using one of four methods of the food manufacturer’s choice.  First, the food product can include the words “this is a bioengineered food” or “contains bioengineered ingredients” on the food product packaging near the ingredient list.  Second, the food product can include the “bioengineered” symbol that USDA created in that same location. The third option is to put the disclosure online. The food manufacturer includes a QR code on the food package that takes you to an online webpage with the disclosure information (after you scan it with your smartphone camera).  Finally, the food manufacturer can include a phone number on the package, which the consumer can call or text and receive the information about bioengineered content.

These last two options are the reason the requirement is considered a disclosure rather than labeling.  For all the disclosure options, the food manufacturer need not identify the specific engineered ingredient, so the consumer does not know which of the many ingredients in the product are bioengineered, only that the food contains at least one bioengineered ingredient. (CSPI’s position is that food manufacturers should be able to substitute the more familiar terms for “bioengineered” in the disclosure and identify the specific bioengineered ingredients in a product.)

Food Manufacturers May Disclose “Derived From” Ingredients

If one or more of a food’s ingredients comes from a bioengineered plant, but the ingredients themselves contain no DNA from that plant, the label may carry a “derived from bioengineering” disclosure, but it does not have to. This would apply to ingredients made from a bioengineered plant that are so highly processed that none of the plant’s modified DNA remains. Some example ingredients include corn or canola oil, sugar, or high fructose corn syrup.  In 2018, the Center for Science in the Public Interest—and even some food companies—urged the USDA to make “derived” disclosures mandatory. (CSPI’s position is that we support the “derived from” distinction but that the requirement for those foods should be mandatory not voluntary.)

Exemptions From Disclosure

The law and regulations identify several exemptions from disclosure.  These include restaurant food, foods produced by very small manufacturers, and products from animals that were fed bioengineered crops.  Probably the most important exemption for consumers is the exemption for food products that contain meat, poultry, and/or eggs.  The new disclosure rules don’t cover products that list meat, poultry, or eggs as their first ingredient (or their second ingredient after water, stock, or broth) because those product labels are regulated by other USDA statutes.  However, all food products with meat, poultry, or eggs as the second ingredient (or third where broth or water is the first ingredient) do require disclosure if they contain a bioengineered ingredient.  This also means that if, in the future, we have bioengineered meat, poultry, or eggs, and they are the main ingredient in a food, there will be no disclosure requirement.

Non-GMO Disclosures

The law and regulations do not regulate claims asserting that the product is free of GMOs.  Consequently, any food manufacturer can set its own standard for what constitutes a non-GMO food and claim their product meets that standard.  The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit organization verifying products that meet its non-GMO standard.  However, they also verify products that don’t have a GMO counterpart, such as unseasoned almonds or orange juice (there are no engineered almonds or oranges produced anywhere in the world).  One way to avoid bioengineered ingredients is to purchase foods with the USDA “organic” symbol as that government program does not allow the use of bioengineered seeds, animals, or ingredients.  (CSPI’s position is that USDA should have established a definition of what constitutes a “non-GMO” food.)

The Bottom Line

• Many foods will now have to disclose that they contain “bioengineered” ingredients. The disclosure may be on the package or require going to a website or making a telephone call. The disclosure won’t tell you which ingredients are bioengineered.
• Disclosing “derived from” ingredients is voluntary. Oils, sugars, etc., made from bioengineered plants don’t have to be disclosed if no modified DNA remains in the ingredients, but a manufacturer may choose to do so.
• Restaurants, “very small” companies, most alcohol, and foods with meat, poultry, or eggs as a major ingredient aren’t required to disclose bioengineered ingredients. The disclosures are required on supplements.