Is Your Food Being 'Poisoned'?

Townhall.com ^ | June 11, 2013 | Chuck Norris

[Kaslin]

The Oxford English Dictionary defines "poison" as "a substance that is capable of causing the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed."

The legal definition of the term is "any product or substance that can harm someone if it is used in the wrong way, by the wrong person, or in the wrong amount."

The medical condition of poisoning is even broader: It can be caused by substances that are not even legally required to carry the label "poison."

Therefore, can food become poisonous? Of course it can if it is infected, tampered with or altered in any way that causes it to become detrimental to its consumer. In fact, that's what we call "food poisoning."

But what about the genetic engineering, tampering or alteration of our food supply? If it causes bodily harm, even over the long haul, could that be considered poisoning?

I call again to the stand Dr. George Wald, a Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine and one of the first scientists to speak out about the dangers of genetically engineered foods. He explained: "Recombinant DNA technology (genetic engineering) faces our society with problems unprecedented, not only in the history of science, but of life on the Earth. ... Now whole new proteins will be transposed overnight into wholly new associations, with consequences no one can foretell, either for the host organism or their neighbors. ... For going ahead in this direction may not only be unwise but dangerous. Potentially, it could breed new animal and plant diseases, new sources of cancer, novel epidemics."

Last week, I discussed the dangers of genetic engineering to crop seeds and other foods. As a response, one of the readers of "C-Force," my weekly health and fitness column, asked, "What do you think are the best ways to avoid GMOs when they aren't even labeled on food ingredients?"

Let me tell you how I responded.

First, contact your governmental officials, and ask them to endorse or support legislation that requires food companies to start listing whether their products use GMOs.

At least 14 states have introduced legislation on genetically modified ingredient labeling, but most face government gridlock. So take action, and keep foods safe (non-genetically engineered) by contacting your state and federal representatives -- as well as the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- and tell them to legislate that genetically modified ingredients be labeled on every package.

Ask your federal representatives to support the new federal labeling bill, the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act, which would require the food industry to label all genetically engineered foods and ingredients. In addition, tell your representatives that corn and cotton must not be deregulated, because without strict controls, genetically engineered crops will encroach on non-genetically engineered crops, contaminating them and rendering the organic crops as nonorganic.

The biggest question is: How can we best avoid genetically modified ingredients in our food and elsewhere?

Here are the best ways that I've discovered from GMO and nutrition specialists and resources:

--Educate yourself and your loved ones about GMOs from credible articles, books or videos, such as those mentioned on the websites below or YouTube's "Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) -- Myths and Truths."

--Keep up-to-date about anti-GMO trends, legislation and action items by frequenting websites such as the one for the Center for Food Safety, another great GMO watchdog organization (http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org).

--Download the "ShopNoGMO" smartphone app at http://NonGMOShoppingGuide.com or visit http://NonGMOproject.org to help you locate and avoid genetically engineered ingredients wherever you shop.

--Buy certified-organic and local foods. USDA organic and Non-GMO Project Verified products cannot intentionally include GMO ingredients.

The USDA explains: "The use of genetic engineering, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is prohibited in organic products. This means an organic farmer can't plant GMO seeds, an organic cow can't eat GMO alfalfa or corn, and an organic soup producer can't use any GMO ingredients. To meet the USDA organic regulations, farmers and processors must show they aren't using GMOs and that they are protecting their products from contact with prohibited substances, such as GMOs, from farm to table."

The "Non-GMO Project Verified" label is the only third-party non-GMO verification program in North America. Its website (http://NonGMOproject.org) explains, "Since its incorporation in 2007, the Project has grown into a collaboration of manufacturers, retailers, processors, distributors, farmers, seed companies and consumers."

--Avoid at-risk ingredients that are now largely (roughly 90 percent) produced using GMOs, including soybeans, canola, cottonseed, corn and sugar from sugar beets. Unless sugar is labeled as organic or pure cane, it likely contains sugar from genetically modified sugar beets.

The Chicago Tribune reported, "These crops (mentioned above) often are added to processed foods as oils, sweeteners and soy proteins but also can be part of amino acids, aspartame, ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, vitamin C, citric acid, sodium citrate, ethanol, flavorings (natural and artificial), hydrolyzed vegetable protein, lactic acid, maltodextrins, microbial growth media, molasses, monosodium glutamate, sucrose, textured vegetable protein, xantham gum, vitamins and yeast products, according to the Non-GMO Project."

Regarding most fruits and vegetables, the Non-GMO Shopping Guide further explains: "Very few fresh fruits and vegetables for sale in the U.S. are genetically modified. Novel products such as seedless watermelons are NOT genetically modified. Small amounts of zucchini, yellow crookneck squash and sweet corn may be GM. The only commercialized GM fruit is papaya from Hawaii -- about half of Hawaii's papayas are GM. Even if the fruit or vegetable is non-GMO, if it is packaged, frozen or canned, there may be GM additives."

--Buy only dairy products labeled "certified organic," "No rBGH or rBST" or "artificial hormone-free," because some source cows are fed genetically modified feed or injected with genetically modified bovine growth hormone.

--Support and patronize grocers (and commend their management) that offer lines of organic products and eliminate GMO ingredients from their product shelves. For example, Target, H-E-B, Giant Eagle and Meijer recently joined more than 55 other food retailers -- including Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Aldi, Marsh and Hy-Vee -- in agreeing not to sell genetically engineered fish in their stores. Whole Foods and Trader Joe's claim that all their store-brand items originate from non-GMO ingredients.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Well you enjoy. We are taking a pass. If it comes from Monsanto you know its screwed up.

[Graybeard58]

freedumb2003 :

how easy it is to spot a *TROLL*

It could be that I'm misunderstanding but are you calling freedumb2003 a troll? The author of this article or who?

[Codeflier]

Not so easy to spot I guess... :) I had the same question as you did.

[thirst4truth]

Just watched the movie, "Genetic Roulette". They, the scientists at Monsanto primarily, have mixed the BT toxin found in bacteria in the dirt and infused/ mixed/ bred the corn and soy with it. They bred the insect killing toxin with corn and soybean seed that kill the insect by "bursting" their belly's when they eat the DNA modified corn or soy. The pesticide is in the seed itself.

You naysayers need to watch this movie or do some more research on what happens to a human body when we eat insecticide infused corn and soy, which if you read labels are in every processed food out there. The incidences of intestinal and "gut" problems are way up compared to the incidences before the mid '90's when first introduced.

[nitzy]

You say they are harmless but you don’t know that. They were introduced and there has been a lot of harm. You are just denying that they contribute to the harm. Since GMO corn and soybeans (which are in nearly everything we eat) were introduced to the market in the mid 90’s the rates of obesity and diabetes have exploded. In 1995 no state had an obesity rate higher than 15%. Today there is only 1 state under 20%. I understand that no one has demonstrated the exact mechanism in GMO that causes this but I think it would be foolish to ignore the relationship.

[Roos_Girl]

Sometimes I think some FReepers would deny the sun rises in the east just because liberals say it rises in the east. I’m still on the fence on GMO foods, but err on the side of caution. I have my suspicions that it may not be the actual gene mod, but (with soy for example) the tons of Round Up that is sprayed on the crops that leaves residual that ends up in finished product and animal feed. Everyone is different and reacts in different ways to the same foods. Some people can’t tolerate dairy, some can’t tolerate gluten, perhaps there’s a segment of the population that can’t tolerate GM or certain GM foods. Wouldn’t it be nice for them if food was labelled so they could avoid it.

[Brooklyn Attitude]

“I wonder if the American Chemical Society that put out your info has any connection to Monsanto?”

The probably do and the article was written by someone at Dow Agribusiness. It doesnt mean the article is biased. In general the science coming out of industry on controversial subjects is often far superior to that from govt or univerities. The reason is that they know their work will be scrutinized/ attacked and therefore they go the extra mile to make it bulletproof.

[Fire_on_High]

No, the social acceptability of admitting you have a problem rather than hiding away at home in shame has gone up since the mid 90s. Remember when decent folk would do anything possible to hide being out of the norms, before it became a measure of PRIDE?

[freedumb2003]

>>how easy it is to spot a *TROLL*<<

??

[Toddsterpatriot]

Are you allergic to “foreign” DNA?

Which part?

Is it the A, C, T or G?

[freedumb2003]

>>That can’t be a true statement because the GM cells contain foriegn DNA.<<

I stand corrected. From what I know it isn’t substantially different and not in areas that would rise to “poison.”

>>There is a long term study on GMO’s done in France. I suppose you won’t like it because it’s French, but it was a good, well conducted study.<<

I am not challenging you but do you have a link? I would be interested in reading their methodology and results.

[listenhillary]

We’ve been genetically modifying plants since we first started saving the largest seed to plant the next year. Since we pollinated one sub species of plant with the pollen of a plant in a different sub species.

Maybe a better definition of what everyone is up in arms about is needed?

If we’re not going to use pesticides, herbicides or let large corporate farms produce our food, who conscripts the workers to plant, weed, remove pests, harvest and store our food?

Just throwing that out there.

[familyop]

"Sometimes these anti-GMO threads on FR make me feel like I am at Democratic Underground."

It's the other way around. The political/regulator class is populated with communists who've betrayed the USA for decades to foreign communists. It's obvious to all that they control both political parties. On Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), her husband doing research for Monsanto, etc...

Lose your property for growing food? Big Brother legislation could mean prosecution
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2209412/posts

Agricultural and energy markets: the last refuge for debt-sucking commies.

[familyop]

Senate bill 510 is hissing in the grass

Food Freedom
Steve Green

In 2008, Hillary Clinton, urged a powerful centralized food safety agency as part of her campaign for president. Her advisor was Mark Penn, CEO of Burson Marsteller*, a giant PR firm representing Monsanto. Clinton lost, but Clinton friends such as Rosa DeLauro, whose husband’s firm lists Monsanto as a progressive client and globalization as an area of expertise, introduced early versions of S 510. S 510 fails on moral, social, economic, political, constitutional, and human survival grounds.

[tbpiper]

This will get you started:

http://www.policymic.com/articles/15889/french-gmo-research-finds-monsanto-corn-causes-cancer-america-should-pay-attention_

http://www.criigen.org/SiteEn/

http://www.naturalnews.com/039170_GMOs_rat_tumors_Seralini_study.html

There's a quote attributed to Henry Kissinger that I'll roughly paraphrase:
Whoever controls the oil controls the nations, but whoever controls the food controls the people.

[UCANSEE2]

Humans are funny.

We don’t want Genetically Modified food for fear of poisoning, yet we don’t have any problems sucking down tons of ‘medicines’ which have lists of ‘side-effects’ such as ‘heart attack, diarrhea, vomiting, uncontrolled bowel movements, blindness, and death’.

We don’t want GMO’s but we stick needles in our arms to inject heroin.

We don’t want GMO’s but we want the ‘right’ to stick our genitals into the rectum of other humans, as well as animals.

We dont’ want GMO’s but we do insist on ‘artificial’ sweeteners.

[UCANSEE2]

We don’t want GMO’s but we want ‘lactose-free’ milk.

We don’t want GMO’s but we want our MEAT artificially colored.

We don’t want GMO’s but we want TONS of additives to our McDonald’s French Fries to make them taste like something other than a potato.

(I could go on all day with examples)

[UCANSEE2]

That can't be a true statement because the GM cells contain foriegn DNA.

You can't distinguish unaltered DNA from foreign DNA under a 'microscope'.

We don't have a microscope powerful enough to see DNA at all. We can see chromosones, but they all look alike.

There are videos of DNA widely available on the Internet, but they are all generated through computer graphics.

[Elsie]

But what about the genetic engineering, tampering or alteration of our food supply? If it causes bodily harm, even over the long haul, could that be considered poisoning?

IF is a mighty big word.

Has ANY gmo food been shown to do this POISONING effect that is being used as the boogyman in this article?

[Elsie]

So they aren’t objecting to GMAs since there are no facts to back up the assertion they are “poison.” They just object to the IDEA of GMAs.

Good!

I'm not the only one who sees this.