|
|
I was asked a while ago, if a food was certified organic
could it still be a GMO. I finally have landed upon the answer and I
would like to share it with you. First of all, GMO stands for
genetically modified organism. GMOs refer to plants that have been
modified for specific purposes, usually to discourage pests or weeds.
Modification can include being genetically spliced to have the
qualities from the cells of animals as well as other plants. (Something
to think about if you are a vegetarian.) My friend Linda made an
observation that if the bugs won't eat it why would we want to. That
seems to go for non-organic produce as well. I
posed the question to the Center for Food Safety. This is an
organization that works toward making sure that we have the safest food
possible. (You can reach them at
www.centerforfoodsafety.org .) The answer was that if a food
is certified organic they must use organic seeds that are by definition
non-GMO. Unfortunately, they can't control cross-pollination with other
plants that happen to be GMO. So your organic produce can have some GMO
contamination. When an organic product actually says that it is
non-GMO, the producer has made their best attempt at preventing
contamination yet this is not a guarantee. It is still your safest bet
to eat organic especially your corn, canola and soy products. These are
the foods with the greatest number of GMO contamination.
The Natural Sanctuary
newsletter is published 6 times a year. For information about
subscribing, contact Natural Sanctuary
|