October is Non-GMO Month, created by a group that opposes having genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food supply. So let’s get the dinner table conversation started with this statement:
It’s time for American consumers to know if the foods they are buying have GMO ingredients.
We’re not saying that GMO foods are unsafe. So far, there hasn’t been credible evidence that they pose health threats. But even scientists disagree about whether we really know enough yet to be sure. Some think the issue is settled and there’s no health risk at all, while others argue that there’s still no scientific consensus. As scientific research develops, we’ll report it here.
For many people, the issues go beyond health. To some, GMO food technology can help feed a world where many people might otherwise go hungry. To others, GMO food locks us more deeply into a farming system hooked on herbicides and pesticides and extends the control of mega-corporations over the food supply.
But if there’s one thing that Health Insider stands for, it is your right to know. And it’s clear that Americans want to know what’s in our foods—93% of Americans polled favor GMO labeling. As NYU nutrition professor and Bottom Line expert Marion Nestle, PhD, has written: “Labels, the FDA said, could mislead the public into thinking genetically modified foods differed from conventional foods. But GMOs can be considered different—DNA transfers sometimes come from completely different organisms—and the public wants that information.”
Many of you are voting with your dollars—the supermarket chain Whole Foods has committed to GMO transparency and the restaurant chain Chipotle is banning GMO products from its menu. Meanwhile, the US Congress is debating federal transparency standards.
If you want to avoid GMO foods, the best bet right now is to buy organic foods, which by law cannot contain GMO ingredients. If you want to learn more about how to avoid GMO foods, one good place to start is Bottom Line’s article Genetically Modified Foods Are Everywhere!. You can also search for non-GMO brands through the Non-GMO Project.
What’s your opinion? Do you think GMO foods pose a health or environmental threat—or is it overblown? Should states be allowed to require GMO labeling? Should the federal government be involved? Leave a comment.