Non-GMO, You Ask? Wait…What Is GMO?

GMO… The term sounds oddly familiar, and yet, some people have no idea what it actually means. Well, if you are one of those people, the confusion is about to be cleared. GMO stands for “genetically modified organisms”, and is basically plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with bacteria, viruses, or other plants and animals to create hybrid new species. There has been a lot of research on the links between GMOs and consumers’ health problems, environmental damage, as well as the violation of farmers and consumers rights. Most developed nations do not currently consider GMOs safe. There are currently more than 60 countries that currently limit or restrict the use, sale, and production of GMOs. The US in unique in that it actively has stayed out of any banning or regulating of the use of GMOs, mostly because the companies producing them are also the ones funding the research backing GMOs as completely safe for consumers. Today, most food is not labeled if it contains any GMOs, there are currently no laws requiring it, so most consumers don’t bother to print whether they include them or not. There is a good chance that the majority of processed food you eat does contain GMOs, the actual number is unsure, but it is assumed to be around 80% of conventional processed food.

Reading labels and doing your research on brands that commonly include GMOs is the best knowledge you can arm yourself with. A great website to check out is http://www.nongmoproject.org. Here you will find lists of brands that contain GMOs as well as brands that do not. It also provides good further research on the side effects of long-term GMO ingestion. The NON GMO Project is a great source for empowering yourself with knowledge about what really is in your food. With scientific advances have come many good things for making our daily lives better, however, not all scientific advances translate well to food we consume. Its best to eat as many unprocessed foods as possible, but if you do indulge, the NON GMO Project will provide you with the brands you can trust.