What's all the fuss about Genetically Engineered food (GE) or Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)? You probably have GE foods in your house right now and don't even know it.

As I discovered by looking at the websites listed at the bottom of this article and from reading the journal "Food Safety Review", spring 2000 issue, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't require labeling of GE products and does not require any pre-market safety testing either.

So, guess what? You and your family are serving as the guinea pigs for these untested foods.

FDA's "no testing, no labeling" policy is opposed by a majority of Americans. Opinion polls show that more than 90% of Americans strongly support labeling of GE foods and that 60% would avoid such foods if they were labeled.

The biotech industry is spending millions of dollars trying to "sell the consumer" on the idea that GE foods are safe, based on the rigorous government mandated testing. However, in fact in the biotech industry is responsible for their own testing without FDA oversight.

In response to a Center for Food Safety lawsuit, FDA admitted in court that it has made "no dispositive scientific findings" regarding the safety of GE foods.

And how have GE crops affected the nation's farms? Seventy million acres of genetically engineered crops were grown last year—and none were commercially grown before 1996. Soy, corn and canola are the most affected foods. GE crops are becoming so pervasive that they have contaminated non-GE and organic crops of the same species to the point that companies will not—and cannot—guarantee no GE or GMO contamination in their products, which is the case now with canola and corn products.
GE crops were sold to farmers with claims that they would reduce pesticides use and increase yields. In fact, they may encourage more pesticide use and have not produced the bumper crops as claimed.

Who besides the corporations benefits from these technologies?

Consumers do not benefit from these inventions. GE foods can cause unexpected allergic responses, compromise immune systems and inhibit vital organ growth, based on animal studies. GE foods can also diminish nutritional value and increase antibiotic resistance.
I have just mentioned just a few things wrong with GE in relation to nutrition, agriculture and the environment. There are plenty of other issues regarding genome mapping, gene therapy, patents and intellectual property rights.

If you are interested in more information about GE foods, you can check out the following Web sites:
Greenpeace International
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Campaign to ban genetically engineered food
Edmonds Institute
Campaign to Label GE Food
National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture

Next month I will continue this series on GE with a discussion of the complete list of foods that have GE ingredients.

Nancy Taylor is the Idaho Coordinator for Northwest Direct (a marketing project for small farms), a member of the Rural Roots leadership team, and on the Moscow Food Co-op Education Committee.

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