(Newswire.net — March 18, 2016) — For many years now, consumers concerned about the health risks associated with genetically modified organisms (GMOs), have urged their local congressional representatives, to pass laws that inform them about GMOs being present in food on labels. The Deny Americans the Right-to-Know (DARK) Act has functioned as a giant bully, working against the health and safety interests of Americans.
A genetically modified (or engineered) organism is a laboratory process that takes genes from one species, and inserts them into another, in an attempt to obtain a desired trait or characteristic. For instance, if you combine fish DNA with strawberries for the purpose of increasing their shelf life, which would increase sales for grocers due to slower spoilage, people who are allergic to seafood could have an allergic reaction, such as hives, or going into anaphylactic shock. People who experience anaphylactic shock run the risk of dying.
The fact that this science uses unpredictable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial, and viral genes that do not occur in nature, or through traditional crossbreeding methods, provides the basis for the overwhelming concern it continues to generate. Simply put, when GMOs are included in food, consumers have no way of knowing what that food was spliced with, leaving them and their children vulnerable to potentially fatal, hypersensitive reactions.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, as of September 2013, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) approved thousands of petitions for the production of genetically engineered corn, cotton, tomatoes, soybeans, rapeseed/canola, potatoes, sugar beets, papaya, rice, plums, alfalfa, squash, rose, tobacco, chicory, and flax. Numerous products are derived from these crops. And many animals that become meat in our supermarkets are fed GMO replete diets.
With most of the concentration being on corn, cotton and soybeans, U.S. farmers planted about 169 million acres of these genetically engineered crops, or about half of the total land used to grow crops. Herbicide tolerant (HT) crops carry traits that enable them to endure more effective toxic herbicides, such as glyphosate, a weed killer that is sprayed directly on the crops.
As of 2013, U.S. Farmers were using 75 to 93 percent glyphosate on corn, soybeans and cotton. These herbicides have been used so long, that new ‘super weed’ and ‘super bugs’ are becoming resistant, leading to more potent concentrations of herbicides. In addition, they have created pesticide-producing crops which leads to the plant developing its own internal pesticide.
GMO testing has resulted in tumors, damaged immune systems, smaller brains and livers, as well as birth defects and infertility in animals. In humans, it has been linked to allergies ranging from mild to severe, various digestive and bowel syndromes, and autism. Over 70 percent of all products on supermarket shelves contain GMO ingredients.
Very common ingredients derived from GMO products include, but are not limited to: high-fructose corn syrup, hydrolyzed and textured vegetable protein, monosodium glutamate, aspartame, maltodextrin, sodium ascorbate, starch, and additives worded simply as ‘flavorings’.
The United States has remained on the concealment track regarding GMOs, unlike Russia, China, and the European Union. Until now, they have stood behind a bill passed in July, 2015, that blocked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from ever implementing mandatory genetically engineered food labeling. This bill permitted food companies to continue making ‘misleading’ claims for foods that contain GE ingredients.
When U.S. citizens learned about this bill, the movement to increase awareness grew exponentially. U.S. senators have been literally bombarded with a tsunami of calls from concerned citizens opposing the DARK Act.
On March 16, 2016, Scott Faber, senior vice president of government affairs said: “Consumers have made their voices heard to their elected representatives in the Senate and they said clearly, “We want the right to know more about our food.” We are pleased that the Senate made the right decision to stop the DARK Act, and we remain hopeful that Congressional leaders can craft a national mandatory compromise that works for consumers and the food industry. We applaud Senators Debbie Stabenow, Jeff Merkley, Jon Tester, Barbara Boxer and Pat Leahy for their efforts to defeat the DARK Act.”
Since this enormous victory has just been won, questions and apprehensions linger about the length of time it will take for all states to be on board. And what are companies with huge agricultural investments going to do with the millions of acres of “ready to go” GMO crops?
For now, we can look for Non-GMO labeling on the foods we purchase. Ask your grocer for the Non-GMO Shopping Guide. If your local supermarket does not carry this shopping guide, make them aware of this victory. Let them know, as a patron, you would appreciate them supporting their community by participating in this achievement responsibly. If you can afford to, purchase food that is organic.
Read labels, and avoid buying processed food products containing corn, soy, canola, and cottonseed oils. Understand that about 20 percent of cows in the U.S. are injected with genetically modified bovine growth hormone (rbGH). Examine vitamin labels to ensure they are free from GMOs. For example, vitamin C, in the form of ascorbate acid, is often derived from corn. And last, share the good news by alerting your friends and family.