GMO's, or Genetically Modified Organisms, are organisms that have been genetically altered to produce certain traits in plants or animals, such as resistance to insects.  The key word here is "altered".  These new species are not natural and involve the combining of the DNA of different species.  For example, a virus or bacteria may be inserted into the DNA of a plant.  This is distinct from traditional animal and plant breeding techniques that combine DNA from the same species in order to produce desirable traits. GMO seeds have become prevalent in the food supply: according to the USDA in 2009, 93% of soy, 93% of corn and 86% of cotton in the U.S. was produced from GM seed. GM sugar beets are a newer and growing source of GM food, and canola is also commonly GM.

You may think that you don't eat many of the above-mentioned foods, but 80% of all packaged foods in the U.S. contain GM ingredients. In addition, the meat we eat is , by and large, fed with GM feed.  Perhaps this is the reason that red meat is so bad for you! Even if you check labels, you may be taking in GM ingredients without knowing it. 

GM foods have been heavily restricted or faced an outright ban in 30 countries around the world including the countries in the European Union, Australia and Japan, because they have not been proven safe. The FDA, however, allowed biotech companies themselves to present safety data and approved GM products as far back as 1994. Is it possible, or even probable that these studies contain any bias? The main problem with the studies were that they neglected to evaluate the long term effects of GM foods.  Numerous animal studies show that biotech foods can cause allergic reactions, weakened immune response, reproductive problems,and in some cases even organ failure. A paper written in April of this year reviewed 19 animal studies looking at the effects of GM soy and corn (the two most commonly found in foods). It concluded that the consumption of GM corn or soy led to significant organ disruptions in mice and rats, mainly the liver and kidneys.  The liver and kidneys are the "major reactive organs" in cases of chronic food toxicity. While these studies may not definitively determine that GM food has a negative effect on human health, it certainly begs the question of why more independent research has not been done to protect the public.

The sharp increase in food allergies and chronic disease over the last fifteen years (GM foods first came to market in 1994) makes one wonder if GM foods have something to do with this. The increased use of pesticides and herbacides are also undoubtedly to blame, but that is a different subject. Why many Americans are not even aware of GMOs and how they relate to the food we eat is no mystery. The industry has resisted the labeling of GM foods and suppressed independent studies because they know that informed consumers will avoid GM foods.  A 2009 CBS poll showed that 87% of Americans that were aware of GM foods want them to be labeled. The FDA has unfortunately rolled over on this. Considering the potential negative effects on health it would be nice to have a choice, don't you think? Read more