By Kristen Faucon and Gary Swango, GROWMARK, Inc.
In the May 2016 issue of Healthy Cells Magazine®, an article entitled “Can You Prevent Cancer?” cited processed red meat being of concern due to various preservatives being used during processing. It went on to say, “Industrially raised meats are another concern. They contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) which have been found to directly cause certain types of cancer.” This statement is unfounded and without scientific basis. While there are a number of things mentioned in the article that each of us can do to help reduce the risk of many diseases, including cancer, consuming “natural,” “free range,” and “pasture raised” products are not true safeguards as we might be led to believe.
Don’t be misled by labels in the grocery store
With the Vermont GMO labeling law going into effect and a compromise on a preemptive national standard working its way through Congress, food companies are taking the first step in voluntarily labeling products that may contain GMOs. What is a GMO? A genetically modified organism which, as defined by the World Health Organization, is an organism in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally through mating or natural recombination.
Pro-labeling advocates cite a consumer’s right to know what is in their food, but consumers also deserve not to be misled by the labels on food products. If we see a product with a label that says “contains genetically modified ingredients,” should we be concerned? After all, why did they put it on the label if not to serve as a warning?
There are numerous claims being used on food packaging today that are purely and simply a marketing ploy. Terms like “natural” are not FDA regulated and therefore mean nothing. There is no consistency in the use of “natural” from product to product or company to company. It also doesn’t necessarily mean what you think it would. When you see a product labeled, “free range,” “pasture raised,” “made with real fruit,” or “multigrain,” the assumption is that the product is healthier, safer, or more humanely raised. What the label doesn’t tell you is that a “free range” chicken doesn’t have to actually go outdoors, that a “pasture raised” cow can still be fed grain, that the fruit snacks “made with real fruit” actually contain little to no fruit, or that the main ingredient in “multigrain” bread is refined flour, not whole grains. Products labeled “gluten free” sometimes never contain gluten to begin with.
Even the Vermont GMO labeling law has its imperfections. Under the law, a can of SpaghettiOs would have to be labeled as containing GMO ingredients, but a can of SpaghettiOs with meatballs would not have to be labeled as such. The can of SpaghettiOs with meatballs still contains GMO ingredients, but because of the meatballs, it is exempt from labeling. Consumers have a right to know what is in their food, but we also have a right to accurate information.
What is the truth about GMOs? They’re safe. Twenty years of studies have shown that GMOs cause no health risks and are safe to consume. Not only are they good for you, the consumer, they’re good for farmers. Farmers who plant GMO seeds can better manage pests and diseases while using fewer pesticides — ultimately improving yields, growing safe, abundant, and affordable food for all. There are also fewer GMO crops than you think. Only nine GMO crops are commercially grown in the US: alfalfa, canola, corn (field and sweet), cotton, papaya, potatoes, soybeans, squash, and sugar beets.
If you want to know more about the food you eat and how it was raised, go talk to farmers themselves. Check out Illinois Farm Families at watchusgrow.org. There is also much more information about food labeling that can be found on the Council for Agriculture Science and Technology website at cast-science.org.