Another reason to eat organic is to avoid genetically modified organisms (GMOs), also known as genetically engineered foods. A GMO is any organism in which the genetic material has been altered or shuffled around in a way that does not occur naturally. This technology allows individual genes to be transferred from one organism to another. This science is used to cultivate GM plants, which are then used to grow GM food crops. GMOs on the market have been given genetic traits to provide protection from pests and diseases or resistance to pesticides, or to improve the quality of the crop. The most prevalent GM crops were created to resist harsh chemicals; these crops have DNA traits from bacteria, fungi or other plants that create this resistance. Farmers who use GM crops can spray their fields to kill everything growing in the area except the food crop. Imagine what is being killed in our bodies when we eat these foods.
One way to spot organics is to check out each food’s look up number or PLU attached as a sticker. Conventionally grown fruits and veggies have 4-digit numbers and generally begin with a 3 or 4. Organically grown fruits and veggies have 5 digits and begin with a 9. Genetically Modified also have 5 numbers and begin with an 8. For example the pLU for a conventionally grown banana is 4011, for an organic banana it’s 94011 and for a genetically modified banana it’s 84011
The most common genetically engineered crops in the United States, which is the largest grower of GM crops in the world, are canola, corn, soy and cotton. Genetically engineered soy, corn and canola are used in many processed foods, but the government does not require labeling of these foods and regards these foods as generally safe. Many experts estimate that about 70 percent of the foods in grocery stores in the U.S. and Canada contain genetically engineered ingredients.
During the past decade, food safety experts have identified several potential problems with genetically engineered food crops, according to reports from