Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are in 60-80 percent of our processed foods and some of these are clinically documented to cause depression, fatigue, infections, brain fog, nausea… even cancer. Name brand products you buy right off the shelf at the grocery store are poisoning you, and the large corporations behind these products are funnelling millions of dollars into a disinformation campaign to try to defeat ballot measure 37, the “GMO labeling” initiative in California.1 These are companies like:
- Kashi (owned by Kellogg, which has contributed $612,000 to defeat Proposition 37) – Kashi cereals contain GMOs!
- Larabar (owned by General Mills, which has contributed $520,000 to defeat proposition 37)
- Santa Cruz Organic (also owned by Smucker, which has contributed $387,000 to defeat proposition 37)
Here in Canada, the government is not interested in letting us know exactly what is in our food by warning us with any labels about GMOs. Labelling is mandatory if there is a health or safety issue with food, which might be mitigated through labelling. For example, if the nutritional value or composition of the food has been changed, or if there is an allergen present in the food, the food must be labelled as such. This is why you will often see warnings such as “this product may contain peanuts”, or other such warnings of allergens.
In Canada, a free vote in Parliament on Oct. 17, 2001, defeated a bill by Liberal MP Charles Caccia. His private member’s bill, C-287, would have required mandatory labelling of genetically altered foods.
CBC News Online issued a report on May 11, 2004 titled Genetically Modified Foods: a primer. Unfortunately most of the report is now missing except for this one page I was able to find. Don’t we have a right to know what products are being used in the foods we eat?
An organization called EcoLomics International has published a paper, The Labeling Of Gmo Products Pursuant To International Trade Rules. Their purpose is to make a contribution toward an improved balance between inter-generational ecological objectives and more short-term economic priorities. You can click here to download (pdf) the paper. It says:
There are several arguments cited in opposition to GMO labeling, almost all of which have an underlying business or trade policy rationale. First of all, certain business interests, particularly those in the agriculture and processed food industries, fear that labeling will increase consumer suspicion, thereby making GMO products less attractive, or even stigmatizing them.
A second argument made by labeling opponents involves the expenses, both direct and indirect, of GMO labeling and the cost implications for non-GMO products that may result from the labeling of highly successful GMO products such as soy.
Lastly, many trade specialists and business leaders oppose GMO labeling because of its perceived implications for the international trading system.
In Europe, a shopper walking into a supermarket can tell which foods have been genetically modified. Yet as seen in this report (video below) from CBC’s Marketplace, no such labelling law exists in Canada despite numerous surveys indicating up to 90 per cent of Canadians want mandatory labelling of GM food. Canada’s leading national consumer group does not support mandatory labelling. Instead, the Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC) supports voluntary labelling, backing the stance of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
In a book, Seeds of Deception, Jeffrey Smith tells about researchers and scientists who have been harassed, humiliated and even fired from the positions for trying to bring about the truth of GMO foods. In the book you can read the actual internal memos by FDA scientists, warning of toxins, allergies, and new diseases—all ignored by their superiors, including a former attorney for Monsanto. Learn why the FDA withheld information from Congress after a genetically modified supplement killed nearly a hundred people and disabled thousands.
In their tests they discovered “Rats fed GM potatoes had smaller livers, hearts, testicles and brains, damaged immune systems, and showed structural changes in their white blood cells making them more vulnerable to infection and disease compared to other rats fed non-GMO potatoes. It got worse. Thymus and spleen damage showed up; enlarged tissues, including the pancreas and intestines; and there were cases of liver atrophy as well as significant proliferation of stomach and intestines cells that could be a sign of greater future risk of cancer. Equally alarming, results showed up after 10 days of testing, and they persisted after 110 days that’s the human equivalent of 10 years.”
Genetically engineered or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are created by taking genes from organisms such as bacteria, viruses or animals and inserting them into other, often unrelated, species. Unlike traditional breeding, genetic engineering creates new organisms that would never occur in nature, creating new and unpredictable health and environmental risks.
What can you do right now to avoid GMO food?
Greenpeace International opposes the release of genetically engineered (GE) crops and animals into the environment based on the precautionary principle. They have put together a shopper’s guide to help you avoid GMO contaminated food and it lists many of the products on our grocery shelves. It gives you the actual name of the brand and product. Most of them you are already familiar with. KELLOGG’S cereals Raisin Bran, Smacks, Corn Flakes, Honey Crunch are only a sample of the ones listed that have been manufactured with GMO’s.
This report is free and can be downloaded here, or preview it below. It’s well worth printing off and keeping it handy.
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Footnote:
1Natural News Natural brands betray consumers over GMO labeling