Tag Archives: genetically modified food

Vermont Becomes First State to Require GMO Labeling

Governor Peter Shumlin made history when he signed a bill into law making Vermont the first state to require the labeling of genetically modified foods. The new law will take effect July 1, 2024, so in just two years, residents of the state of Vermont can expect to GMO labels on foods.

vermont gmo law

While many were cheering the signing of the bill, Shumlin announced an online fundraiser set up to help battle the expected legal challenges to the new law. Opponents to the law have already threatened lawsuit, and the Grocery Manufacturers’ Association has state government has no compelling interest in warning consumers about GMO foods.

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Up to 70% of Supermarket Food is Genetically Modified – See How it Affects You

Ever since genetically modified foods entered the market in 1996, controversy has surrounded them. Genetically modified foods, also called GMOs (genetically modified organism) or genetically engineered foods, are products whose DNA has been altered in a way that would not occur naturally. This is done in order to produce a crop with bigger yields, insect resistance, virus protection, and herbicide tolerance, thus hopefully translating into bigger profits for producers and lower prices for consumers.

Genetically modified foods are a staple in most Americans’ diets whether they know it or not. Genetically modified crops include corn, soybeans, canola, cottonseed, sugar beets, squash, papaya, and a bevy of other foods. Most GM products are made with corn and soybeans, in one of their many forms, and cottonseed and canola oil. Many processed foods contain one or more of these four ingredients. Additionally, many products are manufactured with the help of animals given genetically modified food or growth hormones. This includes dairy products produced by cows given the rBGH hormone as well as egg-producing chickens given GM grains. (more…)

California’s Push for Labeling of Genetically Modified Foods

Californians seem to be doing everything right these days. Achieving the tall and slender beach-body look, eating less than kids in other states, and now likely voting to enforce a new law that would require labeling of genetically engineered food. Is there anything they aren’t doing right? Well, maybe.

If approved, California would be the first state in the nation to require GMO labeling. And according to a recent poll by California Right to Know, it’s likely to happen as nine out of 10 California voters want the labeling to be enforced.

However, new research on the effectiveness of food labeling suggests it may not be the one-cure-fix-all solution Californians, and other health-conscious Americans, are looking for. This is because a labeling initiative may end up making it harder for consumers to know what’s in their food, since it makes the definition of ‘natural’ food very unclear.

When we think of the word natural when it relates to food, we think organic, healthy, and no artificial preservatives, flavorings or ingredients. But apparently the term natural is becoming much harder to define, especially since the federal government has refused to make the term any clearer, allowing food companies to continue labeling their food as ‘natural’ when it may very well not be. (more…)

The Doctors Decode GMOs and Other Health Concerns

Friday’s episode of The Doctors is a must see. The cast will be explaining the truths behind genetically modified foods (GMOs) and how to tell if you’re purchasing them for your family. The experts will also explain how to decode health mysteries that confuse so many. These hot topics and more will be covered in “Secrets To Decoding What’s In Your Food, On Your Body & More!”

Dr. Travis Stork, along with his team, will be explaining why our bodies may have the reactions they do after eating certain foods. Dr. Stork will alway explain how GMOs may be the cause for many of our baffling symptoms.

Furthermore, the show will dedicate a segment to reading the number codes on products like apples and produce. These codes are the key to consumers knowing what they’re truly purchasing. Those tiny numbers on the apple sticker distinguish between a genetically modified apple and a traditionally grown fruit.

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Approval of Genetically Engineered Salmon Looms Near

whole salmon on white backgroundAquAdvantage salmon is close to being approved as the first genetically engineered (GE) animal to be approved for human consumption by the FDA. Created by the Massachusettes company AquaBounty Technologies, the GE salmon combines the genes of the Chinook salmon and Pacific salmon, and also includes a rapid growth gene taken from ocean pout. The fish reaches maturity in half the time as wild salmon.

The FDA has not disclosed their timeline on the subject, but The Daily reports that the agency has sent its environmental assessment to the White House, indicating that their assessment is complete. Talking Points Memo reports that the document is in favor of commercializing the genetically engineered fish.

Opponents of the GE salmon have stepped up their efforts to prevent it from entering the U.S. food stream. Many ecologists worry that the wide-scale breeding of such a fish will have a negative impact on the environment, particularly if the AquAdvantage salmon escapes into the wild and breeds with wild salmon.

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Genetically Modified Food Safety on the Dr. Oz Show

UPDATE: This episode will air again on Thursday July 21, 2024.

Tune in this Tuesday, December 7 to the Dr. Oz Show when America’s favorite doctor investigates the safety of genetically modified food.

In the past few years, the controversy surrounding genetically modified food has been a hotly contested subject. On this episode, Dr. Oz will open the discussion up to a panel of experts who weigh in on both sides of the argument. You will have the opportunity to hear the main issues surrounding the safety and danger of genetically modified food, what kind of labeling regulations there are on such foods and what other countries are doing in response to this new wave of altered food. (more…)

Cloned food

Just a few weeks ago, the Food and Drug Administration issued a statement saying that meat and milk from cloned animals is as safe as their non-cloned counterparts. I don’t know about you, but this issue still does little to alleviate my concerns over the immediate and longterm effects of consuming cloned food. The government did say that it would not yet release cloned food into grocery stores. At least not yet right now. Hmmmm……