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How can we avoid eating hacked (genetically modified) food?

5 points by bitcartel ↗ HN
Californians will soon be voting on Prop 37 [1] and may become the first state in the US to require labelling of food which contains genetically modified ingredients. Over 50 countries already require this. Personally I think the jury is still out on the long term effects of GM food on humans [2][3] so labelling will be helpful to anyone who would like to avoid GM food but found it difficult.

It's easy for some things. I love Kettle Chips and they already label themselves as being made from "non-GMO ingredients". However, when it comes to buying groceries, it seems the "organic" label isn't enough, and you have to look for "100% organic" [4], so just grabbing stuff at Whole Foods is no good.

Eating out is obviously much harder. For example, Burgermeister use Niman Ranch beef where the cattle themselves dine out on hacked food. "Unfortunately, use of GMOs is now prevalent in the U.S., and cross-contamination of non-GMO fields due to wind drift from genetically modified crops does sometimes occur." [5]. I don't think I've ever seen a restaurant menu declare a dish to be GM free.

If you try to avoid GM food, how do you make it easier on yourself? Do you eat at home more? Do you use any apps or websites with lists of products confirmed to be GM free?

[1] http://www.carighttoknow.org/

[2] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2205509/Cancer-row-GM-foods-French-study-claims-did-THIS-rats--cause-organ-damage-early-death-humans.html

[3] http://www.nature.com/news/rat-study-sparks-gm-furore-1.11471

[4] http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/what-is-organic.html

[5] http://www.nimanranch.com/faq.aspx

8 comments

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Codhisattva
Avoid fast food and chains. Shop carefully. Vote for labeling laws.
tokenadult
Why worry about this? There is no scientific evidence that "genetic modification" (the new kind, rather than the kind of genetic modification that has always been done by breeding) poses any health risks whatsoever.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/antivaccine-ve...

A recent submission to HN based on very reliable statistics pointed out that life expectancy in the United States at birth, at age 40, at age 60, at age 65, and even at age 80 has been steadily RISING

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=longevity-w...

since 1960, so new foodstuffs introduced since then based on GMO science so far don't seem to have net harm for the population in balance with all other social and environmental changes since then.

antidoh
It isn't necessarily a worry, just a choice.
bitcartel
Yep. GMOs have entered the food chain and we don't know what the long term impact will be. Some people will choose to err on the side of caution and avoid GM food.

What's telling is that companies are spending millions to fight against labeling and thus deny people the right to know and choose. If GM food is safe, why not wear the GM badge with pride?

prunebeads
Why worry about this? There is no scientific evidence that "genetic modification" (the new kind, rather than the kind of genetic modification that has always been done by breeding) poses any health risks whatsoever.

Search for "french study GMO" on google. Most scientific testings on GMOs aren't done on period long enough to be significant.

A recent submission to HN based on very reliable statistics pointed out that life expectancy in the United States at birth, at age 40, at age 60, at age 65, and even at age 80 has been steadily RISING

This isn't evidence that GMOs are healthy, only that other factors are overriding GMOs effects.

since 1960, so new foodstuffs introduced since then based on GMO science so far don't seem to have net harm for the population in balance with all other social and environmental changes since then.

It doesn't mean that we should let people eat GMOs. Hard drugs (like heroin, cocain, etc) represent a minor cause of death too.

seiji
Most scientific testings on GMOs aren't done on period long enough to be significant.

Over a long enough time period, it has been shown all foods lead to death.

prunebeads
There are different kinds of death, and the ones mentioned in that study are not really the kind I would like to go through.
tobylane
I'll do what I do now, cook/prepare as much of what I eat as possible, bought from markets where possible. I don't care about organic or not, I care about needless additives and lost nutrients because it was prepared a week ago in a factory.