GMOs and How to Read Produce Tags

It is very important to ensure you are buying non-GMO products. Period.

There are a whole lot of conflicting reports out there, I know.  However, since there is a strong possibility they are unsafe to consume, my personal opinion is to play it safe and avoid them entirely. That includes all GMO produce and pre-packaged foods which contain a GMO crop ingredient. 

Here is a good article on GMOs. http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/

Below is a list of items which may be GMO

Soy
Corn
Cotton (oil)
Canola oil
Sugar from sugar beets
Zucchini
Yellow squash
Hawaiian papaya
Alfalfa

The sad truth for the consumer is that many packaged and/or processed foods contain GMO ingredients, but they are not clearly marked as such. Therefore, we consumers need to be extra savvy in our knowledge to discern if the product we intend to purchase (and consume) may indeed contain damaging GMOs.

Please take time to read labels and steer clear if you are uncertain whether an ingredient is a GMO or not. In packaged foods, beware of ingredients such as, Canola Oil, Corn Oil, (anything with “Corn in the name”) Food Starch, lecithin, Soy, (anything made with soy, tofu etc…), dextrose, baking powder, Citric Acid, etc…. a very long list. Here is a great list of ingredients to watch out for.

http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/brands/invisible-gm-ingredients.html

Note: Use Soy and Corn products with caution. Even if the label says Non-GMO. My personal belief is that true non GMO for corn and soy is nearly impossible because of cross pollination. Use your own judgement and consideration when purchasing produce or prepared items using soy or corn. Even if it claims to be non-GMO.

Always check the sticker/tag when buying produce from the grocery store

Here is a quick guide for reading produce tags:

If there are only four numbers in the PLU, this means that the produce was grown conventionally or “traditionally” with the use of pesticides. The last four letters of the PLU code are simply what kind of vegetable or fruit. An example is that all bananas are labeled with the code of  4011.

If there are five numbers in the PLU code, and the number starts with “8″, this tells you that the item is a genetically modified fruit or vegetable. Genetically modified fruits and vegetables trump being organic. So, it is impossible to eat organic produce that are grown from genetically modified seeds. A genetically engineered (GE or GMO) banana would be:  84011

If there are five numbers in the PLU code, and the number starts with “9″, this tells you that the produce  was grown organically and is not genetically modified. An organic banana would be:  94011

If your produce item does not have a sticker, please ask your grocer. Better to be safe!

Stay well and discerning  my friends,

Carolyn