Rockford Register Star rrstar.com
Published: April 8, 2006
Letters to the Editor
Genetically modified foods are not a healthy choice
By Karen King
Special to the Register Star
To some people, genetically modified organisms or biotech foods are a
fairly new concept and many (most) people have no idea what these words
mean. It is estimated that GMOs are present in 70 percent to 90 percent
of our food. Eighty-five percent of the soy and the majority of the corn
grown in the United States are genetically modified, as well as canola,
cotton, zucchini, Hawaiian papaya and Quest tobacco. Food ingredients
include corn syrup, corn starch, soy lecithin, vegetable oil, etc.
Genetically modified organisms are not hybrids or cross-bred animals.
GMOs contain genes or DNA of other species or bacteria. For example, a
tomato that has been infused with the gene of an arctic fish to keep it
from being damaged during frost (this has actually been done) or soybeans,
corn and wheat that have been modified to contain their own pesticides
or engineered to sustain multiple applications of herbicides and pesticides.
In order for cells to accept new DNA, an antibiotic marker gene must
also be inserted. The new DNA, antibiotic and pesticide are present in
every cell of the plant. Washing is ineffective.
GMOs cannot be recalled. Once they are released into the environment,
they cannot be controlled. The long term health and environmental effects
are unknown. GMOs do not require testing ‹ the FDA accepts GMOs under
the Generally Recognized As Safe guidelines. The GRAS category relies
on industry testing and voluntary information. The FDA does not even require
notification when new products have been produced and put into the marketplace.
There is no way to track the health effects and there is no accountability.
The problems in our society seem to correspond to the problems that farmers
experience with their animals when fed GMOs. Many farmers report that
their animals have problems conceiving and when taken off GMOs and put
on natural foods, they are able to conceive normally.
Some gave birth to water bags. Others had miscarriages. Rats that ate
GMOs sat in the corner by themselves. The ones who ate a natural diet
were fine; they played and behaved like rats.
Injections of the RBGH hormone in cows cause an increase in Insulinlike
growth factor 1 in humans. Although some amount of IGF-1 is necessary;
elevated levels have been linked with cancer. In addition, a greater amount
of antibiotics is needed to treat the increased udder infections caused
from increased milk production in RBGH/BST-injected cows. Antibiotic injections
end up in milk at levels previously considered by the FDA to be unsafe.
British Scientist, Arpad Puzti found that rats that ate genetically modified
potatoes suffered from damaged immune systems. Their white blood cells
responded more sluggishly than those fed a non-GMO diet, leaving them
more vulnerable to infection and disease. Compared to the rats fed a non-GMO
diet, some of the GMO-fed rats had smaller, less developed brains, livers
and testicles. Other rats had enlarged tissues, including the pancreas
and intestines. Significant structural changes and a proliferation of
cells in the stomach and intestines of the GMO-fed rats may have signaled
an increased potential for cancer. Many rats developed serious health
effects after only 10 days and some of these changes persisted after 110
days, a time period corresponding to about 10 years of human life.
Europe requires genetically modified foods to be labeled. Because of
this, the same companies who manufacture food in the U.S. using these
ingredients choose not to use GMOs in Europe. America has the lowest standards
of biotech safety in the developed world. Even developing nations such
as Zaire have tighter standards than we do.
Please write your congressman and tell them you want GMOs to be labeled.
Do not sit back and let this continue to happen! Change will only happen
if we make our voices heard. You can find more information on this subject
as well as steps you can take to protect your family at www.thecampaign.org.
Karen King is owner of Choices Natural Market.