Feeding your family can be complicated. First, there are the logistics of multiple schedules. Then there’s the task of selecting healthy foods. The glitch in that seemingly simple process is choosing between organic and nonorganic; fresh, frozen or canned; grass fed/antibiotic-free, cage-free or not and non-GMO or GMO. There’s more than enough information available to help you make an informed choice in most of these areas, but concerns about GMOs are often a sticking point. If the European Union countries ban GMOs with only limited exceptions and the US does allows GMOs despite ongoing debate, how do you know if GMOs are safe for your kids?
What is a GMO?
A GMO is a genetically modified food. The EPA defines a GMO as one that had its genetic material (DNA) changed using technology that generally involves the specific modification of DNA, including the transfer of specific DNA from one organism to another. It’s genetic engineering, using sophisticated tools to improve some aspect of the food – usually how well the seeds grow under challenging conditions. The process is not as simple as planting seeds from the healthiest corn plants this year when it’s time to seed next year. It’s also not the same as selectively breeding livestock with desirable traits to produce offspring with those traits. When you create a GMO, you actively change the DNA.
Why a Food is Genetically Modified
As the amount of land available for farming shrinks and the global population grows, the need for dependable and abundant food is imperative. One of the first big innovations for increasing crop yield was the introduction of fertilizers. The newest iteration is the genetic modification of crops like corn – used to feed livestock and people. Corn is also used to produce some alternative fuels, so there’s a lot of pressure on farmers to grow an adequate supply. Rather than tinker with selective breeding in one form or another, scientists found they could directly alter the DNA of a food to enhance the qualities that would make it drought- or pest-resistant.
Negative Press
Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, was the company that produced an herbicide known as Roundup. Roundup was applied to corn crops to allow a greater yield by killing weeds and other unwanted plants. The problem was that Roundup also killed the corn crop. Monsanto solved this problem by genetically modifying their corn so that it would be resistant to Roundup. The seeds from this corn were patented because they were not ordinary seeds. Farmers have traditionally planted unused seeds from the prior year during the next season. Monsanto insisted that farmers purchase new seeds each season. This led to lawsuits about Monsanto’s right to dictate which seeds the farmers used. There was never a problem with the GMO seeds themselves, but the publicity and controversy left many people with the impression that farmers refused to use the seeds. That caused them to question GMO seeds.
And Then There Are the EU Countries
The EU has legislation that bans GMO products except in limited, approved cases. The ban is based upon the fact that Europe, in general, has a long-standing objection to genetically modified foods for two main reasons: GMO foods will make it impossible for unmodified foods to compete, causing the demise of native crops, and genetic engineering is considered the manipulation and patenting of life, which is not desirable for a host of ethical and practical considerations. Again, there is no issue with the safety of GMO foods.
Are GMOs Safe for Your Kids?
While GMOs may not be unhealthy in the pure sense, there are concerns about GMO crops. These concerns center on the use of herbicides on GMO crops: Roundup may not hurt the corn, but do the chemicals introduced to the corn hurt the livestock and humans eating that corn? HealthyChildren.org, from the American Academy of Pediatrics, makes it clear that “herbicides are the issue – not the crops themselves or the animals that eat them.” Spraying herbicides at higher concentrations or more frequently is the part of GMO foods that results in a health risk for those who eat those crop foods.
Going Organic
Labeling with GMO will give you the opportunity to pick and choose which foods you’ll use. Then again, you may want to avoid the question of herbicides entirely by going organic. The USDA prohibits the use of genetic engineering or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in organic products. Certified organic also means that livestock feed does not have GMOs. This approach also makes it possible for you to include GMOs that do not bring unhealthy aspects with them to your dinner table.
