Genetically Modified Food – GM Foods List and  Information

Information provided by Mavis Butcher – Published: 2009-09-22

Information on Genetically Modified (GM) foods including a list of GM foods  with DNA changes and the pros and cons of GM food today.

GM Foods

Genetic modification of food is not new.

For centuries, food crops and animals have been altered through selective  breeding. While genes can be transferred during selective breeding, the scope  for exchanging genetic material is much wider using genetic engineering. In  theory, genetic engineering allows genetic material to be transferred between  any organism, including between plants and animals. For example, the gene from a  fish that lives in very cold seas has been inserted into a strawberry, allowing  the fruit to be frost-tolerant.

By far the most common genetically modified (GM) organisms are crop plants.  But the technology has now been applied to almost all forms of life, from pets  that glow under UV light to bacteria which form HIV blocking “living condoms”  and from pigs bearing spinach genes to goats that produce spider silk.

When  did genetically modified foods originate?

Between 1997 and 1999, gene-modified (GM) ingredients suddenly appeared in  2/3rds of all US processed foods. This food alteration was fueled by a single  Supreme Court ruling. It allowed, for the first time, the patenting of life  forms for commercialization. Since then thousands of applications for  experimental GM organisms have been filed with the US Patent Office alone, and  many more abroad.

The first commercially grown genetically modified whole food crop was the  tomato (called Flavr Savr), which was made more resistant to rotting by  Californian company Calgene. The tomatoes were released into the market in 1994  without any special labeling.

In February 1996, J. Sainsbury and Safeway Stores in the United Kingdom  introduced Europe’s first genetically-modified food product. A variant of the  Flavr Savr was used by Zeneca to produce tomato paste which was sold in Europe  during the summer of 1996. Following GM crops included insect resistant cotton  and herbicide-tolerant soybeans both of which were commercially available in  1996.

In 2003, countries that grew 99 % of the global transgenic crops were the  United States (63 %), Argentina (21 %), Canada (6 %), Brazil (4 %), China (4 %),  and South Africa (1 %) and today the Grocery Manufacturers of America estimate  that 75 % of all processed foods in the U.S. contain a GM ingredient.

Between 1995 and 2005, the total surface area of land cultivated with GMOs  had increased by a factor of 50, from 17,000 km² (4.2 million acres) to 900,000  km² (222 million acres), of which 55 percent were in Brazil.

In the US, by 2006 89 % of the planted area of soybeans, 83 % of cotton, and  61 % maize were genetically modified varieties.

Today many Gmod crops are grown in North America. India has also come aboard  the bandwagon in 2002 with a rapid and continuing expansion of GM cotton  varieties.

“Genetic engineering is inherently dangerous, because it greatly expands  the scope for horizontal gene transfer and recombination, precisely the  processes that create new viruses and bacteria that cause disease epidemics, and  trigger cancer in cells.” – Dr. Mae-Wan Ho

Genetically Modified Food  Debates

Genetically modified foods, or GM foods, are often mentioned in the news  lately. European environmental organizations and public interest groups have  been actively protesting against GM foods since they were first created, and  recent controversial studies about the effects of genetically modified corn  pollen on monarch butterfly caterpillars have brought the issues of genetic  engineering plants and animals to the attention of the public.

The benefits of genetically modified food crops include being able to breed  disease resistant crops and herbicide tolerant strains. Genetically modified  crops can also be made to include vitamins that may be lacking in some staple  varieties.

According to the UK Greenpeace website – The introduction of genetically  modified (GM) food and crops has been a disaster. The science of taking genes  from one species and inserting them into another was supposed to be a giant leap  forward, but instead they pose a serious threat to biodiversity and our own  health. In addition, the real reason for their development has not been to end  world hunger but to increase the stranglehold multinational biotech companies  already have on food production. And – The simple truth is, we don’t need GM  technology in order to possess future food security. Using sustainable and  organic farming methods will allow us to repair the damage done by industrial  farming, reducing the excessive use of fertiliser, herbicides and other man-made  chemicals, and making GM crops redundant.

Many scientists argue that there is more than enough food in the world and  that the hunger crisis is caused by problems in food distribution and politics,  not production, so people should not be offered food that may carry some degree  of risk.

Activists are opposed to genetic engineering as with current recombinant  technology there is no way to ensure that genetically modified organisms will  remain under control, plus the use of this technology outside secure laboratory  environments represents multiple unacceptable risks to both farmed and wild  ecosystems.

In 1996, Brazil nut genes were spliced into soybeans by a company called  Pioneer Hi-Bred. Some individuals, however, are so allergic to this nut, they go  into anaphylactic shock (similar to a severe bee sting reaction) which can cause  death.

Many opponents of current genetic engineering realize that the increasing use  of GM in crops has caused a power shift in agriculture towards Biotechnology  companies, which are gaining more control over the production chain of crops and  food, and over the farmers that use their products, as well.

In 1989, dozens of Americans died and several thousands were afflicted and  impaired by a genetically altered version of the food supplement – L-tryptophan.  A settlement of $2 billion dollars was paid by Showa Denko, Japan’s third  largest chemical company. (Mayeno and Gleich, 1994).

On August 18, 2006, American exports of rice to Europe were interrupted when  much of the U.S. crop was confirmed to be contaminated with unapproved  engineered genes, possibly due to accidental cross-pollination with conventional  crops.

In 1998, 95-98 percent of about 10 km² planted with canola by Canadian farmer  Percy Schmeiser were found to contain Monsanto’s patented Roundup Ready gene  although Schmeiser had never purchased seed from the Monsanto company. Monsanto  then sued Schmeiser for piracy. In the past few years more and more crops have  started to cross-pollinate which leaves a problem that is yet to be solved.

In 2005 Environmentalists say Australia faced “the most serious  genetic  contamination event” in its history, after the West Australian  government confirmed low levels of genetically modified canola had been found in  non-GM canola. Also in 2005 a decade-long project to develop genetically  modified peas with built-in pest-resistance has been abandoned after tests  showed they caused allergic lung damage in mice.

“They’re now turning those seeds into intellectual property, so they have  a virtual lock on the seeds upon which we all depend for our food and  survival.” – Jeremy Rifkin

Genetically Modified Food Labels

In America, there’s no need for labeling and this has resulted in a  largely uninformed populace that is ingesting “gene-altered” food.

In other parts of the world such as the European Union, Japan, Malaysia  and Australia consumers demand labelling so they can exercise choice between  foods that have genetically modified, conventional or organic origins. Since its  implementation in April 2004, EU Regulation 1829/2003 (labeling of genetically  modified food and feed) has caused both food and feed manufacturers in Europe as  well as their overseas suppliers a great deal of concern.

All genetically modified foods intended for sale in Australia and New Zealand  must undergo a safety evaluation by Food Standards Australia New Zealand  (FSANZ), an independent government agency. FSANZ will not approve a GM food  unless it is safe to eat. It is mandatory for GM foods to be identified on food  labels in Australia and New Zealand. These requirements became law in December  2001 and were put in place by food ministers to assist consumers to purchase or  avoid GM foods, depending on their own views and beliefs.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture says the industry faces huge losses if  mandatory labelling is implemented. The fear is that consumers will see the  labels as a warning and avoid these foods, and that food processors will  reformulate their products to avoid GM foods rather than place labels. It also  says labels will increase the price of foods produced and processed in  Canada.

“The fact is, it is virtually impossible to even conceive of a testing  procedure to assess the health effects of genetically engineered foods when  introduced into the food chain, nor is there any valid nutritional or public  interest reason for their introduction.” Richard Lacey: Professor of Food  Safety, Leeds University.

List  of genetically modified foods:

It’s virtually impossible to provide a complete list of genetically modified  food (GM food) in the United States because there aren’t any laws for  genetically modified crops!

Some estimates say as many as 30,000 different products on grocery store  shelves are “modified.” That’s largely because many processed foods  contain soy. Half of North America’s soy crop is genetically engineered!

Rapeseed – Resistance to certain pesticides and improved rapeseed  cultivars to be free of erucic acid and glucosinolates. Gluconsinolates, which  were found in rapeseed meal leftover from pressing, are toxic and had prevented  the use of the meal in animal feed. In Canada, where “double-zero” rapeseed was  developed, the crop was renamed “canola” (Canadian oil) to differentiate it from  non-edible rapeseed.

Honey – Honey can be  produced from GM crops. Some Canadian honey comes from bees collecting nectar  from GM canola plants. This has shut down exports of Canadian honey to  Europe.

Cotton – Resistant to certain pesticides – considered a food because  the oil can be consumed. The introduction of genetically engineered cotton  plants has had an unexpectedly effect on Chinese agriculture. The so-called Bt  cotton plants that produce a chemical that kills the cotton bollworm have not  only reduced the incidence of the pest in cotton fields, but also in neighboring  fields of corn, soybeans, and other crops.

Rice – Genetically modified to contain high amounts of Vitamin A. Rice  containing human genes is to be grown in the US. Rather than end up on dinner  plates, the rice will make human proteins useful for treating infant diarrhoea  in the developing world.

Soybean – Genetically modified to be resistant to herbicides – Soy  foods including, soy beverages, tofu, soy oil, soy flour, lecithin. Other  products may include breads, pastries, snack foods, baked products, fried  products, edible oil products and special purpose foods.

Sugar cane – Made resistant to certain pesticides. A large percentage  of sweeteners used in processed food actually comes from corn, not sugar cane or  beets. Genetically modified sugar cane is regarded so badly by consumers at the  present time that it could not be marketed successfully.

Tomatoes – Made for a longer shelf life and to prevent a substance  that causes tomatoes to rot and degrade.

Corn – Resistant to certain pesticides – Corn oil, flour, sugar or  syrup. May include snack foods, baked goods, fried foods, edible oil products,  confectionery, special purpose foods, and soft drinks.

Sweet corn – genetically modified to produces its own insecticide.  Officials from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have said that   thousands of tonnes of genetically engineered sweetcorn have made their way into  the human food supply chain, even though the produce has been approved only for  use in animal feed. Recently Monsanto, a biotechnology food producer, said that  about half of the USA’s sweetcorn acreage has been planted with genetically  modified seed this year.

Canola – Canola oil. May include edible oil products, fried foods, and  baked products, snack foods.

Potatoes – (Atlantic, Russett Burbank, Russet Norkatah, and Shepody) –  May include snack foods, processed potato products and other processed foods  containing potatoes.

Flax – More and more food products contain flax  oil and seed because of their excellent nutritional properties. No  genetically modified flax is currently grown. An herbicide-resistant GM flax was  introduced in 2001, but was soon taken off the market because European importers  refused to buy it.

Papaya – The first virus resistant papayas were commercially grown in  Hawaii in 1999. Transgenic papayas now cover about one thousand hectares, or  three quarters of the total Hawaiian papaya crop. Monsanto, donated technology  to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, for developing a papaya  resistant to the ringspot virus in India.

Squash – (yellow crookneck) – Some zucchini and yellow crookneck  squash are also GM but they are not popular with farmers.

Red-hearted chicory – (radicchio) – Chicory (Cichorium intybus var.  foliosum) is popular in some regions as a salad green, especially in France and  Belgium. Scientists developed a genetically modified line of chicory containing  a gene that makes it male sterile, simply facilitating the production of hybrid  cultivars. Today there is no genetically modified chicory on the market.

Cotton seed oil – Cottonseed oil and linters. Products may include  blended vegetable oils, fried foods, baked foods, snack foods, edible oil  products, and smallgoods casings.

Tobacco -The company Vector has a GMO tobacco being sold under the  brand of Quest® cigarettes in the U.S. It is engineered to produce low or no  nicotine.

Meat – Meat and dairy products usually come from animals that have  eaten GM feed.

Peas – Genetically modified (GM) peas created immune responses in  mice, suggesting that they may also create serious allergic reactions in people.  The peas had been inserted with a gene from kidney beans, which creates a  protein that acts as a pesticide.

Vegetable Oil – Most generic vegetable oils and margarines used in  restaurants and in processed foods in North America are made from soy, corn,  canola, or cottonseed. Unless these oils specifically say “Non-GMO” or  “Organic,” it is probably genetically modified.

Sugarbeets – May include any processed foods containing sugar.

Dairy Products – About 22 percent of cows in the U.S. are injected  with recombinant (genetically modified) bovine growth hormone (rbGH).

Vitamins – Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is often made from corn, vitamin  E is usually made from soy. Vitamins A, B2, B6, and B12 may be derived from GMOs  as well as vitamin D and vitamin K may have “carriers” derived from GM corn  sources, such as starch, glucose, and maltodextrin.

How can the public make informed decisions about genetically modified (GM)  foods when there is so little information about its safety?

According to the FDA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),  there are over 40 plant varieties that have completed all of the federal  requirements for commercialization.

Future planned applications of GMOs are diverse and may include drugs in  foods, for example, bananas that produce human vaccines against infectious  diseases such as Hepatitis B, metabolically engineered fish that mature more  quickly, fruit and nut trees that yield years earlier, and plants that produce  new plastics with unique properties.

“History has many records of crimes against humanity, which were also  justified by dominant commercial interests and governments of the day. Despite  protests from citizens, social justice for the common good was eroded in favour  of private profits. Today, patenting of life forms and the genetic engineering  which it stimulates, is being justified on the grounds that it will benefit  society, especially the poor, by providing better and more food and medicine.  But in fact, by monopolising the ‘raw’ biological materials, the development of  other options is deliberately blocked. Farmers therefore, become totally  dependent on the corporations for seeds.” – Professor Wangari Mathai.

UPDATE: California Proposition  37 – Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food:

Proposition 37, a Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food  Initiative, is on the November 6, 2012 ballot in California as an initiated  state statute. Proposition 37 requires labeling of food sold to consumers made  from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways and  prohibits marketing such food, or other processed food, as “natural.” The Right  to Know Genetically Modified Food Act, a piece of state legislation if passed in  November would require GMO-containing products to disclose that on labels, and  make California the first state to mandate genetically modified food. A recent  poll showed that nearly 2/3rds of likely California voters favored Proposition  37.

Citation: Disabled World News (2009-09-22) – Genetically modified foods information including list of GM foods with dna changes and pros and cons of GM food:  http://www.disabled-world.com/fitness/gm-foods.php#ixzz27LclS3QQ

What are Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO Foods?

Scientists have been and are currently introducing genetic material into organisms to alter, create and affect changes in living plants and animals. These radical changes scientists are developing create specific, desirable traits that might never evolve naturally and in my opinion are extremely dangerous.

Collectively called recombinant DNA technology, this practice changes the core genetic make-up of organisms. This genetic manipulation gives scientists the ability to create any trait that they wish, or suppress natural traits they don’t want. There are several reasons this unnatural genetic manipulation may affect you.

1. It’s usually not clear which consumables have been genetically manipulated.
2. You don’t know the long term health effects of these genetically modified foods. Initial research has shown that short-term reactions can be severe.
3. Agro-chemical companies and the government are planning to charge farmers fees to grow their GMO crops, thereby negatively affecting the economy and environment.

Cultivated Genetically Modified Foods

From bacteria (E. coli) and fungus, fruits and vegetables to animals, genetic manipulation is becoming more and more common in our society. In the US market now, 60-70% of the processed foods are genetically modified.  In 2006, United States GMO crops reached just shy of 135 million acres, with the total global area exceeding 250 million acres!¹

This is a short list of the genetically modified food crops that are grown in the US today:

And each week more are being created at an alarming rate!

Processed Consumer Goods Made With GMO Ingredients

The bio-chemical industry is fiercely going after two crops, corn and soy, because of their high demand for use throughout our processed goods and biofuel industries.

For companies to increase and control the yield of these crops, it would mean controlling a large part of the processed goods and biofuels markets. It would also mean considerable profit as they can patent these crops and technically OWN THEM!

For now, you won’t see GMO on the labels of foods in the US. Currently, producers are not required to tell you, because, believe it or not, the Federal government has declared it’s their choice to determine what is good for you and what foods are safe for your consumption — and we know how far that is gotten us.

Following is a short list of processed foods made with genetically modified organisms:

The list of GMO products on the market today is long and growing. So, I recommend doing your research because the USDA made the following determination:  These products don’t need to be labeled with GMO content information unless the product presents the threat of causing allergic reactions in humans. Amazing, huh?

Several sites on the internet today are working hard to track and compile such information regarding these man-made foods. The items above are compiled from several lists including the 2003 food guide from The True Food Network².

The long-term dangers of Genetically Modified Foods are uncertain, but we have already seen severe short-term reactions

In 1989, a Japanese company paid out a $2 billion dollar settlement to several thousand American citizens who became ill from a genetically modified version of L-Tryptophan³. Several dozen Americans died from ingesting L-Tryptophan before it was taken off the market. Today, some health practitioners are returning to non-GMO L-Tryptophan for use in treating sleep disorders.

In 1996, animal tests, conducted after the danger was inflicted on humans, proved that there was a severe danger from genes spliced from Brazil nuts and soybeans. The danger: allergic reactions so severe that the individuals could suffer anaphylactic shock, possibly leading to death⁴.

In 2006, Japan suspended long grain rice imports from the US after tests revealed that the rice contained trace amounts of GMO that were not approved for human consumption. In the US, we still accept variations of the banned genetic modification to the rice⁵.

It all started by the government giving blanket approval to the “Frankenstein” tomato. You see, by 1994, the government made a stunning decision, one that reeks of something foul. They decided that since the Flavr Savr® performed “so well in its tests” that its results would stand for any further GMO produce. Because of that, no further testing would be required before presenting it to consumers for consumption.⁶

Are there fees that farmers will have to pay to grow GMO crops?

Genetically Modified Foods are now being marketed as the crops of the future. You can have everything you want in produce, meat and milk, and they can make it happen. Don’t doubt the economic gain that these agro-chemical companies are seeking.

The following two plans are under development by Monsanto of the US, and AstraZeneca of Britain. They fall under the trait-specific technology, called Genetic Use Restriction Technology (T-GURT).

“Technology Protection,” is how they sell it. “Terminator” technology makes plants that would produce sterile seeds after one season. This means, farmers have to buy more seeds for the next harvest.

“Traitor” technology is a trait-specific technology that develops traits which would remain dormant in crops. Farmers can choose to activate this trait by spraying their crops with a proprietary chemical compound. This means, they’ll have to buy the proprietary compound to treat their crops in order to activate it. There are even biochemical companies requiring farmers to sign agreements to not save any of their seeds for re-planting. This means that instead of using the seeds for the next planting season, they have to get rid of them and buy more seeds.

Why would business and the government do something like this?

The USDA, Monsanto and AstraZeneca, have contrived a way to make money on two fronts: First they make money on gene modification. Second, they make money because farmers have to pay them annually to continue to grow crops. It’s apparently dollars and cents all the way, no sense of human protection involved. The USDA is actually in business with Monsanto in owning some of the genetic engineering technology patents.

How Are GMO Foods Toxic?

Genetically modified foods affect the human physiology. A study of people in the Philippines reported that their bodies developed antibodies to Bt toxin. What this means is that, the human body processed these engineered traits into their guts and reacted to them. These same consumers of the GMO corn in the Philippines also developed a resistance to the antibiotic ampicillin.

This antibiotic resistance is something that science hadn’t foreseen-which is indicative of questionable experimentation and not enough testing. And it makes me wonder if there is a bigger picture at hand. Maybe to create more illness and sell you more pharmaceuticals?

Recommended Reading:

• Genetically Modified Foods: Why You Should Avoid Them
• Is the UK conducting secret crop trials using Genetically Modified Foods?

CHECK THIS OUT:

http://www.naturalnews.com/037289_Monsanto_corporations_ethics.html

Learn more:  http://www.naturalnews.com/037289_Monsanto_corporations_ethics.html#ixzz27LgnTERn

Death over life

Monsanto’s products cause death. They compromise and  violate life. Monsanto’s GM corn grown a toxic chemical right inside each and  every corn kernel. This corn is what is subsequently eaten by humans.
Rats  fed this corn grew horrifying cancer tumors as shown  here:

In  a recent scientific study, a shocking 70 percent of female rats died  prematurely when fed GMOs. Fifty percent of males died early. Almost all of  them died from cancer tumors.
 Read more about the link between GMOs and  cancer tumors at: http://www.naturalnews.com/037249_GMO_study_cancer_tumors_organ_damag…
Learn more:  http://www.naturalnews.com/037289_Monsanto_corporations_ethics.html#ixzz27LhRicnX

Categories: Bible Prophecy, Breaking News, Wellness/Health

Tags: Brazil, Flavr Savr, Genetic engineering, Genetically modified food, Genetically modified organism, Monsanto, South Africa, United States