It is becoming harder and harder to find organic foods in the USA that do not contain genetically modified (GM) ingredients, which goes against the definition of “organic”. US law does not require labeling to tell you whether the food contains genetically modified ingredients.

93% of all canola seeds, 86% of all corn and 93% of all soy planted in the USA are genetically modified, and make up over three-quarters of all processed foods in the country. Organic food retailers say this makes it very hard for them to stock 100% non-GM ingredients.

Organic foods are defined as those that:

  • Do not involve chemical fertilizers
  • Do not involve genetically modified organisms
  • Are not processed using industrial solvents
  • Are not processed using irradiation
  • Do not contain chemical food additives
  • Do not involve pesticides

Many people are asking for safety tests to be done on genetically modified ingredients.

A growing number of Americans are becoming concerned about the health safety of GM foods and would like to see clearer labeling.

According to the Chicago Tribune, most other industrialized nationals require labeling of GM ingredients.

Those in the GM-crops industry claim that their products are safe, making it unnecessary to bring in legislation forcing marketers to include details in their labeling. A 1992 FDA (Food and Drug Administration) statement said that the FDA had no evidence that GMOs “differ from other foods in any meaningful or uniform way.”

However, advocates for organic foods say consumers have the right to choose, and obscure or unclear labeling undermines their ability to choose. Surely, if there is nothing wrong with genetic engineering, the industry should be happy to label it – they say.

GM Foods are derived from GMOs (genetically modified organisms). GMOs have had certain changes made in their DNA by genetic engineering techniques.

GM foods first came onto the market during the early 1990s. All GM foods today are plant based foods. However, animal products have been developed, but none are on the market yet. A pig was genetically engineered to produce omega-3 fatty acids through the expression of a roundworm gene in 2006. Scientists genetically modified a breed of pigs so that their manure could have 60% less phosphorous.

Resistance to GM foods is generally based on safety and ecological concerns. There are also economic concerns because the organisms are subject to intellectual property law.

In 2002 the British Medical Association (BMA) was completely against GM foods. In March 2004 the BMA said in a statement that GM foods were “highly unlikely” to harm human health. The prestigious organization called for an end to the hysteria around the GM debate.

Dr Vivienne Nathanson of the BMA, said that GM foods have enormous potential to benefit both the developed and developing world in the long term.

Resistance to GM foods in UK and the rest of the European Union has been strong. However, most scientific studies have failed to find any potential health risks. A review by the Royal Society of Medicine in 2008 wrote that no reports of ill effects were found after millions of people worldwide had been consuming GM foods for over 15 years.

Some scientists point out, however, that there have been no proper epidemiological studies to find out whether genetically engineered crops have been the cause of harm to humans. As no studies have been carried out, they say that any harm, if it has occurred, would most likely not have been attributed to engineered ingredients.

Put simply – on the one hand, the GMO industry point to a lack of evidence of any hazards and say that that is good news, while such organizations as Greenpeace and the Organic Consumers Association say that lack of research in the long-term health and environmental consequences of such products is worrying – they would like to see comprehensive studies.

Written by Christian Nordqvist