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Article for 01-2001

Bio-Engineered Foods Are They Safe?

By Wendy W. Cheslak

You have probably noticed that bio-engineered or genetically modified (GM) foods have been in the news lately. As one reporter put it, "Would we be better off if scientists didn’t mess around in Mother Nature’s pantry?" I wrote about this agricultural method in The Power Herbs: 13 Herbs Every Medicine Cabinet Should Have. [Order your copy on our web site today. Page 75 has information on how you can get a list of everyday products containing GM foods.]

What are bio-engineered or GM foods? The food is genetically manipulated by splicing plant or animal genes and sometimes pesticides or antibiotics into the plant’s DNA. Why? The agricultural community is looking for ways to improve crop yields, control pests or disease.

Insecticide and/or herbicide toxins are being genetically inserted into corn, soy, and cotton crops, saving farmers over $200 million on pesticides annually. (This method is said to save the environment from excessive chemical contaminates.) Since GM technology makes economic sense, why haven’t the savings been passed on to the consumer?

We also have GM pharmaceuticals – over 150 products are now on the market. Insulin is one made with genetically modified bacteria.

On the surface, this may seem like a scientific breakthrough. However, there is a lack of scientific data and safety precautions to assure that this method is safe for humans and the environment. Experts are concerned that, without proper research and controls, there is the potential for unknown allergens, decreased nutrition, and elevated toxins.

In a recent news article, the director of Friends of the Earth (a health and environmental agency) went food shopping and collected over 20 products containing yellow corn. The items that were collected were everyday foods like corn chips, corn flakes, taco shells, and corn meal. Why? He was concerned that a new, genetically altered corn (approved only for animal feed) had infiltrated our food supply. He sent the corn products off to an independent lab (Genetic ID in Iowa) to see if his hunch was right.

The results revealed that a genetically altered corn variety, called StarLink, had made its way into the corn products. The results were released on September 18, 2000, and a Genetically Engineered Food Alert was issued. Kraft, Mission Foods and others have recalled over 300 products.

Aventis, the makers of StarLink, suspended sales, and an investigation of how StarLink got into the food products began. There were StarLink tainted corn shipments as far away as Japan and Korea who subsequently refused all incoming shipments.

Obviously the safety protocols to protect our food supply had failed, and no one knows what the ramifications will be. The StarLink corn hybrid was showing up in corn supplies that were not supposed to be affected.

Aventis obtained approval on StarLink from the EPA. The approval was based on the guarantee that it would not contaminate the US corn supply. StarLink is specifically synthesized to produce its own pesticide. The concerns that the EPA had about StarLink corn is that the pesticide it produces is not digestible by humans. Other corn hybrids that make chemical pesticides are digestible by humans and have in the past been approved by the EPA.

So, what happened? In a nutshell, there was a breakdown in communication on how StarLink was to be handled and distributed. Aventis sold their knowledge of their genetic invention to seed companies, which in turn produced the seeds and then sold them to the market. The end users (farmers) were not told that StarLink was to be used only for animal feed. The farmers harvested their crops and took the grain to the mills for processing into meal.

Even with all this, in October Aventis submitted a request to the EPA to approve StarLink for human consumption. They sent new lab studies, which suggests StarLink does not cause immune system problems. At this writing, the EPA has reservations about StarLink being safe for humans and has not lifted its restrictions on StarLink.

Because there are no long-term studies on the risks of GM foods, it is safer to stick with certified organic foods. This way you know that your source of food is not genetically altered. Also, for those of you who adhere to religious rites, you may not know if your GM food has been spliced with pork DNA.

You should be alert to the biotechnology developments in your foods. The industry is looking for ways to manipulate foods to:

Increase profit
Boost nutrition (whether naturally or artificially is not yet known)
Increase shelf life
Deliver vaccines via food

In the near future, if it isn’t here already, you will have the following GM enhanced foods:

Peppers – enhanced for longer shelf life with no seeds
Bananas – longer shelf life and may contain hepatitis vaccine
Cantaloupe, Pineapple, Raspberries, Strawberries – longer shelf life
Margarine/Shortening – GM oil to avoid hydrogenation (hydrogenated oils are very unhealthy)
Potatoes – higher starch content made to absorb less fat when fried
Tomatoes – suppressed hormone to extend shelf life and high doses of antioxidants

Also, scientists are taking rat DNA and splicing it into foods like lettuce. They report it is to increase the vitamin C content.

What are the risks? Here is what some experts are saying:

Biologist Michael Hansen (of Consumer’s Union, publishers of Consumer Reports) says, "The appropriate safety tests have not been done (on GM foods), so the population is serving as guinea pigs."
Plant pathologist Jane Rissler of the Union of Concerned Scientists said, "Inserting foreign genes into a food might make it toxic. You can’t control where the genes go. The inserted gene might land somewhere within an organism that could cause it to over-produce unhealthy proteins. You might generate a new compound that is not good for humans."
Dr. Martha Herbert, Council for Responsible Genetics says, " There’s no way to definitively exclude allergic potential. Young children and the elderly would be particularly at risk, since their immune systems aren’t fully developed or may be compromised by disease."

Currently there are no requirements for manufacturers to list GM foods on their food labels, and produce suppliers are not required to use stickers to alert consumers of GM hybrids. The current governing agencies (FDA, Department of Agriculture, and Environmental Protection Agency) admit that they do not have adequate monitoring or laws that require premarket testing of GM foods with new substances. Experts are concerned that substances born in the lab may react differently in the real world. Congress has two bills on biotechnology under discussion. Write your congressmen about your concerns for proper GM food testing and labeling.

GM foods encompass a variety of products and account for about a quarter of our food supply. Businesses that have used or are using GM ingredients are McDonald’s, Heinz, Frito-Lay and Gerber. You should know which products contain GM ingredients. Until we have protective guidelines in place, it is safer to go with certified organic foods. Parents, you should know that GM foods have made it into baby formula.

To find out how you can protect yourself from GM foods and live healthier, get your copy of The Power Herbs: 13 Herbs Every Medicine Cabinet Should Have. This title is available on this web site for immediate shipment. Click on the book icon on the Welcome Page or click on Herbal Shop and then on books. It is also available through amazon.com and most bookstores.

If you‘d like to learn more about organic gardening and where to get certified organic seeds (no GM seeds), check out www.cooksgarden.com.

Coming in future issue: Natural Weight Loss and How You Can Do It.

Sources:

Crenson, M., How Crop Entered Food Supply. (Charlotte Observer-Associated Press), North Carolina: Knight Publishing Co., December 5, 2000, pp. 1-2D.

Brody, J., Genetically Altered Foods Aren’t Necessarily Scary. (Charlotte Observer), North Carolina. Knight Publishing Co., December 11, 2000, pp. 2E.

Gower, T., Should You Fear the New Foods? (BGH), Iowa: Meredith Corporation, November 2000, pp. 258-262.

The information contained herein is not intended to diagnosis, treat, prevent or cure any disease. Please seek medical advice from a licensed medical physician before using any herbal products or natural therapies. The information contained herein is copyrighted by Apothecary Herbs, Inc.

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