just label it

Ah, the political ads seem to be everywhere, and rightfully so. In America, we are very blessed to have a role in the shaping of our governing authorities like no other country in history. I love politics. Love it. The debating, the issues, so intriguing and invigorating to me, but on the other hand, the bias of the media and everything that goes against God's Word in political platforms really riles me up. And, after the 2000 election, I had to stop watching MSNBC, FoxNews, and the like. I did keep my AM 870 radio habit alive... but that is only in the car :)

Anywho, next month, those of us who live in the great state of California (said in an Arnold accent) have the privilege to vote on prop 37. Basically, it is a proposition on the ballot requiring companies to label whether their products are made from seeds that have been genetically modified. I've blogged about the dangers of genetically modified seeds before and if you want to research you can look : HERE ... Just google "dangers of genetically modified seeds" and you'll get a bunch of info. Allergies, Auto-immune disorders, even autism has been linked to these seeds... And, we know as a country, we aren't getting healthier or weighing less.

Sure, the people against this bill (the companies who make BUKKO BUCKS from this industry, don't want you to know that you are consuming a seed that has been force-stuffed with a virus that infects the seed to become toxic to bugs) they want you to think that there is nothing wrong with these foods. However, it is just ironic when the company who makes the stuff doesn't want you to know what it actually is...

This bill is not perfect and like the ads on TV and the radio claim, not everything would be required to be labeled... but, who cares!!!!! Labeling SOMETHING is better than labeling NOTHING!

By the way, most of Europe is STRONGLY against all genetically modified crops (bioengineering agriculture) and the countries that allow imported goods that are generically modified are required to be labeled. Here is a label from Europe for salad dressing:

So, give us the right to know... That's all we ask :) If you still want to purchase the item, go for it, but you can't say you didn't know! The companies like Monsanto, DuPont, etc... are shaking in their boots with this proposition and rightly so. 

But what crops are being genetically modified? The top crops in the US is corn, soy, canola, cotton, and sugar beet.

One book I read said that 90% of all of these crops grown in the US are genetically modified. So, you can almost guarantee... that if you consume a non-organic product (or one that doesn't say non-gmo) that has corn, soy, canola, cottonseed oil, or sugar derived from sugar beets, you are consuming an genetically modified food. However, these crops can be formulated into a psychotic amount of different additives, flavors, and preservatives.

Here is a list of all ingredients that can be made from genetically modified ingredients, and since 

Aspartame (also called AminoSweet®,    NutraSweet®, Equal Spoonful®, Canderel®,  BeneVia®, E951) baking powder canola oil (rapeseed oil) caramel color cellulose citric acid cobalamin (Vitamin B12) colorose condensed milk confectioners sugar corn flour corn masa corn meal corn oil corn sugar corn syrup cornstarch cottonseed oil cyclodextrin cystein dextrin dextrose diacetyl diglyceride erythritol Equal food starch fructose (any form) glucose glutamate glutamic acid glycerides glycerin glycerol glycerol monooleate glycine hemicellulose high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) hydrogenated starch hydrolyzed vegetable protein inositol inverse syrup inversol invert sugar isoflavones lactic acid lecithin leucine

lysine malitol malt malt syrup malt extract maltodextrin maltose mannitol methylcellulose milk powder milo starch modified food starch modified starch mono and diglycerides monosodium glutamate (MSG) Nutrasweet oleic acid Phenylalanine phytic acid protein isolate shoyu sorbitol soy flour soy isolates soy lecithin soy milk soy oil soy protein soy protein isolate soy sauce starch stearic acid sugar (unless specified as cane sugar) tamari tempeh teriyaki marinades textured vegetable protein threonine tocopherols (vitamin E) tofu trehalose triglyceride vegetable fat vegetable oil vitamin B12 vitamin E whey whey powder xanthan gum (source)

Yikes! So, for now, since nothing is labeled, buying organic is the only way to know that you are not taking a bite into a GMO. 

Of course, this Proposition is a pain to companies, and the ads claim "more government regulation and intervention" and normally, I support this position, but not on this issue. Not when it comes to my health and the health of my family. No thanks! I opt out of the massive science experiment that Monsanto, and others, are conducting on the world. Just label it.