INFORMATION ON GMO, ORGANIC, AND NATURAL FOODS

In this slideshow I will:! Dene Organic, Non-GMO, and Natural labels! Provide information about about what constitutes the organic process! Provide information about what effects GMOs may have on health! Provide information about why natural doesnt mean natural! !

Natural Vs. Organic Vs. Non-GMO Regulations

Organic: ! Does not contain any articial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation. ! Organic foods must be minimally processed to ensure the integrity of the food is maintained! Grown from seeds that have not been genetically engineered or modied in any way! ! Non-GMO:! Grown from seeds that have not been modied by chemical companies to change their attributes! Products that are certied organic are, by denition, non-GMO ! ! Natural:! U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not developed a denition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, articial avors, or synthetic substances (Nestle, 2012)!

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOS)

On David Suzukis website the following quote is stated

The safety of GMO foods is unproven and a growing body of research connects these foods with health concerns and environmental damage. For this reason, most developed nations have policies requiring mandatory labelling of GMO foods at the very least, and some have issued bans on GMO food production and imports. In Canada we do not. (Understanding GMO, n.d.)

Many crops are GMO today, the following are some of these products. The percentages attached is the percentage of GMO in production for that crop
!

Canola (approx. 90% of U.S. crop)! Corn (approx. 88% of U.S. crop in 2011)! Cotton (approx. 90% of U.S. crop in 2011)! Papaya (most of Hawaiian crop; approximately 988 acres)! Soy (approx. 94% of U.S. crop in 2011)! Sugar Beets (approx. 95% of U.S. crop in 2010)! Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash (approx. 25,000 acres)

http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/what-is-gmo/

There are various health concerns related to GMO foods. In research conducted on animals they found that: Mice fed GM soy over their lifetime (24 months) showed more acute signs of ageing in the liver than the control group fed non-GM soy.!
!

Rabbits fed GM soy showed enzyme function disturbances in kidney and heart.!
!

And,!
!

Female rats fed GM soy showed changes in uterus and ovaries, showing the need for further investigation into the effects of soybased diets (GM and non-GM) on reproductive health.!
!

(Antoniou, Robinson and Fagan, 2012, p. 37-38)

In addition to the previous slide there have been multiple studies done, on multiple breeds of animals with the following health issues being found: Animals fed with either (all GMO): tomato, soy, maize, potato, or rice ! Were found with the following adverse effects: ! stomach lesions! developed allergies! liver, kidney, and pancreas issues! abnormalities in the testes, heart, uterus, and ovaries! changes in blood chemistry, immune systems, and digestive systems

(Antoniou, Robinson and Fagan, 2012, p. 37-39)

GMOs in Humans
Soy oil extracted from GMO soy has been found to contain anywhere from .197-.350 ppm of glyphosate residues (Swanson, 2013, para. 4).!
!

Glyphosate is a known endocrine disruptor and .5 ppm, and has been shown to induce breast cancer cell growth in humans (Swanson, 2013, para. 6).!
!

Endocrine disruptors are dened as interfering with endocrine, and hormone systems as well as affecting several other body systems such as: developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune systems (Endocrine Disruptors).

Discovery lists the 10 most genetically modied foods. Below are a few that they list.

Potatoes! Corn! Tomatoes! Squash!

Golden Rice! Soybean! Salmon

You can see the other food they list and what is said about them at: http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/10-geneticallymodied-food-products.htm

ORGANIC CROPS AND WHY NATURAL FOODS ARENT NATURAL

Organic Growth Standards

For crops to be considered organic they must conform to the following standards:! Land requirements ! Environmental factors! Seed and planting stock! Soil fertility and crop nutrient management! Manure management! Crop pest, disease and weed management More information can be found in the Canadian Organic Growers document: http://www.cog.ca/uploads/standards.pdf

Since the FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have not created a formal denition for the use of natural on labels the term has become popular on new foods and beverages (What Does Natural Mean, n.d.)

In 2012 Prevention Magazine described 7 natural foods that really arent natural (Miller, 2012), some of these include: 1. Granola Bars: many contain processed sweeteners and cellulose (an ingredient made from nontoxic wood pulp or cotton to increase the bre content)! 2.Non-dairy and soy Cheeses: soy is one of the most common GMO crop (which will be discussed later in this slideshow)! 3. Bottled iced tea: will likely have natural sweeteners or highfructose corn syrup! 4.Ice cream: many contain natural avours and modied starches as thickening agents
http://www.prevention.com/food/smart-shopping/what-all-natural-means-food-labels#.

References

!
Antoniou, M., Robinson, C., & Fagan, J. (2012). GMO myths and truths: An evidence-based examination of the claims made for the safety and efficacy of genetically modified crops. London, United Kingdom: Earth Open Source. Bocco, D.Top 10 genetically modified food products. Retrieved March 20, 2014, from http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/10-genetically-modifiedfood-products.htm Canadian General Standards Board. (2006). Organic production systems general principles and management standards. ( No. CAN/CGSB-32.310-2006). Gatineau, Canada: Canadian General Standards Board. Endocrine disruptors. (2013). Retrieved January 28, 2014, from http://library.mtroyal.ca:5732/health/topics/agents/endocrine/ Miller, T. (2012). 7 "100% natural" foods that aren't. Retrieved March 20, 2014, from http://www.prevention.com/food/smart-shopping/what-all-natural-means-foodlabels#. Nestle, M. (2012). What about that "pesky" natural on food labels? Retrieved March 20, 2014, from http://www.foodpolitics.com/2012/03/what-about-that-peskynatural-on-food-labels-2/ Swanson, N. (2013, October 26). Purified ingredients derived from GM crops are not pure . Calgary Examiner Understanding GMO. Retrieved March 20, 2014, from http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/queen-of-green/faqs/food/understanding-gmo/ What does "natural" mean when it appears on a food label? Retrieved March 20, 2014, from http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442453268 What is GMO?: Agricultural crop that have a risk of being GMO. Retrieved March 20, 2014, from http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/what-is-gmo/