WANT TO HELP MAKE GMO HISTORY?
Getting an initiative on the California ballot is a timed adventure. Once we turn the language of the initiative in, the state has it for anywhere from 40 to 60ish days or so. Once we get it back, we have 150 days to gather 504,760 qualifying signatures. All experts tell us that we should count on gathering 750,000 - 800,000 to make sure we have enough that make it.
This is a grassroots movement to ensure safety in our food supply.
The issue of GM food safety was first discussed at a meeting of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and biotech representatives in 1990. The "substantial equivalence" concept was proposed in early 1996. The adoption of the concept of substantial equivalence permitted marketing of new foods without any safety or toxicology tests as long as they were not grossly different in chemical composition to foods already on the market. [FDA GRAS proposal]
To decide if a modified product is substantially equivalent, the product is tested by the manufacturer for unexpected changes in a limited set of components such as toxins, nutrients or allergens that are present in the unmodified food. If these tests show no significant difference between the modified and unmodified products, then no further food safety testing is required.
Because these genetically modified food products have not been FULLY tested for their effects on our bodies or the environment, we demand that they be labeled. We have a RIGHT TO KNOW what's in our food.This is a campaign about the right to INFORMED CHOICE. We want Genetically Modified Food LABELED. We have a right to choose what we put into our bodies, and a right to choose to not participate in a live food EXPERIMENT.
It is ridiculous and reckless to rely on manufacturers to test for the safety of GMO crops. Consumers have a right to know!
How much food do you throw away each time you clean out your refrigerator? I'm ashamed to admit it is usually quite a lot in my household. Not only is this wasted money, it is wasted resources that could feed hungry people. Add the amount of food wasted on farms, grocery stores, and restaurants to be astounded that Americans actually dispose of nearly half of all food produced.
Since the Great Depression and the world wars, the American attitude toward food has gone from a "use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without" patriotic and parsimonious duty to an orgy of "grab-and-go" where food's fetish and convenience qualities are valued above sustainability or nutrition. Journalist Bloom follows the trajectory of America's food from gathering to garbage bin in this compelling and finely reported study, examining why roughly half of our harvest ends up in landfills or rots in the field. He accounts for every source of food waste, from how it is picked, purchased, and tossed in fear of being past inscrutable "best by" dates. Bloom's most interesting point is psychological: we have trained ourselves to regard food as a symbol of American plenty that should be available at all seasons and times, and in dizzying quantities. "Current rates of waste and population growth can't coexist much longer," he warns and makes smart suggestions on becoming individually and collectively more food conscious "to keep our Earth and its inhabitants physically and morally healthy."
Bloom's book gives much food for thought, so once again I will vow to waste less food while feeding my family. From saving the planet to saving our pocketbooks, there are so many reasons to read Bloom's book and amend our ways.
Disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review be positive or negative.
The overuse of antibiotics is a real health concern as disease resistance becomes more common in humans. The use of antibiotics in dairy and meat are also of concern, as living conditions of factory farms are so unhealthy animals need regular injections to stay "healthy". Finally, Congress is looking at the problem.
It's a problem that's only getting worse with the expanded overuse of antibiotics. It's this practice that a Senate bill is looking to limit with the re-introduction of The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA).
According to Diane Feinstein (D-CA), the primary sponsor for PAMTA, reported on Civil Eats. "[t]he effectiveness of antibiotics for humans is jeopardized when they are used to fatten healthy pigs or speed the growth of chickens. This is a basic food safety initiative that would phase out the misuse of these drugs so that food in supermarkets across America will not spread strains of drug-resistant bacteria."...
According to the FDA, 80 percent of the antibiotics produced in this country are used in animal agriculture. This amount is estimated to be more than four times the amount of drugs used to treat human illness.
Deadly German E. Coli Sprout Outbreak NOT Linked to Organically Grown
Deadly outbreaks of E. coli in our food is scary considering you need to eat to survive and what you eat can kill you. The current crisis in Germany was originally linked to organic sprouted seeds, but German officials no longer believe that is the case. The Cornucopia Institute reports:
One of the suspected factors in this tragic outbreak of foodborne illness (now preliminarily cleared) was sprouted seeds from an organic farm. There's a history of pathogenic contamination of fresh food, including sprouts. Correcting statements made over the weekend, the German government stated on Monday, June 6 that it has not found conclusive evidence that the deadly E. coli outbreak can be linked to sprouts from an organic farm.
Regardless of which food turns out to have been contaminated with deadly E. coli, it is important to remember that the underlying cause of new, highly toxic strains of foodborne pathogens seems to be the relatively new practice of raising beef and dairy cattle in highly concentrated factory farm conditions, instead of on pasture...
Moreover, studies have shown that organic farms and organic foods are safer than conventional foods. Not only are they much less likely to be contaminated with chemical residues, pesticides, and fumigants, they are also not as likely to be contaminated with manure...
Recall data from the US Food and Drug Administration shows that there have been 10 recalls of sprouts in the past 2.5 years (since April 2009), and 9 were because conventional sprouts tested positive for foodborne pathogens (90% conventional, 10% organic). Several outbreaks in the US in the past couple of years have been linked to sprouts, but none were linked directly to organic sprouts.
Yet another reason it is safer to eat organically grown food.
Do you live in one of the 14 states with legislation pending that would label GMO foods? I do. California AB 88 specifically targets GE fish, but it is a sign of consumer sentiment regarding all types of GMO food.
When questions are not misleading, every poll shows the vast majority in the US want GMOs labeled. So why don't we have labeling here in the United States? The short answer is that the FDA made policy in 1992 that stands today. Even though there is clear evidence acquired through the Freedom Of Information Act that their scientists knew about possible health problems when they officially established this position, in a letter dated April 12, 2011, they still state that they are not aware of any data that shows genetically engineered food to be any different than non-GMO food and that there is no data that suggests genetically engineered foods are not safe. They don't consider long term effect or the unknown important. End of story...
Oregon tried a labeling initiative in 2002. They were pummeled at the ballot because of a deceptive media campaign. We cannot allow that to happen again. It won't if we unite as a movement and get support from the whole country. We can expect biotech to feel threatened by this and put all their resources into fighting it. They know that what we do in CA, MI and WA will impact the whole country: this is a national issue being fought at a state level. We need the nation's support.
GMO Warning: Your Natural Cereal is Genetically Modified!
Natural and genetically modified sound like antonyms to me; however, many "natural" cereals contain ingredients that have been altered from Mother Nature's design. Organic Consumer's Association explains:
Does "natural" mean non-GMO? Not likely. Many breakfast cereals labeled natural are likely to contain ingredients from genetically modified corn, soy, canola, and sugar beets.
This was a key finding from a survey of natural cereal manufacturers conducted by The Organic & Non-GMO Report. Several natural cereal manufacturers admitted that their products may contain GM ingredients, one manufacturer refused to comment, and three are putting their products through a non-GMO verification program to avoid the use of GMOs.
While GM ingredients are prohibited in certified organic food products such as cereals, "natural" products have no such requirements.
"Many natural products use GM ingredients"
Four natural cereal manufacturers issued statements saying that their products may contain GMOs. Malt-O-Meal, which manufactures Mom's Best Cereals, said "many all-natural products use some genetically modified ingredients, particularly corn. We respect that some people object to GMO ingredients for a variety of reasons, and we're continually researching and testing alternative ingredients that will make our cereals appealing to more people."
Quaker Oats, which manufactures Mother's Nature Cereals, said that because it buys bulk grains such as corn, soy, and canola "there is always a possibility that those grains may contain GMO material due to cross contact during manufacturing and transportation."
Even Kashi, a brand we have reviewed before here on Really Natural, will not guarantee there "natural" cereals are free of GMOs. I'm glad we can still safely enjoy our organic Kashi cereals!
With your support, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) has successfully stopped the commercialization of genetically engineered (GE) crops such as alfalfa, wheat, rice, sugar beets, and pharmaceutical crops. Now we are faced with a new challenge - the pending approval of GE salmon. Through our legal petitions and pressure on federal agencies and our government, we've been able to keep this hazardous new fish out of our waters and off our plates for the past ten years. Unfortunately, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)--under serious pressure from the biotech industry--is now set to approve GE salmon, making this the first GE animal ever approved for human consumption.
These GE fish pose serious risks to wild and native salmon and our marine environment and could potentially outcompete, and wipe-out, any remaining native salmon populations. To make matters worse, the human health impacts of eating GE fish are completely unknown.
Top 30 Natural Food Company Take Overs: Who Really Owns Your Favorite Organic Brand?
I recently had the pleasure of defending one of our favorite natural foods brand to a friend, who mistakenly thought it was owned by a grocery giant. When seeking proof for Nature's Path's independence, I came across the above chart.
I still remember the first time I tried baby carrots. It was at my aunt's house one Thanksgiving when I was a child, and I thought they were so unique and delicious. I don't know what it was about changing the shape of a carrot and making it uniform that made it taste better, but actually baby carrots, which are not really baby at all, do have higher sugar content and less beta-carotene than their adult relatives.
Care2 reports on the "odd evolution" of the baby carrot:
Some would say that baby carrots are the dumb, consumer-driven spawn of the more dignified garden-variety carrot. Others, namely farmer Mike Yurosek, would say they are a genius exercise in agricultural efficiency, and a hell of a moneymaker. As the baby carrot lore goes, Yorosek got tired of seeing 400 tons of carrots a day drop down the cull shoot at his packing plant in Bakersfield, CA (the culls are those carrots that are too twisted, knobby, or plain ugly to be marketable). Sometimes more than 70% of his carrots were tossed, composted, or fed to livestock. In an effort to recoup some of these losses, Yurosek devised a way to take these culls, shape them and shave them into those familiar baby carrot fingers and essentially turn waste into profits (most baby carrots sell for 50% more than conventional carrots - it is all in the packaging).
Knowing baby carrots are made from culled carrots has changed my opinion of them, but I am still concerned that some baby carrots are treated with bleach. Organic baby carrots do offer a safer options, as they are soaked in a citrus rather than a chlorine solution.
Slow food, the obvious antonym to fast food, is a movement that is growing across America. The Slow Food Nation says we need to "take back control of our food" so our food is "good, clean, and fair".
The three central principles of the Slow Food plan are these: food must be sustainably produced in ways that are sensitive to the environment, those who produce the food must be fairly treated, and the food must be healthful and delicious.
It's a simple concept that will change your health and benefit our environment. If you haven't joined yet, it's time!
Starting today or tomorrow, the Senate Agriculture Committee meets to finalize its version of the 2007 Farm Bill. It's not too late to call your Senators and ask 'em to make sure the Senate invests significant in improved access to healthy foods, protection of our air and water, increased opportunities for beginning farmers and ranchers, and equitable program access for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
Look up your Senators' contact info, call and ask to speak with the aide who works on the Farm Bill. Then ask him or her to ensure that the 2007 Farm Bill provides increased mandatory funding for your priorities, including:
* access to healthy foods,
* conservation programs,
* new markets, value-added enterprises, and local food systems,
* organic farming, and
* beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
Healthy, local organic food is important, and it needs support. Voice yours now.
They excerpt an interview with Anuradha Mittal, Founder and Executive Director of the Oakland Institute, a non-profit research and advocacy organization that works to ensure public participation and democratic debate on crucial economic and social policy issues. Her take on the biggest problem in the U.S.:
(F)ood, instead of being about communities, is now about commodities. It is controlled, not by the family farm, growing food for families and communities, while maintaining bio-diversity; it has come to mean large corporate industrial agriculture farms, where machines have replaced farmers, where monocultures have replaced biodiversity, where corporate agribusiness has replaced family farms. What we see as a result is a disconnect between us and the food system where we have been reduced to mere consumers. So we have to rethink our relationship with the food system before we can effectively challenge that.
How are we going to feed the world without destroying the environment?
Deadly outbreaks of E. coli in our food is scary considering you need to eat to survive and what you eat can kill you. The current crisis in Germany was originally linked to organic sprouted seeds, but German officials no longer believe that is the case. The 
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