Verified

"consumers in North America should have access to clearly-labeled non-GMO food and products, now and in the future."

Whole Foods has joined with the Non-GMO project verified seal. They have started labeling foods that are GMO free. This is a third party who tests and validates the product at GMO free. There are GMO free labels but they have not been tested by a third party which gives them more credibility.

'What does “Non-GMO Project Verified seal” mean?
The verification seal indicates that the product bearing the seal has gone through our verification process. Our verification is an assurance that a product has been produced according to consensus-based best practices for GMO avoidance:

• We require ongoing testing of all at-risk ingredients—any ingredient being grown commercially in GMO form must be tested prior to use in a verified product.
• We use an Action Threshold of 0.9%. This is in alignment with laws in the European Union, where any product containing more than 0.9% GMO must be labeled. Absence of all GMOs is the target for all Non-GMO Project Standard compliant products. Continuous improvement practices toward achieving this goal must be part of the Participant’s quality management systems.
• After the test, we require rigorous traceability and segregation practices to be followed in order to ensure ingredient integrity through to the finished product.
• For low-risk ingredients, we conduct a thorough review of ingredient specification sheets to determine absence of GMO risk.
• Verification is maintained through an annual audit, along with onsite inspections for high-risk product.'

I have started using a app on my phone that gives me a list of the foods that have been NonGMO verified

sticker shock

Take Action, NOW!!

Monsanto could get everything it wants for Christmas, unless we convince legislators this week to strip both the 2013 Agriculture Appropriations Bill (H.R. 5973) and the Farm Bill of dangerous riders that would give the biotech industry unprecedented power and immunity from not only an already-weakened review process, but also from federal law.

Cick below and sign. Please pass along. If Monsanto is immune from laws our food system will get worse, not better. Monsanto already has a huge monopoly and the list of 'okay' process and ingredients is going to sky rocket if they are not held accountable.

http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50865/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=8644

Great Site to Follow

GMO Awareness

What It Means And The List Of Artificial Ingredients Allowed

"To be certified 'organic' a producer needs to prepare documentation (fill out forms) testifying they obey the guidelines below and pay a fee. There is no 'on the spot' checking of farms to insure compliance.

Organic regulations restrict and in some cases ban additives like preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colorings and flavorings, and monosodium glutamate (MSG). 

95% of the food must obey those guidelines. Not 100%, 95%. And in the 95% there are exemptions provided by the National Organic Program. Why only 95% and why are there exemptions? Because the farmers trying to be organic would be out of business if there were actual purity requirements, so the National Organic Program lists the 5% as 'essential' and have amended those over time so the list is substantial."

Click the link above to see the LOOONG list of approved ingredients allowed in organic food.

Happy Eating.

Boybott

I just called two companies that I know are 'organic' or claim 'natural' ingredients. I love Mom's Best cereal there are only a few ingredients in their honey O's and no HFCS or BHT for freshness. I was so hopeful that they would say joyfully, "We are 100% GMO free!!!". Sadly, that customer service gal stated at this time they cannot guarantee 100% GMO in anything except their oatmeal. The lady stated there are hopes to be GMO free but that requires a whole new factory system so that no products are contaminated.


I also called Organic Valley. They sells eggs and I think a few other dairy products. They stated they are GMO FREE!!



Sadly, the above chart shows that even organic tostito's and Safeway O brand doesnt mean GMO free.

So how can a product be organic yet not GMO free? Look for signs that say 100% organic, certified organic and USDA Organic

"100% Organic: Must contain 100 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt). This is the only label that certifies a completely organic product AND completely GMO-free ingredients.

Certified Organic / USDA Organic / Organic: At least 95 percent of content is organic by weight (excluding water and salt). The <5% remaining ingredients must consist of substances approved on the USDA’s National List. GMOs are NOT on this list, so these products are also usually GMO-free.

Made with Organic: Up to 70% of the ingredients are organic. These products can NOT carry a “USDA organic” label and are NOT typically GMO-free.

Read this next party carefully:
 
According to USDA rules, if 95 percent of a product is made up of organic ingredients, it can be called organic. If it's 70 percent organic, the label can read "made with organic ingredients."
 The USDA keeps a "national list" of inorganic products that can legally go into foods labeled as organic. The casings for those tasty USDA Organic sausages can come from conventionally raised animals that have been fed antibiotics. The hops in your favorite organic beer can be sprayed with all manner of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Strawberries can be labeled as organic even if they had their start in a conventional nursery.

Despite rigid organic certification procedures, organic certification is about the *process* of growing food, not about the actual resulting food. There is no testing process for organic ingredients, so there is a chance that GMO contamination could occur."

Ill link the next post to a great article on What It Means And The List Of Artificial Ingredients Allowed

Autism and GMO's

After reading lots of article and other blogs with great links I shared with my husband that I wonder if Austim is on the rise due to GMO's.

I am not saying that GMO's cause austim I am thinking there COULD be a link. A predisposition that gets triggered by GMO's. I hear from lots of friends, who have friends, who know someone who doesnt vaccinate because they believe there is a link to Autism. There has been many studies done proving that here is no link. Again, this is just a thought. In the early 80's in when GMO's became FDA 'safe' and since the late 80's autism has skyrocketed.

I would be interested to see if there are any studies out there about babies who drank formula and  now have ausitm. In my earlier post I stated there are no baby formulas on the market that are GMO free. Although they claim organic they are not USDA approved (let me know if you find one).

Ill be the first to admit that I could amy off my rocker and a true lunatic for even entertaining this idea.

From having my own baby and learning all about how rapidly babies grow in their first few years I have no doubt that what we give our children will affect their small bodies.

If a baby from birth is given formula that if filled with GMO's wouldnt it affect their small, immautre bodies or cause their bodies to respond differently becaue of GMO's. If adults are seeing Celiac and other diseases linked to GMO consumption how much more important is it that we protect our children."engineered genes distort the way the body processes key amino acids", and when our babies are so little all their cells need the chance to fully form and function.

Contains:

GM Soybean Oil
GM Soy Lecithin
GM Maltodextrin
GM Soy Protein
GM Corn Syrup

"Infant formula is already a inferior food for babies, putting them at greater risk for variety of illnesses including ear and upper respiratory infections, asthma, diabetes and cancer. These risks may be increased when infant formula is genetically engineered. GMO ingredients can alter the nutritional value of baby foods, increase exposure to toxins, and elevate the risk of developing allergies and resistance to antibiotics." Wouldnt the nutrition levels in formula be compromised due to GMO's?

"Many authorities are concerned because GMOs in baby foods are not adequately tested for safety and should not be used in baby foods as artificially fed infants are dependent on formula as their sole source of food for month on end.
Infant formula is already a inferior food for babies, putting them at greater risk for variety of illnesses including ear and upper respiratory infections, asthma, diabetes and cancer. These risks may be increased when infant formula is genetically engineered. GMO ingredients can alter the nutritional value of baby foods, increase exposure to toxins, and elevate the risk of developing allergies and resistance to antibiotics.
According to Vyvyan Howard, a toxilogical pathologist at the Liverpool University Hospital: "Swapping genes between organisms can produce unknown toxic effects and allergies that are most likely to effect children."
In the United States, foods for infants and young children containing GMO do not require labeling or testing. as a result, concerned parents can't avoid feeding GE food to their children."

What can a mother do then if like my friend your  hormons make it difficult to produce milk, you adopt a child, supply is low?

I know off the top of my head (possibly) two options: Local milk bank and speaking with your physician about making your own goats milk formula.*

*Im going to my peditrician today and I am going to ask about this IDEA of making homemade formula. It may be the worst idea EVER, but I wanna see what she says. It could be the dumbest, most illogical idea.

Most importantly share with friends and family members to make calls to formula companies. Start asking for a true, GMO free formula. Sometimes this is the only option for babies and if we all believe in giving baby the 'right start' lets start with one of  their most vital food & life sources.

hair spray in our cheeseburger

All Baby Formula contains GMO's

The Non GMO Project has some great information on their site. Shoot on over there and see all their great links. You can search by product brand or category.

I currently breastfeed my baby and have not needed formula. Just the other day I was looking into formula for baby E so when hubby and I go out our sitter has more milk (Im not producing a lot of extra for bottles). Sadly, there is no GMO free formula on the market at this time. Most formulas are made from soy or other GM ingredients.

Here is one article you can read about the  DHA used in infant formula which contains genetically modified algea.

Again, just because it says Organic doest mean GMO free. (More on this later)

Earth's Best Organic Soy with DHA & ARA (Hain Celestial Group)

Enfamil LIPIL (Mead Johnson Nutritionals)

Enfamil Next Step (Mead Johnson)

Isomil 2 Advance (Abbott Laboratories)

Nestle Good Start Supreme with DHA & ARA (Nestle USA)

Parent's Choice Organic (Wal-Mart)

Similac Advance (Abbott Nutrition)

Ultra Bright Beginnings Lipids (PBM Products, LLC)

Find out if you are consuming products or food containing DHA here.

Another option for mams may be goats milk formula. I trust Dr. Sears but would need to know what the ingredients are in the store bought goats milk formula. I would do more research and ask my physician before giving to baby but may be a good alternative to formula.  Another option is making your own homemade goats milk formula.

GMO, what?

Many of you probably have heard or  know what GMO food is.

It is any food product that has been altered at the gene level.Genetically modified foods are also frequently described as "genetically engineered", "genetically altered" or "genetically manipulated."

Foods that contain soybeans, corn, or their derivatives (soy oil, soy flour, soy protein isolates, corn oil, corn starch, corn flour, and high fructose corn syrup) are made from genetically modified organisms.

"Shopping organic is a great step towards ensuring that your family eats the healthiest foods possible. The challenge is that although GMOs are an excluded method under the National Organic Program, organic certification does not require GMO testing. Choosing products that are Certified Organic AND Non-GMO Project Verified is the best way to make sure you are getting the safest, healthiest, highest-quality food for your family."


So why a blog on GMO's? Some, like Dr OZ, may believe that "organic food consumers are “elitists”,“snooty”, and “snobs”. But I don't see it that way. With diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Autism & high blood pressure to name a few I want to steer clear from things that knowingly cause harm to me and my family. There is no way, unless we grow all our own food, to never eat GMO's but I think there is a way to eat with a deeper awareness and understanding of how our food can heal us or make up sick.

So what is this blog about? Many thing.

Informing you more about what GMO's are. Whats happening with the process of America getting GMO's labeled (like many other countries around the world), effects of GMO's on the body, what product labeling really means; if it is labeled organic is it GMO free? The list goes on.

 "Rats fed with GM corn showed organ failure & the toxin has been detected in the bodies of pregnant women". If we eat this stuff everyday for many years, no wonder diseases are skyrocketing. Our food is not healing us, its harming us.

Where do we go from here? For starters I think you have to decide if it bothers you that your food is filled with ingredients and cellular level modifications that are causing sickness. Second I think its important to start sharing with friends and calling manufactures (GMO hunter anyone?) and asking about their products and what they plan to do to remedy this issue.




HUGE DISCLAIMER: I am just starting my research. I do not claim any scientific or medical expertise. I am using the Internet and other resources that are available to all people, please understand that I am trying to inform and encourage others to start their own process of finding out more in regards to GMO's.

Um, really?

"It can be said that modification of plants is not a new phenomenon. For centuries, gardeners and farmers have been crossbreeding different species of plants to create plants that produce heartier, better tasting, or more beautiful crops. However, the type of genetic engineering of foods that has caused a groundswell of concern around the world is vastly different from these traditional plant breeding practices. With modern genetic engineering, genes from an animal, plant, bacterium, or virus are inserted into a different organism (most often a plant), thereby irreversibly altering the genetic code, the "blueprint" that determines all of an organism's physical characteristics, of the organism that received the gene. Through this technology, scientists have created tomatoes with a longer shelf life by adding flounder genes, soybeans that are resistant to weed killers, potatoes that produce their own pesticides, and potatoes with jellyfish genes that glow in the dark when they need water. Genetic engineers are also working to develop fruits, vegetables, and grains with higher levels of vitamins and foods that contain vaccines against diseases like malaria, cholera and hepatitis."

So. what you're telling me is that when I cook up my lovely sweet potato I may or may not be eating jellyfish. So yummy!

Take time and read this over. Many pages are citatons. Grab a cup of coffee or tea.



Happy Reading.