Then there's the issue of genetically engineered (GE) foods. They are worrying because, according to the Alliance for Natural Health, "GE organisms actually become part of the bacteria in our digestive tracts and reproduce continuously inside us." To date, there are no human clinical trials of GE foods so we don't know exactly what that does to our bodies, but I'm among those who would like to find out before ingesting too many genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. For one thing, it's a little worrying to know that the Institute for Responsible Technology has said that "the genetic engineering process creates massive collateral damage, causing mutations in hundreds or thousands of locations throughout a plant's DNA."
One of the things worrying scientists as well as anti-GE monitors is the possibility of creating antibiotic-resistant diseases. Already, they say, certain toxins inserted into genetically modified food crops to kill pests have been found in 93 percent of women and 80 percent of fetuses because of consumption of meat, milk, and eggs from livestock fed GE corn. Allergies have also skyrocketed in the U.S. and in the UK, when GE soy was introduced, soy-related allergies rose by 50 percent.
GMOs are causing genetic changes in mammal offspring. Birth defects, high infant mortality rates, and sterility have been documented in livestock fed GMO soy and corn. Some hamster offspring have been found with hair growing in their mouths.
In a worrying new development, the Organic Consumers Association reported recently that companies like Whole Foods Market and Stonybrook Farm have "surrendered to Montsanto" by giving the go-ahead to the USDA to approve "conditional deregulation" of a genetically engineered herbicide used on alfalfa. Opponents say this is bound to contaminate alfalfa fed to organic animals and to lead to "the destruction of the essential soil food web." For this reason, consumers will have to be hyper-vigilant about the difference between "natural" and "organic" foods.
Why are companies capitulating? One reason is that CEOs are growing tired of activist pressure. They may also think the battle against GMOs has peaked. But the main reason they're giving in is that they want the controversy to disappear. They know that a huge amount of their annual sales comes from so-called "natural" products that are, in fact, contaminated with GMOs.
If any of this troubles you, contact your legislators. Just be sure to call them on a landline.
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