Surprising Genetically Modified Foods

No doubt by now you have heard about genetically modified ingredients that are used in our modern food supply and the dispute over whether or not they are the solution to world hunger or a tool of the antichrist. For the duration of this article, let’s leave that argument alone and answer a far more fundamental question. When you do your family’s shopping at the grocery store, are you informed about which foods are most likely to be, or most likely to contain ingredients that are, genetically modified?

Foods That are Genetically Engineered

Papayas

Throughout most of the 1990s, the papaya trees in Hawaii were overwhelmed by something called the ringspot virus. This virus destroyed approximately half of the papaya crop grown in the Aloha state. In 1998, specialists were able to produce a transgenic fruit called the Rainbow papaya, which they discovered was immune to the ringspot virus. Today, 77% of the papaya crops that are grown in Hawaii are genetically engineered for this very reason.

Milk

Recombinant bovine growth hormone, usually marketed as rGBH, is a genetically modified variety of an organically produced hormone that is injected into factory farmed dairy cows in order to amp up their milk production. This substance is not permitted in milk that is intended for consumption by humans according to laws set by the European Union, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia. Numerous milk producers that are rGBH-free label their brand accordingly, but as much as 40 percent of our dairy products, including cheese and ice cream, still use the hormone in order to increase their profits.

Corn on the Cob

It is fairly common knowledge that 90 percent of corn that is grown here in the United States is genetically engineered. The majority of that corn is used for either feed for animals or for ethanol. Whatever happens to be left over generally ends up in your processed foodstuffs. Sweet corn is the type of corn that you grill or steam on the grill and eat right off of the cob, used to be GMO-free. That is, until last year when the chemical company Monsanto rolled out its first genetically modified crop of sweet corn. Conscientious consumers were able to successfully petition stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s and dissuade them from carrying the Frankencorn, Walmart has since begun lining their grocery shelves with it, completely unmarked, void of any label or warning of any kind.

Squash and Zucchini

To be fair, most of the squash that you will find on the shelves of your local grocers are probably not genetically modified. In farms across America, however,  nearly 25,000 acres of straightneck squash, crookneck squash, and zucchinis have been planted and are bioengineered to be virus resistant.

Foods Labeled “All Natural”

If you are trying to avoid foods that have been genetically modified then you need to be very aware of this particular label. Arsenic is a perfectly natural compound, but do you want it in your food? As of this moment, there are no strict definitions of what counts as an “all natural” food. Hopefully, this law will be changing soon since federal court judges have on recently demanded the Food and Drug Administration decide whether or not the expression can rightfully be used to define foods that use genetically modified ingredients. This determination will also play a key role in the resolution of pending class action suits against General Mills, Gruma Corporation, and the Campbell Soup Company.

What about the flip-side of this argument? Are there any foods on grocery store shelves that you have been avoiding because you have heard that they are genetically engineered but in reality are not? Common examples of this misconception are:

Potatoes

Back n 1995, Monsanto injected genetically engineered potatoes that were intended for human consumption into the nation’s food supply. After backlash from its consumer base, however,  McDonald’s and several other major fast food chains told their potato suppliers to stop using any genetically modified potatoes. The bioengineered potato crop has been eliminated from the market ever since.

Seedless Watermelon

While it seems like a perfectly logical thought that a fruit that has no naturally occurring seeds in it obviously must have been genetically modified, the seedless watermelon is actually a hybrid of two distinct types of other watermelons, earning it the nickname the “mule of the watermelon world.” Charming.

Salmon

At this time there are no meat, egg, or fish foodstuffs are genetically modified, although a company by the name of Aqua Bounty does have an application in with the Food and Drug Administration, in hopes of getting its genetically modified salmon approved for human consumption and thereby also approver for sale in your local grocery store.

Soy Milk

A whopping 93% of all the soy that is grown here in the United States is genetically modified. Interestingly enough, it turns out that the majority of the best selling brands of soy milk actually do not contain any genetically modified ingredients. Silk, the number one selling brand of soy milk in the nation, combined forces with the Non-GMO Project in the year 2010. The majority of popular tofu brands here in the United States also do not include any genetically engineered ingredients in them.

Rice

A well-known staple food for more than half of the world’s hungry mouths, there are presently absolutely no varieties of genetically engineered rice that have ever been approved for consumption by human beings. That could, however, be very close to changing. A genetically engineered species of rice called “golden rice” is currently being manufactured over in the Philippines. This golden rice has been reconstructed so that it includes beta-carotene, which is a good source of vitamin A. Investors are commending golden rice as a possible way to relieve nutrient deficiency issues that are prevalent among the peoples who live in developing countries.

Here at the Brady Law Group, we have a team of attorneys experienced in the field of product liability. We have the necessary knowledge and resources to win you all of the financial compensation that you are entitled to under California state law. It is our aim to provide justice for these families that have had their lives altered by chemical profiteering. We do not back away from complicated or stressful cases. We go to any necessary lengths to protect the rights of our clients. If you would like a free consultation regarding a Roundup lawsuit that you believe you may have, please reach out to our law firm by calling (866) 211-2562 as soon as possible.