Hidden GMO Ingredients

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These days it seems we know less and less about what's in our food. As big food and lawmakers have their way, ingredients sneakily make their way into our food. It's up to us, the consumer, to research what we eat and take a closer look at the labels. We've already identified the many places MSG is hiding in your food, but GMOs have an even stronger prevalence in what we eat.

WHAT ARE GMOS?

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) refers to foods that have been modified to withstand heavy doses of pesticides, mainly glyphosate, or are engineered to contain a toxin that kills bugs when they feed on the crop. Currently, up to 93% of US corn crops were genetically modified and a staggering 96% of US soybeans grown were GMO, and those aren't the only genetically modified foods. With these biotech foods making their way into the majority of our food, it's important to consider their safety.

WHY ARE GMOS DANGEROUS?

Despite GMOs being in around 70% of the nation's food, no testing has been done by the FDA to ensure their safety. However, independent testing has shown glyphosate to cause rapid tumor growth in lab rats. Glyphosate, which is the most common pesticide sprayed on GM crops and an additional 200 crops, has been linked to birth defects and intestinal discomfort, among other things. Glyphosate is now deemed to probably cause cancer by the World Health Organization (WHO) after review.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR ON THE LABEL:

The most common GMO crops are soy, cotton, canola, corn, sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya, alfalfa, and zucchini and yellow squash. In addition to those crops, these 100 ingredients, usually indicate the presence of hidden GMOs unless the product is certified organic or Non-GMO project verified.

  1. corn flour
  2. corn masa
  3. corn meal
  4. corn oil
  5. corn sugar
  6. corn syrup
  7. cornstarch
  8. starch
  9. food starch
  10. modified food starch
  11. modified starch
  12. hydrogenated starch
  13. milo starch
  14. high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
  15. dextrin
  16. cyclodextrin
  17. maltodextrin
  18. dextrose
  19. malt
  20. malt syrup
  21. malt extract
  22. hydrolyzed vegetable protein
  23. baking powder
  24. caramel color
  25. sugar (unless specified as cane sugar)
  26. E951
  27. Nutrasweet
  28. Aspartame
  29. minoSweet
  30. Canderel
  31. BeneVia
  32. Phenylalanine
  33. Equal
  34. confectioners sugar
  35. invert sugar
  36. inverse syrup
  37. fructose (any form)
  38. glucose
  39. condensed milk
  40. milk powder
  41. glycerides
  42. glycerin
  43. glycerol
  44. glycerol monooleate
  45. diglyceride
  46. mono and diglycerides
  47. triglyceride
  48. teriyaki marinades
  49. tofu
  50. tamari
  51. tempeh
  52. textured vegetable protein
  53. soy flour
  54. soy isolates
  55. soy milk
  56. soy oil
  57. soy sauce
  58. soy protein
  59. soy protein concentrate
  60. soy protein isolate
  61. protein isolate
  62. soy lecithin
  63. lecithin
  64. whey
  65. whey powder
  66. xanthan gum
  67. canola oil (rapeseed oil)
  68. cottonseed oil
  69. vegetable oil
  70. vegetable fat
  71. shoyu
  72. monosodium glutamate (MSG)
  73. glutamate
  74. glutamic acid
  75. citric acid
  76. lactic acid
  77. phytic acid
  78. oleic acid
  79. stearic acid
  80. erythritol
  81. inositol
  82. mannitol
  83. sorbitol
  84. cellulose
  85. hemicellulose
  86. methylcellulose
  87. trehalose
  88. colorose
  89. malitolmaltose
  90. cobalamin (Vitamin B12)
  91. vitamin B12
  92. vitamin E
  93. diacetyl
  94. isoflavones
  95. tocopherols (vitamin E)
  96. threonine
  97. glycine
  98. leucine
  99. lysine
  100. cystein
List from the Non-Gmo Shopping Guide.

HOW TO AVOID GMOS

With so many potential places for hidden GMO ingredients, the easiest way to keep them off your plate is to look for the Non-GMO project verified label or the USDA Organic seal. Opting for organic has many benefits in addition to helping you and your family avoid GMOs, such as avoiding synthetic pesticides that can still be sprayed on even non GMO crops.

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