Hidden GMO Ingredients

    

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.