The GMO Labeling Conundrum Made Simple!

I am a Holistic Nutritionist and passionate environmentalist, and I still get confused about the whole GMO labeling conundrum - and conundrum it most definitely is: As I write, there is a bill in the Senate (also known as the DARK Act) that, if passed, would eradicate states' rights to label GMOs and replace simple, legible on-package labels with QR codes. But first let's get back to the basics. What is a GMO (genetically modified organism) or a GE (genetically engineered) ingredient? Simply put, genetic engineering is removing the genetic material from one organism and inserting it into the permanent genetic code (DNA) of another. Genetic engineering is used by scientists to enhance or modify the characteristics of an individual organism. When it comes to GE food crops, the main purpose is to make them withstand high amounts of herbicides - Monsanto's RoundUp, for example. Keep in mind that the same companies (Monsanto, Dow, Bayer) that sell GE seeds, also manufacture the herbicides. Until recently, the jury has been out as far as whether or not this engineering of foods in a lab could have a deleterious effect on human health. Various studies link GMOs to allergies and antibiotic resistance. But it was the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an independent agency affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO), that dropped the bombshell last year. IARC listed glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's herbicide RoundUp, as a probable carcinogen...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news