Avoiding Bioengineered/gmo foods
There is a lot of confusion and controversy surrounding food labeling, especially now that the government has made changes to certain labeling laws. Most people are familiar with the term “GMO” but now there is a new word being used “Bioengineered”.
“Contains Bioengineered Food Ingredient” is one of the new labeling types to look for. Doesn’t sound too appealing, right? Well because it isn’t. Companies can also be deceiving by just putting a QR code or a phone number on the product in hopes that consumers do not actually scan it or call and do their research.
Now that you know what to look for with the new labeling, lets dive into how and why to avoid foods with these types of ingredients in them.
In this case, bioengineered or genetically modified does not mean the kind found in nature, but it’s actually modification that has been done in a lab. Reasons for this could be to preserve shelf life or to enhance pest resistance. Many countries have banned the use of GMOs. There is not enough proof to support the claims made by the producers of GMOs that they are indeed successful. The science also is not strong enough to show that there are no adverse side effects from consuming the altered foods. These reasons alone could be enough to convince you that maybe it’s not worth consumption. Other reasons are the use of herbicides. Introducing new genes into food can affect people with allergies and/or other health issues. If you choose to give up these “altered foods”, it will not be easy at first but could be worth it for your health.
Start by trying to grow your own food. This is one way to assure that there are no pesticides being used and second as long as you buy organic seeds you should be safe from GMOS. Next, try to buy organic foods or foods labeled with the Non-GMO verification. Just looking for the “contains bioengineered ingredients” label isn’t enough, as stated above.
Good luck and I hope this helps!