Confused on the whole GMO food issue?
Who isn’t?
There’s all sorts of information and misinformation available.
To clear up the confusion and help you make a fair and informed decision, the Non-GMO Project has created the “High-Risk List.”
When a GMO food makes the list, it’s considered widely commercially available across the country.
Why Make Such a Big Fuss about GMO Foods?
What’s the big deal about eating GMO foods anyway? Well, to be 100% honest, no one fully knows at this point.
However, there is some concerning evidence which infers (but doesn’t necessarily prove yet) that GMO foods may cause serious health problems.
For example, animal studies have shown GMO foods cause organ damage, immune system disorders, accelerated aging, and infertility. Human studies have shown GMO foods do in fact leave remnants behind inside our bodies. And this may lead to serious long-term health problems.
After the introduction of GMO foods in 1996, the number of Americans with 3 or more chronic illnesses nearly doubled from 7% to 13%.
Other leading organizations like the American Public Health Association and the American Nurses Association publicly condemn the use of bovine growth hormone because of its link to causing cancer.
Large companies in the food industry of course defend and minimize any potential problems GMO foods may cause. But, they also have a lot to lose should it be proven that GMO foods do in fact cause the serious health problems claimed.
Again, the truth isn’t fully known yet. But there’s enough concerning evidence present that many Americans have become alarmed and want to avoid eating GMO foods entirely.
The Latest Addition to the “High-Risk List”
Anyway, the Non-GMO Project recently added potatoes to its official “High-Risk List.”
The organization has a matrix outlining all the major risk factors for a GMO food becoming widely commercially available. And it monitors the supply and distribution of that food throughout the country.
As the risk factors are breached (and confirmed by measurement and observation), more alarms go off and eventually the food makes the “High-Risk List.”
The GMO potato was developed by J.R. Simplot in 2015. You may have heard of the “Simplot Innate” brand or “White Russet” potatoes. And if you get frozen potato products at the store, or any prepared food using potatoes that you buy at the store, or gluten-free foods that use potato flour, you may be eating this GMO potato.
It’s important to understand the Non-GMO project rarely makes changes to its “High-Risk List.” The list itself was created in 2007, and since then, the only changes have been adding alfalfa in 2011 and potatoes here in 2019.
The negative effects of GMO white potatoes aren’t fully known. But the Non-GMO Project is concerned enough to make them the second addition in 12 years to its “High-Risk List.”
You can learn more from the Non-GMO Project here.
And you can learn more about their “High-Risk List” by reading it here.