GMO labeling - it shouldn't be a question!

Fishy Strawberries, Super-Salmon? What’s in Your Food? 

A call for consumers to demand labeling for GMO in foods in Canada

(Image from"The bad food news of 2011)

by Moonfyre Cardinal

Nov 15, 2010

Do you know much about Genetically Modified foods? Do you currently eat food products made with GMO’s?  Would you like to know what you are eating and if your strawberries have been combined with a fish gene to make the fruit more frost tolerant? Genetically modified food ingredients are available for consumption to unknowing Canadians because labelling is not mandatory and, without mandatory labeling requirements, producers are choosing not to volunteer GMO information in their products leaving us unable to determine if the strawberry we are eating has been genetically engineered. Why are Canadians not being given the right to know what foods contain genetically modified ingredients by our Government? Our Bill of rights states that we have the “Fundamental Freedom of thought, belief and opinion” (Government of Canada). How can we exercise this right if crucial information is withheld at the source?  In 2005, when 83 % of Canadians were in favour of mandatory labeling, our government defeated the passage of a bill that would have implemented mandatory labeling. (Carter). There are negative implications in regards to the effect of genetic modified food ingredients in regards to the environment, our health and to future generations yet we able to eat GM ingredients in our food before these questions have been answered.

Genetically Modified Organisms and genetic engineering has a number of contentious issues surrounding it, not the least of which is their potential impact to the environment.  As more genetically engineered crops are being planted, the potential for cross contamination is no longer a ‘what-if’ situation. GM crops have been proven to cross pollinate with non GM crops, endangering native plant species. The U.S. Department of Energy Genome Programs suggest that this can contribute to the loss of biodiversity and that it has “unknown effects on other organisms” (U.S. Department of Energy Genome Programs). Other environment effects include a decrease in the effectiveness of current pesticides and herbicides through increased resistance and cross pollination (Whitman). However, it is not only plant products that are being genetically modified, recently GM Salmon was presented to the American Food and Drug Agency for approval for sale and public consumption.  The decision by the FDA was stalled due to controversy surrounding its safety (Leo Broderick). With the genetic modification of animals for food comes a host of concerns and controversies such as the potential environmental impact on non-GM animals.  In the case of the GM Salmon, a frightening fact is that without mandatory labeling, we as consumers would never know it was not the same as its non-GM cousin.

While it may seem like the GMO argument may seem like it is the stuff out of science fiction, the presence of genetically modified organisms in Canada’s food supply is much wider spread than one might realize. For example “in Canada, up to 70 per cent of the processed foods found in grocery stores contain GE ingredients” (GreenPeace). Most of these products have no indication on their labels that they contain genetically modified ingredients.  The Centre for Food Safety in the United reported that thousands of food items are available to American consumers that contain genetically modified ingredients without any labeling, even though there are concerns from doctors and scientists about the safety of these foods to health and the environment (The Center for Food Safety). When the bill proposing mandatory labeling was denied, MPs quoted misinformation about GMO’s gathered from corporately sponsored associations ,with an active stake in the debate to justify their decision to vote against what the majority of their constitutes demanded.  It was claimed that implementing a mandatory labeling law would cast too much money and would harm the agricultural industry in Canada (Carter). Interestingly; the European Union and the Australian Government both have had strict laws governing the use of GMO’s and mandatory labeling on food items due to potential safety concerns and health hazards.  For instance “the law in Australia requires that food labels must show if food has been genetically modified or contains genetically modified ingredients, or whether GM additives or processing aids remain[…]” (Deakin University Australia). If these governments were able to implement mandatory labelling without such appalling results as claimed by the MP’s who voted against mandatory labeling then surely Canada should be able to do the same. The Canada Food Inspection Agency does have a provision in the laws that govern Organic foods, that says if a product is labeled “organic” it cannot contain GMO’s (Government of Canada) but that is the extent of our ability to determine the presence of GM ingredients when it comes to labelling.  As this suggests if you cannot afford to buy organic or do not wish to, you have no way of knowing if you are buying genetically modified foods.

According to experts in the field there is not a lot of definitive research done on the long term impact of GMO’s on our environment or our health. However, it is clearly indicated through all the available research is that there is concern expressed by world governments, health professionals and environmental experts about the potential impact and the lack of long term testing prior to GM foods being added to the market.  Arpad Pusztai, a pioneer in the research of the effect of GMO’s on health states,

How can the public make informed decisions about genetically modified (GM) foods when there is so little information about its safety? The lack of data is due to a number of reasons, including: [… ]Information is scarce about health hazards, such as toxicity in genetically modified (GM) crops., It’s more difficult to evaluate the safety of crop-derived foods than individual chemical, drug, or food additives. [… and] Publications on GM food toxicity are scarce […] In fact, no peer-reviewed publications of clinical studies on the human health effects of GM food exist. Even animal studies are few and far between. In conclusion: We need more and better testing methods before making GM foods available for human consumption.” (Pusztai)

Some documented health risks include cases of severe allergic reaction which have been reported after people ate genetically modified soy and corn that was originally intended for animal feed but somehow made it into the human food supply chain. Other health issues that may be of concern include the transfer of antibiotic markers and toxicity over long term exposure. In an often referenced study of genetically engineered tomatoes that were fed to lab rats, seven out of forty rats died due to stomache lesions that were contributed to the genetically modified tomatoes.  With all the concern, potential and documented health issues and lack of long term study, the consensus in the global scientific community is that more study is necessary before we can safely and confidently conclude that GMO’s are not dangerous to our health. 

My position on the issue of GMO’s is not to argue whether or not they are safe for human consumption since there is not enough data to determine a conclusion at this point. Rather, I believe we, as consumers, need to have the ability to choose whether or not we wish to eat food products made with genetically modified ingredients. Labelling needs to be mandatory just as it is for other common food additives. The Canada Food Inspection Agency says “ […] the components which, if present, must be declared as if they were ingredients include salt, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed plant protein, aspartame, potassium chloride and any components which perform a function in, or have an effect on the final food” (Government of Canada). If these items are deemed important enough to be listed on our food labels, surely GMO’s with untested risks to health and environment should be included in this list, thereby, giving the consumer the chance to make an informed decision.   

I urge you to do your own research and come to your own conclusions about whether you wish to eat genetically modified foods.  Until we can convince the Canadian Government that we have the right to choose what we put into our bodies there are things we can do. For instance, a number of organizations such as Greenpeace, have published guidebooks about how to avoid GMO products.  Unfortunately it is not an exhaustive list, nor is it all that current.  If you wish to avoid GMO’s A good rule of thumb is to stick to certified organic food sources since the labelling laws in Canada state that Organic labeled foods cannot contain genetically modified material.  I believe in our right to know what is in the food we eat and have written my MP to demand action on this issue. You, too, can write your MP, create a petition or even call your MP’s office if you also believe as I do that we should have the ability to freely choose by having genetically modified ingredients stated on food labels.

Bibliography

Carter, Lauren. "Bill on Labelling GMOs in Canada Voted Down." 9 May 2008. Celcias. 27 October 2010 .

Cook, Christopher D. "Agricultural Apocalypse." Cook, Christopher D. Diet for a Dead Planet. New York: The New York Press, 2004. 7-9.

Deakin University Australia. Genetically Modified Food. February 2010. 27 October 2010 .

Fukuda-Parr, Sakiko. "Introduction: Genetically Modified Crops and Development Priorities." The Gene Revolution, GM Crops and Unequal Development. Ed. Sakiko Fuluda-Parr. London: EarthScan, 2007. 4-6,9-12.

Government of Canada. "Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms." 29 March 1982. Department of Justice. 27 October 2010 .

Government of Canada. "Chapter 2 - Basic Labelling Requirements." 15 September 2010. Canada Food Inspection Agency. 27 October 2010 .

GreenPeace. "GMO Shopper's Guide." n.d. GreenPeace. 27 October 2010 .

Leo Broderick, Dr. Michael Hansen, Lucy Sharratt. "Press Release- Critics slam “Sloppy Science” on GE Fish at FDA Hearings." 20 Sept 2008. CBAN- Canadian Biotechnology Action Network. 27 Oct 2010 .

Pusztai, Arpad. Genetically Modified Foods: Are They a Risk to Human/Animal Health? June 2001. 27 October 2010 .

Smith, Jeffery M. Seeds of Deception, Eposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of The Genetically Engineered Foods You're Eating. Fairfeild: Yes! Books, 2003.

The Center for Food Safety. The Centre for Food Safety. 2008. 27 October 2010 .

The GMO Trilogy: Unnatural Selection, Hidden Danger Kids' Meals, You're Eating What? DENKmal-films & Haifisch films, Yes! Books. 2004, 2005.

Tiberghien, Yves. "Europe; Turning Against Agricultural Biotechnology in the Late 1990's." The Gene Revolution, GM Crops and Unequal Development. Ed. Sakiko Fukuda-Parr. London: Earthscan, 2007. 51-65.

U.S. Department of Energy Genome Programs. Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms. 5 November 2008. 27 October 2010 .

Whitman, Deborah B. Discovery guides:Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? April 2000. 27 Octobber 2010.