Why do consumers buy certified organic food? They cite the avoidance of persistent insecticides, herbicides and hormones, and to protect the health of their families and the environment. Another significant guarantee the organic label provides consumers is the lack of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs in organic production. A new initiative by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and USDA aims to change public perception on GMO’s. How could the organic label be affected? Continue reading “Will FDA Alter the GMO Argument For Organic?”
Tag: FDA
Help the FDA Define “Natural” on Food Labels
How should natural be defined (if at all) on food labels? This is a question that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has posed to the general public—they want to hear from you and me! Now’s our chance to provide feedback on the future of food labeling. What are you going to say?
Continue reading “Help the FDA Define “Natural” on Food Labels”
The What How and Why on GMO’s
What are Genetically Modified Organisms?
GMO’s are plants or animals created through the process of genetic engineering. This experimental technology forces DNA from one species into a different species. The resulting GMOs are unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional breeding. The majority of GMO crops are engineered to produce Bt in their DNA. Bt is a protein that is toxic to chewing insects and is produced by the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis and has long been used as a biological pesticide. Here is a Research Paper on the effects of Bt products in Humans. None of the genetically engineered traits in commercial production offer increased yields, drought tolerance or nutritional superiority. Continue reading “The What How and Why on GMO’s”