It’s hugely important to us that VerMints are GMO-free. It’s not just a label; it’s a way of life.
Here’s what we know about GMOs (and all those other fancy pants acronyms!):
GM, GMO, GE – eep! What’s with the acronyms?
We hear ya. Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are produced through genetic engineering (GE). With genetic engineering, genes from one species can be incorporated into another species in a manner that wouldn’t occur in nature or in farming.
Am I eating genetically modified food?
Probably. (Sorry to break it to you!) Look at the processed food in your grocery store. 60% of it will contain genetically modified ingredients. That’s cookies, pizza, ice cream, chips, bread, and likely anything else you can think of. A portion of the dairy milk supply in the US comes from cows that have received a bovine growth hormone. Most U.S. livestock is fed GM corn, alfalfa and soybeans.
The government said that GM foods are safe. So, what’s the problem?
The head honcho of food regulation in the US has approved GM foods. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that GM foods are “substantially equivalent” to non-GM foods.
However, the FDA itself doesn’t test food. Biotech companies test their own products and report the results to the FDA. Is that a conflict of interest? This lack of government testing sets off the alarm for us.
Another body of criticism is directed at genetic engineering itself which allows scientists to produce genetically modified food. A former research scientist with Agriculture Canada staunchly opposes GE as the process is based on the assumption that each gene corresponds to only one protein. With the Human Genome Project, we’ve found out that this assumption is false. Bam.
Other research though, such as this study from UC Davis, concludes that livestock fed GM feed is safe for consumption. In other words, scientists don’t know for certain.
So is there anything everyone agrees on?
Well, there’s one thing: We need more information on GM foods. Here’s a problem: the major agriculture technology companies have threatened to sue scientists who conduct independent research with patented GM seeds. Unless there is non-biased research published in peer-reviewed journals, definite conclusions on GM foods are hard to reach.
Whew. That’s a lot of information. Now what?
At VerMints, we don’t take risks when it comes to our ingredients (we do, however, love flavorful risks!). We think it’s important to have absolute certainty when it comes to our food. That’s why we’re proud to be suckers for GMO-free VerMints. Pass us another Chai!