US retail giant Whole Foods Market, has also added pressure by refusing to sell any GM produce or processed foods in any of their stores by 2018, unless they’re labelled accordingly.
In March of 2013, we announced we would label all products in our US and Canadian stores to indicate whether they contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
Since GMOs are so prevalent in the major food crops in our country — they’re a majority of US corn, soy, canola, cottonseed and sugar beets crops — this process will be challenging. But we are working hard and have committed to having labeling for all products by 2018. Many will be labeled ahead of this timeline, and we will be keeping you informed about the process as we go.
Whole Foods Market is the first national grocery chain to set a deadline for full GMO transparency. We’ve been collaborating with many of our suppliers for several years to source products without GMO ingredients. In 2009, we began putting our 365 Everyday Value™ line through Non-GMO Project™ verification and encouraged our grocery suppliers to do the same.
We currently sell over 4,800 Non-GMO Project verified products from 250 brands, more than any other retailer in North America. We are expanding our efforts, working with suppliers in all categories as they transition to ingredients from non-GMO sources or clearly label products containing GMOs by the 2018 deadline.
In the meantime, here are some tips on how to eat if you’re avoiding GMOs.
11 Ways To Shop if Avoiding GMOs
1. Go organic!
The USDA National Organic Standards prohibit the use of GMOs. 2. Look for the Non-GMO Project Verified seal
Third-party verification that a product is made without the intentional use of GMO ingredients. 3. Choose 365 Everyday Value® brand Food Products
All plant-derived ingredients in food products are sourced to avoid GMOs. (Note: If a product has meat, eggs or dairy ingredients, they could be from animals that were given GMO feed — unless the product is organic or Non-GMO Project Verified.)
4. Be Informed
Currently, these are the only US crops grown commercially from GMO seed: alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, Hawaiian papaya, soy, sugar beets, yellow summer “crook-neck” squash and zucchini. 5. Eat Your Fruits and Veggies
Most fresh produce is non-GMO; sweet corn, Hawaiian papaya, edamame, zucchini and yellow summer squash are the only produce items currently grown commercially from GMO seed*. We are working to provide verified non-GMO versions of these in our produce departments.
6. Consider the Additives
The five most prevalent GMO crops of corn, canola, soy, cotton and sugar beets end up as additives in all kinds of packaged foods as corn syrup, oil, sugar, flavoring agents, thickeners and other additives. Over 70% of packaged food products in North America contain GMOs. Choose organic or Non-GMO Project Verified.
7. Check the Source on Meat, Eggs and Dairy
Milk, cheese, eggs, beef, chicken and pork could all be from animals that were fed GMO feed. Choose organic or Non-GMO Project Verified. Find over 4800 Non-GMO Project Verified products in our stores.
8. Go Wild
Some farmed fish eat GMO feed. Choose wild-caught seafood or farmed oysters, mussels and clams (they aren’t given supplemental feed).
9. Feel Good About Frozen
Most frozen fruits and vegetables are non-GMO. Frozen fruits and vegetables without additives are good non-GMO choices unless from one of these five high-risk crops: sweet corn, Hawaiian papaya, edamame, zucchini and yellow summer squash. Choose organic or Non-GMO Project Verified for those five.
10. Go for Dry Grains, Beans, Nuts and Seeds
As long as you avoid corn and soy, choosing dry beans, grains, nuts and seeds is a great way to go non-GMO.
11. Drink Responsibly
All wine and beer labeled either "organic" or "made with organic" or “Non-GMO Project Verified” must use non-GMO yeast. Wine grapes and the grains used to make beer are not typically GMO.
*Some GMO versions of apples and other crops are being tested but are not currently approved to be planted for commercial production. GMO versions of tomatoes and potatoes have been approved for planting, but are not currently in commercial production.
Meat and dairy animals as well as farmed fish may eat GMO feed since GMOs are prevalent in the commodity grain market.
That means any of these could be GMO if not organic or Non-GMO Project Verified:
Ketchup, chewing gum, cooking oil, soda, baking extracts, pickles, brown sugar, salad dressing, fruit juices, yogurt, can soups, pasta sauce, bread, mayonnaise, sugar, infant formula, cereal, hamburgers and hotdogs, margarine, crackers, cookies, chocolate, candy, fried food, chips, veggie burgers, meat substitutes, ice cream, frozen yogurt, soy sauce, soy cheese, tomato sauce, protein powder, baking powder, alcohol, vanilla, powdered sugar, peanut butter, enriched flour and pasta.
And it’s not just what you eat…
Animal feed can be a source of GMOs also. What did that cow, chicken or pig eat? Any of these could be from animals fed GMO feed if not organic or Non-GMO Project Verified:
Milk Cheese Meat (chicken, pork, beef) Eggs Farmed fish
WA organic farmer loses genetically modified canola fight in court
Date May 28, 2014
Organic farmer Steve Marsh has lost his court case against neighbour Michael Baxter over GM crop contamination. Photo: Robert Gunstone
In a landmark court decision, a judge has ruled against a West Australian organic farmer who was suing his neighbour for allegedly contaminating his farm with genetically modified canola.
Steve Marsh was suing former friend Michael Baxter in the WA Supreme Court, claiming he lost organic certification for more than half of his farm after GM canola drifted onto his land from Mr Baxter's property.
In 2010, Mr Marsh's Kojonup oats, rye and sheep farming property, southeast of Perth, was certified organic by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia.
But he alleged GM canola blew 1.5 kilometres inside his fence, which caused him to lose his certification.
Mr Baxter claimed when he planted the GM canola, he followed all regulations on buffer zones and notified his neighbours.
After a three-week hearing, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the world, Justice Kenneth Martin reserved his decision, and delivered his findings on Wednesday in favour of Mr Baxter.
In his judgment summary, Justice Martin said although Mr Marsh and his wife brought two causes of action against Mr Baxter - common law negligence involving the breach of a duty to ensure there was no escape of GM material, and the tort of private nuisance - they claimed only financial loss.
"They did not claim to have suffered any physical damage or injury to themselves, to their animals or to their land at Eagle Rest," he said.
Evidence at trial was that Roundup Ready (RR) canola swathes were harmless to animals, people and land even if consumed.
"GM canola only posed a risk of transferring genetic material if a canola seed germinated in the Eagles Rest soil ... and then later cross-fertilised through its pollen being exchanged with another compatible species," Justice Martin said.
"There was no evidence at the trial of any genetic transference risks posed by the RR canola swathes blown into Eagle Rest at the end of 2010.
"The Marshes had never grown canola upon Eagle Rest."
Justice Martin noted that in 2011, eight GM canola plants were found and removed on the property and there were no others in subsequent years.
The Marshes still lost their organic certification.
But Justice Martin said it had not been shown there had been "any reasonable interference" by Mr Baxter, who he said had used well-accepted harvest methodology.
"Mr Baxter was not to be held responsible as a broadacre farmer merely for growing a lawful GM crop and choosing to adopt a harvest methodology (swathing), which was entirely orthodox in its implementation," he said.
"Nor could Mr Baxter be held responsible, in law, for the reactions to the incursion of the Marshes' organic certification body, NCO, which in the circumstances presented to be an unjustifiable reaction to what occurred."
Outside court, Mr Baxter said justice had been done and hoped the case provided some certainty for other GM farmers.
"It's been three years of going through this and finally we've got the right result," he said.
Mr Marsh said it was too early to say whether he would appeal the decision and said he still had to read more thoroughly through the 150-page judgment.
Greens MLC Lyn McLaren said WA laws had "failed a fairness test".
“This is a saddening result for Steve Marsh and non-GMO farmers holding their breath in hopes of a defence against Monsanto," she said.
“It is clear that GM farming cannot co-exist with organic farming when voluntary regulation practices are ignored. What we have seen in this court case is an undeniable dismissal of voluntary regulations that could have prevented the contamination of Steve Marsh’s organic crops.
“The judgment comes at great cost to the Marsh family and non-GMO farmers everywhere.
“The Greens will continue to work toward a fairer system were one farmer isn’t forced to battle his neighbour. There must be a better way”.
By Paul Blake Jul 29, 2016, 6:10 PM ET A bill that creates a federal labeling standard for foods containing genetically modified ingredients (commonly called GMOs) was signed into law by President Barack Obama today.
“This measure will provide new opportunities for consumers to have access to information about their food,” Katie Hill, a White House spokeswoman, told ABC News.
Two weeks ago, Congress passed the legislation which would require food packages to display an electronic code, text label, or some sort of symbol signifying whether or not they contain GMOs, according to The Associated Press.
The exact details will need to be worked out by the Department of Agriculture, which will have up to two years to write the rules, The AP reports.
The news agency says that the law was largely supported by the food industry, which wished to see a national standard set for labeling products with GMOs, rather than separate and varying laws passed by states.
GMOs, often called "genetically engineered" crops, have their genetic information modified to give a plant a desirable trait.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, genetically engineered crops first entered the U.S. food supply in the 1990s, and account for 93 percent of planted soybeans and 88 percent of corn.
Genetically engineered crops, the agency says, are as safe to eat as traditional crops.
Between 75 and 80 percent of foods contain genetically engineered ingredients, The AP reports.
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