As the struggle for GMO labeling goes on, some of my clients wonder how they can know if what they are buying is GMO free? What are some guidelines to follow to ensure you avoid as many GMOs as possible? The NYTimes Well blog had a great article about it recently - with some user friendly tips for those of us who want to stay GMO-free. Here’s the nuts and bolts:

“Shoppers who want to know whether they’re purchasing genetically engineered foods do have a few options.

For starters, there is a good chance that any product with soybeans, corn, sugar beets (often used for sweetening) and canola (or canola oil) has G.M.O.s., since genetically modified versions of these crops are so widely planted in the United States.

On the other hand, certified organic produce carrying the green and white circular “U.S.D.A. organic” seal cannot be genetically modified, and organic livestock must be fed only organic ingredients. But processed foods with multiple ingredients can be labeled organic if at least 95 percent of the content is organic.

And a growing number of food producers that don’t use genetically modified ingredients in their products are seeking certification by the Non-G.M.O. Project. They carry a “Non-G.M.O.” label with a logo of a red butterfly on a blade of grass.”

There is a big difference between natural breeding of types of foods for varietal purposes vs GMOs. DNA from any plant or animal species may be introduced to a food to give it desirable traits for shelf-life or hardiness in a GMO product, rather than naturally breeding seeds from the same species together for different varietals of the same food. Get it? It’s a complicated topic well worth reading up on, if you haven’t, and one that my husband and I have had many discussions about. I stand my ground that GMOs need to be labeled so people have the choice to consume them or not, and I think anyone with a pro-choice mentality will feel the same!