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OMG, Let’s Stop Eating GMOs
| Meet the Blogger | More Posts by Paige Brady
According to the FDA, as much as 75 percent of processed food in the United States may contain components from genetically modified crops. In 30 other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan and all of the nations in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs (genetically modified organisms), due to environmental impact and concerns about GMO safety.
At Whole Foods Market we support the National Organic Standards, which prohibit GMOs in organics, and we champion informed consumer choice with regard to GMOs. Since 1992—before the commercialization of GMO foods in the United States—we’ve been informing our customers about the issues and advocating labeling of genetically modified foods.
We are proud to be a founding leader of The Non-GMO Project, working to ensure the sustained availability of non-GMO choices through an industry-wide standard, which will allow verification that products are non-GMO. Our 365 Everyday Value® and Whole Foods Market™ brand products are sourced to avoid ingredients grown from genetically engineered seed, and our partnership with the Non-GMO Project will enable us to verify and label these products. Your options for choosing non-GMO are growing!
Remember: Every bite has a story. Your conscious food choices make a world of difference. Learn more at Let’s Retake Our Plates.
34 Comments
Comments
This article http://www.naturalnews.com/029833_non-GMO_foods_FDA.html describes FDA intiatives to not only approve the super fast growing Frankensalmon and not label it, but to ban the "non-GMO" labelling, which would gut (no pun intended) Whole Food's GMO program and most natural food labelling. This is yet another push to ban labelling of genetically modified food AND non-GMO. I am sure you are on to this and fighting again for all of us. We are behind you in this new battle and wish you the same success as in some of the earlier battles. I hope you tap your customers for a vigorous in-store and online petition, letter, call-congress etc. campaign to defeat them again.
09/26/2010 10:06:11 AM CDT
Why is Whole Foods now supporting allowing GMO alfalfa and other GMO foods? Why are you caving in to Monsanto?
01/27/2011 3:50:40 PM CST
I am going to question the validity of some of the assertions here, or at least point out the posters' myopia. When people go on about genetic engineering and how we are affecting nature, I feel compelled to point out that some of these people drive cars. They also use the internet, may probably own a dog or cat, and probably have eaten meat from poultry and/or beef. These are all products in which we have manipulated nature to our benefit. The purpose of GMOs in agriculture is to feed more people, rely less on pesticides, use less water, and increase resistance to specific bacteria or viruses. The tools regarding our pets and food animals has been selective breeding, which is selecting breeding mates by specific traits. Where some would say this is natural, it is not. Evolution is natural, selective breeding and genetic engineering are not. I have yet to see links to any peer reviewed scientific literature that casts a bad light on less pesticides, pathogen resistance, less water use in crops OR feeding the growing population of this planet. That all being said, I eat almost entirely organic products because it's the only way to avoid persistent pesticides. Whole Foods offers great prices on these products and I value them for that. So while I use and advocate organic labelled products, this non-GMO movement smacks of under education and an inability to look at the bigger picture regarding world food supply and population.
04/11/2011 9:57:33 PM CDT
I'm sorry, but just because GMO increase crop sustainability, and reduces water consumption for irrigation, doesn't mean that it's actually healthy to consume. My biggest beef with it is that there hasn't been sufficient long-term testing to determine how our bodies will react to the protiens in these foods. I also do not think it is fair that we are eating all types of foods that contain GMO's and are not being told that they are in the food!!! The truth in labeling is not there. Everything else is on the labels, SOY, PEANUTS etc. if it touched those things in the production process. Every other ingredient is listed, then they should have to say "GM Soy" or "GM Corn Byproduct" or whatever. At least give us a choice instead of shoving it down our throats. I think it is rather socialistic to "assume" we'd all be ok with the decisions they have made for us!
09/29/2011 2:28:59 PM CDT
Can Whole Foods make the claim that their 365 brand does not contain GMOs?
09/30/2012 11:55:51 AM CDT
@GARY - Thanks for your question. We have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in putting our house brand (both 365 Everyday Value and 365 organic products) through third party non-GMO verification. You can find the complete list at http://www.nongmoproject.org/take-action/search-participating-products/search/?brandId=222.
10/03/2012 2:24:24 PM CDT
"Let's stop eating GMOs?"
Whole Foods: Stop selling GMO foods, and support Prop 37
10/27/2012 2:16:26 PM CDT
Ha! I posted a suggestion for WF to stop selling GMO foods (like Kashi cereal) - and, the screen froze. The save button worked; but, then I read this comment at the top of my monitor, "Your comment has been queued for review by site administrators and will be published after approval." Oh well, I tried to enlighten the unaware WF's customers about their consistent practice of profiting from GMO foods. I know it's a hard business transition to make, but a worth while one for the health of WF clientele and brand integrity (stop the false advertising of GMO foods as natural, especially in your deli section).
10/27/2012 2:23:32 PM CDT
So is 365 Brand Canola Oil GMO or???
01/13/2013 12:38:41 PM CST