turn out differently, but Americans are kept largely in the dark about

GM products, and most are not aware they are eating these foods

because there are no labeling requirements for GM food s. This, despite

the fact that there have been no studies done with humans to show what

happens when genetically modified foods are consumed, and an ABC News

poll (PDF) found that 92 percent of Americans want mandatory labels on

GM foods.

Even more concerning is the fact that genetically modified organisms

are not easily contained. The Washington Post reported "techniques for

confining genetically engineered ... organisms are still in their

infancy, and far more work needs to be done to make sure the new

products do not taint the food supply or wipe out important species."

As a consumer, one way you can voice your resistance to these widely

untested, experimental organisms is by not purchasing GM products, a

task that is not easy to achieve when you consider the extent to which

GM products have already saturated the American market.

There are, however, several ways to reduce your chances of eating GM

foods--if you know where to look.

Buy Organic

Buying organic is currently the best way to ensure that your food has

not been genetically modified. By definition, food that is certified

organic must be:

*

Free from all GM organisms

*

Produced without artificial pesticides and fertilizers

*

From an animal reared without the routine use of antibiotics,

growth promoters or other drugs

However, GM crops are becoming more and more prevalent, and the spread

of GM seeds and pollen is a major concern. Even organic products may

be contaminated with traces of GM elements that have been spread by

wind or insects such as bees.

Read Labels

GM soybeans and corn make up the largest portion of genetically

engineered crops. When looking at a product label, if any of the

following ingredients are listed there's a good chance it has come

from GM corn or soy (unless it's listed as organic):

Corn Derivatives

corn flour and meal

fructose and fructose syrup

(unless specified non-corn)

corn syrup

malt

baking powder

(corn starch is the usual filler)

malt syrup

malt extract monosodium glutamate

maltodextrin

sorbitol mono- and diglycerides

starch

food starch modified food starch

confectioner's sugar

dextrin vitamins that do not state

"corn-free"

Soy Derivatives

most miso soy sauce tamari

textured vegetable protein

(usually soy)

teriyaki marinades tofu soy beverages

soy protein isolate

or protein isolate

tempeh shoyu lecithin or soy lecithin

many non-stick sprays

rely on soy lecithin

bread pastry margarine

Mayonnaise and salad dressings also may include lecithin.

As you can see, there are many products that may contain GM soy or

corn derivatives (or GM vegetable oil). Some of these products include:

infant formula

salad dressing

bread

cereal

hamburgers and hotdogs

margarine

mayonnaise

crackers

cookies

chocolate

candy

fried food

chips

veggie burgers

meat substitutes

ice cream

frozen yogurt

tofu

tamari

soy sauce

soy cheese

tomato sauce

protein powder

baking powder

alcohol

vanilla

powdered sugar

peanut butter

e nriched flour and pasta

Non-food items include cosmetics, soaps, detergents, shampoo, and

bubble bath.

Aside from corn and soy, other GM foods grown in the United States

include cotton, canola, squash and papaya.

Look at Produce Stickers

Those little stickers on fruit and vegetables contain different PLU

codes depending on whether the fruit was conventionally grown,

organically grown or genetically engineered. The PLU code for

conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers, organically grown

fruit five numbers prefaced by the number 9, and GM fruit five numbers

prefaced by the number 8.

For example:

*

Conventionally grown PLU: 1022

*

Organically grown PLU: 91022

*

Genetically modified PLU: 81022

In terms of fruit, another strategy is to avoid hybrid varieties,

which are fruits that have been altered by humans. Typically hybrid

fruits contain more sugar than regular varieties so they taste sweeter

and can be picked out because generally they don't contain seeds

(seedless watermelon, seedless grapes, etc.). Although there are also

seeded hybrid varieties, avoiding seedless fruits is one of the more

prominent ways to avoid hybrid fruits.

Avoid Processed Foods

About 70 percent of all processed foods contain genetically modified

ingredients, and the food manufacturers themselves often don't know

for sure whether their products contain GM elements. There are many

reasons why processed foods are not optimal for your health--for

instance they often contain trans fat, acrylamide and little

nutritional value--so avoiding them will not only help you to cut back

on the amount of GM foods you are consuming, but will also boost your

health.