Deconstructing Food Labels – Part 4 GMO Labels
Concluding the topic of food labels today will address the GMO labels, what this means, and should you pay extra for foods with this label? Part 1 included food label requirements:
I am doing a separate series on the specifics of the Nutrition Facts label, which I only mentioned in part 1 of this series Deconstructing Food Labels.
This topic is on the front of the package label regarding GMO and what that means.
While one would think that the label non-GMO is factually correct, this is not true. And just because a food has this label doesn’t mean the same food from a different company IS GMO.
First, there are not as many GMO crops grown in the U.S. as people think.
For example, I hear people talk about “GMO wheat,” which is not a GMO crop.
As of 2022, the following foods are GMO crops:
- Apples – a few varieties, not all, to resist browning after being cut
- Papaya – GMO saved the papaya population on the Hawaiian Islands
- Potatoes – some varieties, not all
- Summer squash – some, not all
- Sugar Beets – not sugar cane
- Alfalfa – mainly used for animal feed
- Canola – mainly used for oil and animal feed
- Corn – despite what people think, not all corn. Corn grown for POPCORN is not GMO corn.
- Soybean – mainly used for oil and animal feed
- Cotton – mainly used for oil and animal feed, and textiles.
There are no GMO grapes, bananas, bell peppers, peanuts, wheat, or other crops available to consumers right now. There isn’t.
So, the fact that my package of Sun-Maid Raisins with the single ingredient “raisins” has the non-GMO label is unnecessary.
A package of bell peppers or carrots with a non-GMO label that costs more than the package without the label is purely marketing and taking advantage of consumer misunderstanding.
However, my sugar package (yes, I use sugar) has a non-GMO label and specifically states it is from CANE sugar only, not BEET sugar. However, this does not mean that another brand of sugar without this claim has beet sugar.
The fact that the label or claim is there means it is non-GMO. But if it isn’t there, it doesn’t mean it IS GMO.
And, if you are choosing organically grown food, it is automatically a non-GMO food. Food labeled “organic,” a regulated term, cannot be GMO.
Now, my favorite peanut butter, which I have previously stated is a “perfect food,” in my opinion, may have the non-GMO label. It initially seems unnecessary since peanuts are not one of those crops, but depending on the brand, the peanut butter may have sugar (from sugar beet or not) and vegetable oils, including rapeseed (aka Canola) and soybean. In theory, those vegetable oils and sugar could be from GMO sources.
And, by their admission, the Non-GMO Project (the label with the butterfly) states that just because a food has paid for their label, this does not guarantee that the product is GMO-free (see item #13). Additionally, the project does NOT test for all forms of genetic alterations or modifications.
There are brands of alcohol (wine, beer, and distilled spirits) that are labeled non-GMO. There is potential for the use of GMO crops to produce some types of alcohol, including corn. However, I must ask people, why is this important to you? Alcohol is Group 1 carcinogen, like arsenic, benzene, and asbestos. So, why is whether this substance a GMO product or not important.
Bottom line: if you are concerned about GMOs, know what foods and crops have them. Don’t be duped into paying MORE for food labeled as non-GMO when a GMO version of it does not exist.
Do you go out of your way to purchase non-GMO foods?
