Simple Steps to Recognize GMO Food!

We know that consuming fruits and vegetables can improve our overall health and at the same time, keep us in a good shape, but we’ve also heard a rumor that our markets are loaded with fruits and vegetables which are far from healthy and this is due to the fact that those products are GMO.

GMO (or Genetically Modified Organism) is becoming an extremely debatable issue lately, especially since there are many people who support GMO and others who are strongly against it. GMO food is in fact proven to be harmful and dangerous to people as well as animals and the environment.

GMOs contain dangerous compounds or are grown under conditions which involve using pesticides, hormones or other additives which only destroy the taste of your fruits and veggies as well as their nutritional value. GMOs make an apple’s worth come to zero and put the people’s life in jeopardy.

So, instead of panicking and worrying about our health and most importantly, the health of our next generations, we need to protect ourselves from GMOs or anything dangerous presented on our markets, because if we agree to fall into this pattern of approving everything, then we are consciously agreeing to lower our life quality.

Tomatoes, potatoes are only the few which were under suspicion of being GMOs. You may believe that your tomato salad was a good call after all, however little do we know about the origin as well as growing conditions of those tomatoes served in your bowl of salad. Luckily for you, there is a way that you tell whether or not, your fruits and veggies are GMO.

How to tell if you are eating GMOs?

Well, if you are well familiarized with this issue, you should know that the labeling of the product itself, tells us whether or not, we are eating GMOs. Sadly, this labeling is not so straight-forward, meaning you have to understand what the label says and means. So, you need to look it up really closely and interpret what a particular number or ingredients mean and how dangerous they can be for your health.

How are the Organic Fruits and Vegetables labeled?

Organic fruits and vegetables are grown without any additives, synthetic chemicals, hormones or pesticides. This means that these types of fruits and vegetables are completely natural and safe to be consumed.

Most organic products are labeled as organic, however another indicator of an organic product, is the PLU or Price Lookup Number, which is printed on the sticker of the product. So, organic fruits and vegetables are labeled with a five digit number code, always starting with number 9.

How are the conventionally grown Fruits and Vegetables labeled?

The conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are the ones which are grown with pesticides, fertilizers, hormones, fungicides or antibiotics. These types of fruits and veggies differ from their organic fellas because their label has a four digit code, which is found on the sticker.

How are the GMOs labeled?

Genetically modified food is labeled with five digits on the sticker, however unlike the organic products, the first digit of the GMOs is always number 8.

Knowing all of these facts about identifying the food you’re eating, will help you greatly in improving the intake of valuable ingredients and most importantly, healthy and safe ingredients.

Sadly, the USA has got very few restrictions when it comes to GMO import and this is the reason why almost 80 % of the food in the States is genetically modified. Unlike the USA, there are a lot of countries such as, France, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Italy, Greece, and Hungary which have completely banned the sale as well as the production of GMO products.

How dangerous are GMOs?

Genetically modified food is known to cause serious health problems to people, animals and the environment as well. However, despite this fact, some people and whole countries have still chosen to support GMOs and allow the sale and production of GMOs.

Many allergic reactions as well as sick or dead livestock have been attributed to the use of GMOs and since we are a part of a major experiment, we will yet discover the negative effects of GMOs. However, we should all follow the example of Mexico, Peru, Australia and more than 60 other countries who have strictly said NO to production of GMO products and NO to sale of GMO products.

Sadly, the USA doesn’t follow these examples and this results in consumer’s discontent and extra caution for American citizens, when going to the market.

Follow the simple steps to recognize GMO food and try to avoid it completely. Luckily for us, there is a choice and you can choose to eat healthy and safe food. It’s up to you!