You’ve seen it in films like Food Inc., King Corn and The World According to Monsanto: an estimated 70% of food sold in the supermarket contains genetically modified organisms (GMO’s). GMO foods are found in most corn, potato, soy and sugar products, which in the western diet accounts for most of our food intake. This graphic by Column Five for Ecomom looks at the many hidden places you find GMO foods and the health risks involved. You can catch a free viewing of The World According to Monsanto here.
Click here or the image below for a full sized view:
The information on this graphic is wrong. Genetic engineering is not accomplished through radiation or chemicals – that is a process called mutation breeding. This has been done for over 50 years, and the products of mutation breeding have been widely consumed, and are even grown on organic farms. One example is Calrose 76 rice, which is shorter and yields more. For more information about that, people can go here: http://mvgs.iaea.org/PDF/3-PS1-3-343-RUTGER_unreviewed.pdf
Genetic engineering does not make a food any “less” of a food, less nutritious, or fake – typically it alters a single trait, a small change in all the genetics of the plant.
The point is, this “info” graphic is not being informational at all – it is simply trying to drum up food fears in people who are not familiar with the science behind it. I co-run an independent blog on plant genetics at http://www.biofortified.org for those who would like to learn more about it all.
Hello!
Nice article and great visuals. Did you know that now (just a little over a year after your wrote this) that upwards of 80% of our food is GM? Sad.
I would love to use a visual or two of yours on my Scratch Mommy Facebook site (and possibly my blog). I would (of course!) give full credit back to you. Would you grant me permission to do this?
Thanks so much,
Jess
Oh…feel free to take a look around my blog &/or email me with any questions/comments/etc. you have.