This
is a big uh-oh for Kashi. I’ve spoken with many fans of the brand that now
state that Kashi has lost their business for good. The brand’s facebook page is
blowing up with criticisms from frustrated consumers. As an RD, I am always
intrigued to read these kind of comments because it allows me to see what
consumers believe about certain nutritional topics. The subject of Genetically
Modified foods (GM’s) is very hot and controversial. You will even find varied
opinions amongst Dietitians. I personally base my opinions off research, not a
particular group or organization. Why? Because people are biased. Research is
not.
In
this post, I want to talk about a few things. I will be as unbiased as possible
and end the post with my personal opinion on the matter. Since it’s my opinion,
you can take it or leave it… my goal is to help YOU decide and to raise some
questions.
What
is a GM food?
Genetic Modification is the process of direct manipulation
of genetic materials of organic cells. Its application covers all industries
that include organic cells such as agriculture, medical, and the environment.
Genetic Modification of foods began in the early 1980’s with the creation of a
antibiotic resistant tobacco plant and then the creation of genetically
engineered cotton. It wasn’t until the mid 1980’s when Mosanto, a US biotech company,
created GM soybeans that were resistant to the popular herbicide Roundup. It
should be noted that Mosanto, the forerunner of genetic modification of foods,
is the manufacturer of Roundup herbicides. These soybeans became known as “Roundup
Ready.” Because these crops are resistant to herbicide, they can be sprayed at
any point in production. Manufacturers love GM’s because…
1) Lower
production costs
2) Increased
product yield
3) No
evidence of harmful side effects in humans (see below)
Are they safe?
Research is conflicting. Currently, there isn’t enough
evidence to support a “yes or no” answer. The fact of the matter is that GM
foods have not been around long enough for there to be detectable long-term
effects noted. The best I can do is to summarize what is known so far, and it’s
not much…
Some studies say:
- YES – In 2001, the Journal of
Nematology released a statement that, “genetically modified products are quite
safe for human and feed animal consumption.” In fact, most studies say yes
simply because there isn’t enough evidence to say no.
- NO – Biochemists John Fagan and Joe
Cummins of Cornell University state that the move toward GM foods is,
"very risky because those genes have never been part of the human food
supply before, and we don't know if they are allergic or toxic....They should
test them as rigorously as they test a new drug. They aren't doing that.”
- MAYBE – According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), not all GM foods are alike and should be assessed on a
case-by-case basis. The WHO states that GM foods on the market have passed
health risk assessments and are not likely to be harmful.
Public Opinion and Policy
One thing that is certain is that there are varying opinions
of GM foods worldwide. The European stance is that GM’s are considered a
"novel food." These foods were originally banned but were
reintroduced into the market along with a law requiring all GMO soy to be
labeled. The US puts pressure on this law to lift the labeling requirement, but
they hold firm to the requirement of soybean segregation.
In the US, GM foods are considered to be no different from
non-GMO foods, which is why there is no law stating that manufacturers must
label GMO foods. The US contends that scientific tests have generally not shown
harmful side effects in the production and consumption of Roundup Ready
soybeans. In the US, about 80% of conventional processed foods contain GMO’s.
Some argue that this percentage is likely much higher
So, what’s all this about soy??
This little ingredient is what all the fuss is about with
Kashi brand products, and in many ways is a focal point for the discussion of
GMO’s. Why? Because soybeans were the first food to be genetically modified in
the 1980’s (remember our history lesson?)…
Why soy? Think
about it, soy is the world’s foremost provider of oil and protein. It is used
widely in animal feed, food fillers, flours, and specialty food items. Soy is
in high demand worldwide. The US, Brazil, and Argentina are the top exporters
of soy in the world. With such a great demand for soy, manufacturers needed a
way to increase the yield or soy in a short amount of time. This is where the
idea of GM was birthed.
Statistically, the use of GM soy is rising dramatically more than any other GM food. This chart from the CDC based off data obtained by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) shows that use of GM soy has increased by nearly 85% since 1996.
Approximately 58.6% of the world’s soybean crop in 2007 was
genetically modified. That’s more than any other crop to date.
So, what’s the appeal? The chart below will show you. This
is from a study that observed the cost comparison in the production of GMO
versus non-GMO soy harvesting. So you will see on the left the normal steps in
production and the costs on the right:
Table 1. Average cost and return
comparison per acre for GMO and non-GMO soybeans in Iowa (1998).
Cost
|
GMO
|
Non-GMO
|
|
Tillage and planting
|
$11.59
|
$13.06
|
|
Seed
|
$26.42
|
$18.89
|
|
Total weed management
|
$24.91
|
$33.65
|
|
Total cost, excluding land and labor
|
$115.11
|
$124.11
|
|
Return to land, labor, and management*
|
$144.50
|
$145.75
|
|
Return to management**
|
$(11.63)
|
$(15.83)
|
*Uses a price of $5.27 per bushel.
It’s easy to see right away that it is more expensive to the
farmer to harvest non-GMO soy. This was in 1998, so it is likely that the costs
have increased much more. However, soy isn’t the only crop that manufacturers
are genetically modifying…
8 Commonly GM Crops (as of December 2011):- Alfalfa
(first planting 2011)
- Canola
(approx. 90% of U.S. crop)
- Corn
(approx. 88% of U.S. crop in 2011)
- Cotton
(approx. 90% of U.S. crop in 2011)
- Papaya (most
of Hawaiian crop; approximately 988 acres)
- Soy (approx.
94% of U.S. crop in 2011)
- Sugar Beets
(approx. 95% of U.S. crop in 2010)
- Zucchini and Yellow
Summer Squash (approx. 25,000 acres)
- Beta vulgaris (e.g., chard,
table beets)
- Brassica napa (e.g.,
rutabaga, Siberian kale)
- Brassica rapa (e.g., bok
choy, mizuna, Chinese cabbage, turnip, rapini, tatsoi)
- Curcubita (acorn squash,
delicata squash, patty pan)
- Flax
- Rice
Amino Acids, Aspartame, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbate, Vitamin C, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethanol, Flavorings (“natural” and “artificial”), High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (made from soy), Lactic Acid, Maltodextrins, Molasses, Monosodium Glutamate, Sucrose, Textured Vegetable Protein (made from soy), Xanthan Gum, Vitamins (may contain soy or wheat), Yeast Products.
Kashi’s Big Boo-boo
Kashi, owned by Kellogg, is one of the largest and most
successful cereal brands in the nation raking in $12 billion yearly. When you
pick up a box, you will notice several claims: “all-natural…nothing artificial…
wholesome…nutritious.” I’ll come back to these in a minute, so keep these
claims in your mind.
David DeSouza, general manager of Kashi, states that the
company wants to reserve it’s negative impact by committing long-term to
reducing and eliminating GMO usage in their products. Their goal is to have all
their Kashi Go-lean cereals and granola bars to be certified non-GMO by 2014
and to have policies and procedures in place to make sure no future products
will contain GMO’s or less than 70% organic ingredients by 2015. This means
that there will still be some products made by Kashi containing GMO’s, but no
new products will after 2015. This is quite a statement when there are less
than 10% of farmers than produce non-GMO soy in the US, the primary producer of
soy worldwide. For a company that makes $16 billion per year, this is a
potential financial risk for the sake of impacting the widespread use of GM
foods.
For the sake of knowledge, I think it’s appropriate to list
some of the other popular “natural” brands with similar use of GMO’s. It will
surprise you, so get ready for this…
Barbara’s Bakery
Back to Nature
Odwalla
Near East (probable, not confirmed)
Nature Valley Granola Bars (probable, not confirmed)
Boca (unless labeled as certified organic)
Gardenburger
Morningstar Farms (unless labeled as certified organic)
And more…
How can you avoid GMO’s?
My answer is this: you can’t fully avoid them. However, you
can be certain that Certified Organic foods will not contain GMO’s. According
to the USDA guidelines, a food can be Certified Organic if it contains greater
than 70% organic ingredients and no GMO’s. Most consumers desire to elminiate
GMO’s from their diet and eat more organic, but are discouraged at the higher
cost of organic foods. My suggestion is to make note of the staple foods you
buy frequently and make those items organic. If you can afford to buy
everything oprganic, then fantastic… but for most of us, that’s not feasible.
*** Make sure you always look for the certified organic seal (see my blog on
organic foods for more info).
There’s a new app called True Foods that is like a pocket
guide for GMO and non-GMO foods. It allows you to search for brands that do not
contain GMO’s. This can come in handy if you’re looking through your pantry
trying to figure out which foods may be suspect.
Now for MY opinion on GM foods:
I’ve saved it until last for a reason… I want for YOU to decide
what you think! Many have asked me how I feel about Kashi’s plight. Here’s what
I say: I commend Kashi for stepping up as a huge company and declaring it’s war
on GMO’s. In a suffering economy that pumps out over 95% of it’s soy from GM
sources, they are limiting their supply and potentially putting themselves at
financial risk. I do not think that Kashi will suffer from this publicity or
this move to non-GMO soy, instead I believe they could potentially become a
leader in the production of non-GMO foods. They messed up…true. They even
stretched the truth through their “natural” and “nothing articifical” claims.
However, I think they’re making the right steps. Let this be a lesson to
consumers! JUST BECAUSE THE LABEL SAYS “NATURAL” DOES NOT MEAN IT IS ORGANIC!
In fact, there is no standard definition for manufactuers of the claim
“natural.” So if I were a company, I could define that term however I wanted.
This is a long blog and I applaud you if you’ve read this
far. My take home point: if you want to avoid GMO’s, buy organic. Period. And
do your research!! There are plenty of credible resources out there. Check out
my references, they’re all trustworthy. However, please do NOT do your research
on sites that end in .com or .net. Most of those sites are run by any ol’ Joe
who may or may not know squat about the subject.
Do I personally avoid GMO’s?
Not always. Not avidly. But all the recent commotion is
causing me to think twice about my purchases. I do love to buy organic when it
is feasible with out budget. I believe that tampering with the very DNA of a
food is complex… it’s not as easy as flipping a light switch that only performs
one task. God designed DNA to be am,azingly complex and far from our
understanding. I don’t believe we will ever conquer it’s mysteries. With that
said, I believe that tampering with one part of the DNA of food affects
something else in return. It deposits something. And I am convinced that we
will begin to understand that in a few decades. Until then… I’ll be buying as
much organic as I can.
What are your
thoughts?
References
This is such an insightful and interesting blog! Thanks for posting such a thorough overview. I do try to buy organic when possible and am pretty afraid of GMOs. It is astounding how a consumer really cannot get away from them.
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