WHAT’S IN OUR FOOD? Make an informed decision about what you eat!!

Food Additives  That the ingredients in food are safe for the masses.  Processed foods are designed to produce large quantities of food at less cost to the consumer  Ingredients in food can cause health issues  It is our personal responsibility to know the effects of the ingredients and read the labels to know what we are eating  Certain additives, preservatives such as food coloring and artificial sugars can cause asthma, allergies, hyperactivity and cell damage that may lead to cancer.  The FDA should increase regulations on food ingredients  They encourage buying locally farmed or organic foods that are minimally processed. What the FDA says:What nutrition experts say:

Processed foods… What is a GMO?  GMO = Genetically Modified Organism  “denotes a living organism that has been genetically modified by inserting a gene from an unrelated species.”  The gene they replaced it with has some special quality that they are looking for: color, texture, resistance to pests, etc.  GMOs are in most processed foods 85% corn, 88% cotton (cottonseed oil used in food), 91% soybean, 95% sugar beets – all common additives

Other common GMOs  Glucose – simple sugar chemically made from corn Found in soft drinks, baked goods  Lecithin – an emulsion made from soy Found in chocolate, ice cream  Maltodextrin – additive made from cornstarch Found in soups, crackers and salty snacks

GMOs: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly  According to the GMO industry there are many good reasons to use GMOs: Reduced need for herbicides Reduced need for pesticides Reduced greenhouse emissions as GMOs require less tilling or plowing, thus less use of fossil fuels Ability to manipulate foods to increase desirable components such as nutrients Increased production of food for a growing population

Are GMO’s safe?  Researchers in Europe found that GMOs produced potential health risks in lab animals, including cancerous cell growths, smaller brains, and liver damage  Protesters convinced manufacturers that they would not sell their products in the EU, so they agreed to keep GMOs out of their European products  Those same manufacturers make food with GMOs for the US

What the FDA says…  The US is generally uninformed about the effects of GMOs  The FDA has no GMO safety testing requirements, the research that supports GMO safety is voluntarily provided by companies on their own crops.  FDA scientists found that GMOs can result in the appearance of allergens, toxins, new diseases and liver problems.  However, the FDA’s stance is that if you experience ill effects from a food ingredient you should choose not to eat that food.

Clip from Food Inc. Shows how corn is manipulated to create all kinds of effects in food.

Preservatives and Additives  Preservatives in food are designed to prevent bacteria growth and spoilage.  According to the Mayo Clinic, eliminating food with preservatives reduces the symptoms and severity of asthma  Ex: aspartame, sulfites, benzoates and yellow dye #5  Artificial colors  Refer to wall chart  Artificial Sweeteners  Sorbitol, mannitol, sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, etc.  Animals injected with antibiotics or hormones These are the same ones we take and can make us resistant Preservatives Other Additives

Clip from Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead More food for thought!!! What foods can you eat that will give you the most micronutrients?

Only you can make that choice. Become an educated consumer! Knowledge is power! What should you eat?