What is REAL Food??

When I listen to the debate about GMO labeling (Genetically Modified Organisms) for our "food" supply I can't help but get a little perturbed.  The USA has some pretty strict labeling rules and regulations around nutrients and ingredients.  By law YOU MUST have a clear, legible ingredient list,  the proper nutrient analysis and food allergen information.  So if you're diabetic, you would avoid the foods that are high in sugar and fat.  Due to all the industrial ingredients used today you would be surprised at how much sugar and fat some "foods" actually contain.  So you READ LABELS to help keep you and your family educated on what you're eating and safe -  especially if you have any food allergies.

 

So why is the GMO labeling issue getting pushed under the rug? If we need to know the nutrient content of our foods, why not know if what we are eating has been genetically modified or engineered? Washington, Connecticut and California have all tried to pass a GMO labeling regulation.  None have succeeded to date. 

 

GMOs are plants/animals that have been engineered to have certain properties that are not natural to that particular plant/animal.  Let's take tomatoes as an example: tomatoes naturally have seeds.  But some varieties have been engineered to not contain seeds.  Have you ever had a seedless tomato...or a seedless grape? Here are some other reasons plants are genetically modified:

1. To be resistant to pests
2. To be able to grow in various climates
3. To enhance appearance
4. To have a longer shelf life
5. To have a higher harvesting yield

The debate on whether or not to add another piece of information to "food" labels is clear cut.  The fact that big industry does not want to do it tells me that most, if not all, food has been modified in some way.  I have eaten GMO food before. When I open a box of my favorite breakfast cereal, eat popcorn at the movies and drink that oh so good slurpee.  I really just want to KNOW what I'm putting in my body!  So now, if there is no organic sticker on my packages...I ASSUME it's been made with GMO plants....and that's a pretty safe assumption to make.  Most of the time I buy food labeled: "organic" to avoid GMO food.  But I have my favorite guilty pleasures that I know contain modified ingredients. The big GMO crops in the USA are corn, soy, wheat, and rice.

So what is REAL food?  Food modified to grow and taste differently or food that has been grown in a suitable natural environment free of chemicals and alterations???

I'm with this guy...Just tell me what I'm eating!

Tell me what you think REAL food is.


Peace and blessings!