On July 1 Vermont
enacted its GMO (genetically modified) labeling law, resulting in 3,000
products no longer being sold in Vermont. In the same week, 107 Nobel laureates
sign a letter blasting Greenpeace over GMOs. The letter asks Greenpeace to cease its
efforts to block introduction of a genetically engineered strain of rice that
supporters say could reduce Vitamin-A deficiencies causing blindness and death
in children in the developing world.
So who’s to be believed-107 of the leading scientific researchers in the
world or the Vermont State legislature? How risky are GMOs?
The short answer is that food has been genetically modified ever since it
was eaten-either by nature itself, farmers or food engineers. Foods have been
fortified (modified) to help improve health since the 1920s. For example, eight studies have
found that fortifying flour with folic acid reduced the incidence of neural
tube birth defects such as spina bifida by 31% to 78%. Other than people’s fear, there isn’t reliable scientific data to support the GMO reaction.
Note that GMO isn’t a scientific term and pretty much anything we eat has
been genetically modified at some point or another.
What is more concerning, particularly for people with allergies and serious
health conditions, is “fake food.”-it’s labeled one way but is something
completely different. Almost every month there is a new “food scandal.” Commercial
honey, is extended with beet sugar, corn syrup. Shrimp often comes from
Southeast Asia where it may be full of antibiotics and is not known to be safe
and in fact has been banned. Most of the imported extra virgin olive oil isn’t
really olive oil and the list goes on. According to the Grocery Manufactures of
America, up to 10% of food products contain adulterated or fraudulent
ingredients.
An Inside Edition report surveyed 28 restaurants across the county and found that 35% of them
substituted something cheap for the lobster, such as whiting, Pollock or
langostino. You’d think that the chain Red Lobster would probably only use
lobster, not so for dishes that use lobster meat.
There is a lot more focus on this with the July 12th publication of Real Food Fake Food: Why You Don’t Know WhatYou’re Eating, What You Can Do About It” by Larry Olmsted, who happens to live in
Vermont.
Time recently posted an
article on Olmsted’s book with the following highlights:
• The single most defrauded fish in the US is red snapper with the
number one substitute being tilefish or tilapia, which is on the FDA’s “do not
eat list” for pregnant women due to its high mercury content
• 43% of “wild” labeled salmon sold in Chicago restaurants and grocery
stores are actually farmed.
• In New York City 100% of sushi restaurants served fake fish and in
fact, the worst fraudulent fish is sushi.
Some of the most commonly sold “fake” foods that aren’t what their labels
promise include: Kobe beef, seafood, honey, coffee, orange juice, apple juice,
wine, rice and cheese.
What is most concerning is that Olmsted documents that as quickly as they
scandals are identified, the producers shift things around. Bottom line, food
can be and will be continually faked. So what can you do?
When shopping consider the following:
• Read labels carefully If something has a huge number of
ingredients, it’s probably fake. Stay away from things like high fructose
corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, aspartame, and blue 25.
• Shop
the perimeter of the store as most of the middle isles are
packaged, processed goods. Buy
whole rather than processed.
• Avoid artificial colors and so-called
"natural flavors" Both
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) have rendered “natural” virtually
meaningless for all foods, but when it comes to beef, chicken,
pork, and lamb, literally every single animal raised in this country,
regardless of drugs or diet, qualifies as “natural” under USDA regulations.
Other labels to be wary of:
a)
Hormone-free” on poultry or pork. Unlike
antibiotics, which are widely abused in agriculture, it is illegal to use
hormones on poultry or pork in the U.S. (but not beef). So all poultry and pork
is hormone-free. But producers have found consumers will pay a few cents more
if they slip this on.
b)
Grass-fed” on beef. This it just changed without many people
noticing. For the past decade the USDA had a somewhat
acceptable definition, but they just rescinded it, and it’s now OK to slap
grass-fed on any beef, no matter what it ate. If you want to be sure it’s grass
fed beef look for Niman Ranch, Certified Angus Beef Natural (as
opposed to regular CAB), [or] the seal of the American
Grassfed Association
• Cook more, which gives you control over your own
ingredients.
• Recognize that if something seems too cheap
to be real, it likely isn’t
• Shop discount big-box stores such as Costco, Trader Joe’s, BJ’s Wholesale
Club and Walmart as their standards are as stringent as Whole Foods. This is
particularly true for Seafood. However, avoid “organic” from China. Didn’t see
that one coming did you? However, they have bulk purchasing power and can make
demands that smaller grocers can’t.
• Get to know local producers when
possible and buy local. This
is particularly true for items like honey and maple syrup. In fact, Chinese
honey can be really dangerous so purchase honey from a local beekeeper and
avoid supermarkets brands altogether. Join a CSA (community sustainable
agriculture) or grow your own produce if possible. Check out Honey is the Third Most Faked Food.
• Seafood is one of the worse “fake” foods. Look for reliable logos MSC (Marine
Stewardship Council) for wild-caught fish and BAP (Global Aquaculture
Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices for farmed. Alaskan wild caught seafood
by law is not farmed as it is not allowed in this state. This is easier to do
at a grocery store than a restaurant. Don’t buy or order Red Snapper because
it’s most likely going to be something else. Order lobster whole and avoid
things like lobster roll, ravioli, macaroni, soup etc., where it is easier to
substitute another product. There are legal organic standards for
produce and meats, but not for seafood. Totally meaningless, yet widely used.
• Buy French Champagne as
they have some of the strictest controls in the world. The U.S. produces a
domestic champagne that is lower quality.
• Only buy Parmigianino Reggiano when
it’s printed on the crust.
If you can’t read it, don’t buy it. Check out Most Parmesan Cheeses in America Are Fake. Here’s Why. 
• For Extra Virgin Olive Oil, purchase
it from Australia, Chili or California. Be very careful if you are allergic to peanut or soy as these are
common additives in products that are coming out of Italy (the largest importer
of olive oil). Check www.extravirginity.com for recommendations. Unless you use it up
very rapidly-in less than 9 months- don’t buy in gallon containers since it
goes bad. Don’t Fall Victim to Olive Oil Scam
• For coffee lovers, buy the bean and
grind you own, otherwise you
may be getting chicory, cereals, caramel, parchment, starch, malt and even figs.
Sadly tea can come with sawdust and leaves from other plants.
• Dry spices-Grow you own whenever
possible and dry them. For
nutmeg, buy the nut and grate it yourself. Use a pepper mill and grind your own
pepper. Spiked Spices
• Fruit Juice: Read the labels every single time, as Manufacturers
aren't required to list the percentage of each ingredient on the packaging, and
apple juice is much cheaper than juices like pomegranate or blueberry.
• Almost no truffle oil is real, so skip the truffle fries.
• If you are a Kobe Beef lover, there are only 9 eateries in the U.S. that
purchase the real deal. Many places that say they offer it actually are selling
a cheaper cut. So if you see Kobe Beef on the menu, chances are it’s not. Check
out The New Truth About Kobe Beef, which includes those places where Kobe Beef
is actually sold.
Additional reading/listening:
• 10 Great ‘Real Food’ Restaurants and How to Avoid Fake Food Scams by Larry Olmsed
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