How do you like your cereal – with a little bit of milk and DNA?
The newest and latest claims made by the anti-GMO crowd have surfaced lately in relation to cereal, namely Froot Loops. According to GMO Free USA, consumers need to be careful when purchasing their favorite fruity breakfast food:
In 2013, GMO Free USA sent a sample of Froot Loops to a certified lab to test for the presence of GMO material. The quantitative PCR test verified, by DNA analysis, that 100% of the corn in the Froot Loops was GMO, containing DNA sequences known to be present in insecticide producing Bt and Roundup Ready corn. The soy contained DNA sequences known to be present in Roundup Ready GMO soy.
The article then goes on to lay out the allegedly terrible consequences of glyphosate and the growing body of “scientific” evidence showing glyphosate is supposedly dangerous. They conclude that folks should boycott Kellogg’s products because the company continues to use GMO corn and soybeans. Of course, they finish by asking for a donation to help them spread this information.
(They also make a lot of other ridiculous and false claims that I have addressed in other articles and parts of my blog. Use the search at the top of the page to find them.)
Here’s the problem – GMO Free USA either lacks a fundamental understanding of how Round-Up Ready crops work, or they’re purposely deceiving folks (I’ll let you decide that answer…).
Also, let’s not forget that when Kellogg’s was approached by these people to remove GMOs from their product, Kellogg’s basically told them to take a flying leap. Unlike General Mills, Kellogg’s didn’t bow down to these people. Is it any wonder now that their products are being scrutinized with less than credible “science?” I think not.
Let’s break down the problems with these claims one by one…
Most cereal is made with GMOs, but that’s okay!
First, most cereal is made using field corn, not sweet corn. Yes, it makes a really big difference. Most consumers are probably familiar with sweet corn, because they’ve actually eaten it or have seen it in the grocery store. Sweet corn is sweeter, picked when the kernels are still moist, and usually eaten fresh. Field corn is not sweet, has a tougher texture, and is usually harvested once the corn itself has dried out. (To learn about more of the differences, check out this website.)
Field corn, which is the type of corn processed for cereals, is the largest crop produced in the United States, with 95 million acres being planted in 2013. Out of all that acreage, about 90% of the field corn produced is genetically engineered corn. GMO field corn has been modified in either one of two ways. First, the corn may be modified to be resistant to certain herbicides, particularly Round-Up and its active ingredient glyphosate. Second, the corn may be modified to produce the Bt protein. Let’s dig into how these work…
First, let’s on Round-Up Ready crops. In general, these crops, including corn and soybeans, have been modified so that the herbicide Round-Up (with its active ingredient glyphosate) can be applied to the plants and they are not harmed by it. Glyphosate works like this:
Glyphosate is a small molecule that inhibits an enzyme, 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS), which catalyzes an essential step in the biosynthesis of the amino acids phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan. By denying rapidly growing plants these amino acids, it is able to rapidly inhibit growth of plants onto which it has been sprayed.
(Source: Science 2.0) Now, normally applying glyphosate to a non-modified corn plant would cause this EPSPS enzyme to quit working and the corn would also die. However, Round-Up Ready varieties have been changed so they can use other mechanisms for processing these enzymes. Just like in humans, the genetically engineered crops are able to catalyze these amino acids without the EPSPS enzyme. The plants are not actually producing anything new, just utilizing a different way to get those necessary amino acids. Therefore, applying glyphosate to them doesn’t harm them (nor does it harm humans).
Second, the field corn can be modified to produce the Bt protein, which cannot be digested by certain insects. It probably won’t surprise anyone that one of corn’s biggest enemies are certain kinds of worms. If you’ve ever opened up an ear of sweet corn and found a worm, you probably noticed that the worm can destroy a significant portion of the crop. The same is true with field corn. Thankfully, some very specific types of worms are unable to digest the Bt protein. So, when the bug starts to dig into that yummy field corn, it also takes a bite of those proteins, which will kill it.
The good news is that human beings are not worms, or insects, and we are perfectly capable of digesting the Bt protein safely. It won’t hurt you. In fact, organic farmers have been using the Bt protein against pests for a long time. If you want to learn more, I suggest reading this article where I explained this process in more detail.
Genetically engineered crops do NOT produce herbicides.
This is a scare tactic common misconception spread by people that are opposed to the use of GMOs, including GMO Free USA. Their claims regarding Froot Loops suggests that because these gene modifications are in the plants, they plants are somehow producing insecticides or herbicides.
This is false.
As I already explained, neither the Round-Up Ready modification nor the Bt trait cause the plants to produce a herbicide, as suggested by GMO Free’s article. Rather, the only thing these plants produce is a Bt protein that you and I are perfectly capable of eating and digesting without any problems (unless, of course, you are actually an insect).
But what about this other claim that eating Froot Loops mean you’re actually eating the DNA of these modified plants? Well, truthfully, even if you are eating plant DNA it doesn’t really matter. Horizontal gene transfer is this absurd idea that if you eat DNA, that DNA can then transfer into your blood stream and change your own DNA. This is not exactly a credible idea. However, even if it is and even if the two modifications are ending up in our stomach, there is no indication that it is dangerous. Again, your human body is capable of digesting proteins and you already don’t use the EPSPS enzymes to catalyze certain amino acids.
I’ll also mention that if you’re worried about glyphosate or Round-Up (or any pesticides for that matter) showing up in your food there really is no need to worry. The EPA and FDA have a handle on this matter. For a full explanation, check out my past articles here and here. The GMO Free USA article actually admits it did not test for the presence of glyphosate, only that they want to add that to their testing.
In the meantime, these types of straw man arguments and false claims are not new or original to GMO Free USA or their Froot Loop claims. Many so-called studies have been conducted, few of them being credible or scientific, showing that there are risks with genetically modified crops. (I have debunked some of them. You can find them here, here, and here.) In reality, all credible studies of GMOs have shown that they are safe.
Genetically engineered crops are safe. Seriously.
The bottom line is that you should not be worried about eating cereal, or any food, that contains genetically engineered crops. Scientific study after study after study has come to the same conclusion: GMOs are safe for human consumption.
In fact, there has never been a single scientific study showing that GMOs are harmful to humans or the environment. Not one.
Furthermore, for the last 18 years and through multiple generations, we have been feeding livestock in the United States trillions of meals worth of GMO feed. There has never been a single documented case showing that livestock are hurt by the genetically engineered feed. That’s pretty conclusive data.
And, thus, another scare tactic by the anti-GMO crowd has been debunked.

Guess you did not read the republished Europian Journal of Toxicology report on GMO’s…
Are you referring to the Seralini study? Being “republished” does not make a bad study a good study. It really is simple. There are certain things we can look at to see if a study or research is credible. Some of that includes things like sample size, whether it has a control group, whether it has been peer reviewed, etc. Seralini’s study did not have the factors indicating it was credible or even scientific. That means it doesn’t matter who wants to republish it, it isn’t credible.
Furthermore, we have lots and lots of credible, scientific studies showing that GMOs are indeed safe. Three United States federal agencies are involved in the process of reviewing all genetically engineered crops before they are given “degregulated” status and allowed for commercial use.
Meanwhile, there are absolutely no credible or scientific studies showing that GMOs cause harm to humans or the environment.
I suggest you read this: https://www.thefarmersdaughterusa.com/2014/07/just-ignore-those-2000-studies-showing.html
“Meanwhile, there are absolutely no credible or scientific studies showing that GMOs cause harm to humans or the environment.”?? and Thalidomide once had no credible studies either. You make the point, THERE HASN’T BEEN A STUDY, because the producers of these products care nothing for human life only their in-human bank account.
There have actually been lots of studies. You can find 2,000 of them here: https://www.thefarmersdaughterusa.com/2014/07/just-ignore-those-2000-studies-showing.html
Or check out the study that just came from the National Academies of Science which also found GMOs are not harmful to humans: http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2016/05/17/gmos-safe-academies-of-science-report-genetically-modified-food/84458872/
I really don’t care if GMO’s are safe or not, to be honest.
1) We kill most livestock after a relatively short life, 18 months for most. If GMO’s were going to do damage, they’d have to be poisonous to do it in that short time.
2) If I don’t care to eat gluten, I can find a million different packages claiming “No Gluten” Yet, if I want to eat organics, and skip GMO’s where possible, there is a million dollar fight to keep from having to tell the CONSUMER whether there is GMO corn/soy/product in the product I’m paying for. Why do you suppose that is? It’s not like People with one market per town are going to stop shopping because they carry GMO foodstuff.
3) Why does Monsanto claim this is going to “Feed the World” and stop starvation or food shortages, when it’s obvious that the lack of money is causing the shortages, not the lack of food product?
Hi Meg! Thanks for the comment!
1. I can’t comment on the average age of livestock, because we don’t actually own any. That being said, you’re absolutely right that we do not need to be worried about GMOs damaging them. I know for a fact that some livestock do live long lives – including dairy cows! But we don’t have to be worried about them eating GMOs either. You can read more here: https://www.thefarmersdaughterusa.com/2014/09/1-trillion-meals-later-gmo-safety.html
2. If you want to stop eating GMOs, then you are more than welcome to purchase items with the “organic” label, because they do not allow genetic modification in organic produce. You also have the choice to buy food that is voluntarily labeled GMO-free. The problem with the labeling campaign is that it has nothing to do with consumers having a “right to know” or food producers wanting to keep consumers in the dark. As mentioned, there are plenty of options for people that don’t want to consume GMOs. Rather, the labeling efforts are meant to scare consumers into thinking there is something wrong with genetically engineered crops. You can read more about that here: https://www.thefarmersdaughterusa.com/2013/09/bad-ideas-gmo-labels.html
3. I think you’re confusing a couple ideas. The fact of the matter is, the population of the world is growing at a very alarming rate. By 2050, it is expected that there will be 9 billion people in the world. As it is today, we are not producing enough food to feed that many people (even with all other things being equal). That means agriculture is going to have to do something to keep up. Genetically modified crops are one tool that we think will help us meet that growing demand by 2050. They allow us to use fewer inputs and still get higher yields. There are also benefits for the environment when we use them. GMOs are not the ONLY answer to feeding our growing population, but they are a very important tool in meeting that demand.
interesting read, but a couple of comments. If you actually read a glyphosate label it will tell you that it kills the plants by poisoning them with salt. The salt comes from the soil in which they grow and the glyphosate causes the plants to uptake excessive amounts of salt. That is why salt tolerant plants take so much longer to die than non-salt tolerant plants. Speaking from a beef farmer perspective, about 40% of each current year calf crop will be slaughtered by 18 months of age, 30% will be slaughtered before 3 years of age and the remaining 30% will live long lives(for a cow) between 4 and 16 years of age, some can live as long as 20 years. And finally your comment about horizontal gene transfer. Do people really believe that? Do they think that only GMO’s contain DNA? Every living thing contains DNA plants, animals, bacteria, virus’, trees, birds, etc etc. Even all natural, all organic, never been modified, same as the day it was created, still has DNA.
You can look at the label right here: http://www.cdms.net/LDat/ld07A016.pdf
It states: “Mode of Action in Plants: The active ingredient in this product inhibits an enzyme found only in plants and microorganisms that is essential to the formation of specific amino acids.”
I understand that beef cows are slaughtered at that age, but dairy cows live longer. Some of the obviously live long enough to reproduce, because that’s why we still have cows. 🙂
As to horizontal gene transfer, yes… some people actually believe that. I know, I couldn’t believe it either!
Thanks for the great article, Amanda! I’ve been trying and trying to convince my mother that GMO crops are safe for human consumption, but she’s still a firm believer in (of all things) horizontal gene transfer. I have absolutely no idea why. Just today, she got all upset over the upcoming release of Arctic Apples because she’s afraid they’re going to “modify our DNA” and make us sick. Okay, mom. Oh-kay.
Anyways, this is an awesome website you have here, keep up the good work! 🙂
you make me just want to move to Europe….Is this supposed to make us feel better? Most all corn in America has GMOs in it? Lord, please forgive us for thinking we could improve on what You created.
Yes, most corn produced in the United States is genetically modified. I fail to see how that would make a difference though, since thousands of studies have been conducted on genetically engineered varieties and they’ve all concluded there was no problems with it.
And humans have been manipulating genes for thousands and thousands of years. As a person of faith, I fail to see any legitimate theological argument to suggest that would be considered sinful or bad.
Who exactly performed these studies and where can i read them?
You can find most of them here: http://genera.biofortified.org/
You are on to something here Erin….lets see who these studies were performed by 🙂 I think we know the answer to that one!! In the words of David Suzuki “”Anyone that says, ‘Oh, we know that this is perfectly safe,’ I say is either unbelievably stupid, or deliberately lying. The reality is, we don’t know. The experiments simply haven’t been done, and now we have become the guinea pigs.”
So you will blindly ignore over 2,000 scientific studies because you want to believe that you’re right. You’re so dead set on the fact that you’re right you absolutely refuse to look at the data. That’s not educated, that’s being purposefully ignorant.
If you want to look at the data and overcome your ignorance, you can find them here: http://genera.biofortified.org/
The question is who paid for those studies. Were most of them funded by Monsanto or pro Monsanto companies?
No, that isn’t the question. The correct inquiry is to look at the studies and determine whether they meet the scientific requirements for being considered reliable – thinks like adequate sample size, control groups, ability to be reproduced, etc. Funding means absolutely nothing when it comes to determining whether a study is scientifically reliable.
As a certified health coach, I work with people who are ill, and when I take them off products like Fruit Loops, they get well. Go figure.
Not to worry, most of us who are becoming educated consumers will make choices based on what we experience with our natural food sources. No need to try to convince me otherwise, it’s not working
You could use a little correlation education too. Just because you take someone off of Froot Loops (what? are they taking it through an IV??) and they get “better” couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the fact that the person is now eating healthier food, less sugar, and (hopefully) exercising now; right? I mean, OF COURSE it must be the GMOs; right???
https://www.thefarmersdaughterusa.com/2014/07/spurious-correlations.html
Agreed Linda!!! They can try to justify with twisted words….bottom line is…Leave Nature As it Should be!! I will stick to “real” food and organics thank you.
You do realize that genetic modification happens in nature; right? Oh right, you probably decided to ignore that little fact….
Artificial selection and GMOs are completely different processes and should never be compared. GMO does not happen in nature. It happens in a lab. Natural selection should not be compared to artificial selection. You are saying that 3 totally different processes are equal. Continue your research ob this topic and you will find they are all different.
Wrong. GMOs happen in nature. http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/05/05/404198552/natural-gmo-sweet-potato-genetically-modified-8-000-years-ago
Whew! Great job on jumping in to save Goliath. Absolutely ridiculous. I want my three minutes of life back.
Who cares if the claims are wrong. Why should we eat fruit loops. There’s nothing nutritious about them or anything Kraft makes for that matter. When are people going to wake up and eat real food. And shame in you for defending this company. GMO’s are ruining our society and your positive spin is downright dangerous. If they are do safe then why are other countries banning them.
I never once said that anyone should eat Froot Loops. I simply said that people do NOT need to be afraid of eating them. That’s the message. As far as I’m concerned, Kraft is a great company, though not sure why you brought them up because they don’t produce Froot Loops.
Finally, I’m curious about your comment that GMOs are “ruining” our society? How is that? Are they sleeping around with all the neighbors? Spending money they don’t have? Or some other loose morals?
Oh, and the rest of the world doesn’t ban GMOs. Nice try, but that line is pretty old and tired. https://www.thefarmersdaughterusa.com/2014/04/but-rest-of-world-bans-gmos-right.html
I like that you stand up for what you believe in but nothing you say can convince me that GMO’S are safe for consumption. There has not been nearly enough testing for the claims they make that it is safe. (IMO). It’s like the human population is being used as guinea pigs. You may think its safe but would you drink a glass of glyphosate if it is so safe? The representative for Monsanto even wouldn’t. We all have our own opinions about what is healthy and safe and what isn’t; good luck to you.
First of all, GMO corn has been eaten by billions of people over the last two decades and there has been no documented ill effects. You yourself have been eating GMOs for over twenty years.
I would not drink a glass of glysophate,your are the first person in my life to make such a silly comment. Let me ask you this: would you drink a large glass of mouthwash? Of course not, it would most likely make you very sick, but people use mouthwash at its proper dosage every day with no ill effects.
On the scale of toxicity, a glass of glysophate is no more toxic than a glass of mouthwash. Then it is diluted 100 to 1 with water before being applied. the poison is in the dosage.
If your agenda encrusted with a thick layer of diversions, misconceptions, factual errors and out-and-out lies, you may want to rethink your agenda.
There is a section of our population that seems to thrive on any pseudo-scientific crap that can keep them afraid and angry. Listen to AM talk radio someday. Some people are only happy when they are mad.
GMOs are not safe! Enjoy your cancer
In years past, insulin (used to keep diabetics alive) was produced from purified animal products, pigs and cows. It was expensive and not always readily available. It also cost the lives of millions of cattle and pigs. Today,synthetic insulin is produced using GMO technology that is cheaper, more accurate, and readily available around the world, saving millions of lives. Safe or not, GMO technology is literally keeping me alive.
This “farmers daughter” likely works for Monsanto. Good riddens. Why aren’t GMO products allowed in Europe?! Are they all idiots. Get a grip. Leave the corn and all other fruits and veggies alone….of course we will lose some to disease but its far better than GMOs. You earn that dollar the evil way “farmers daughter”.
Really? The best you have is to accuse me of being a shill? How about something more original? Read this: https://www.thefarmersdaughterusa.com/2014/02/no-im-not-paid-by-monsanto.html
And for the record, you’re wrong – the rest of the world (including Europe) does not ban GMOS. You can read this: https://www.thefarmersdaughterusa.com/2014/04/but-rest-of-world-bans-gmos-right.html
I don’t know why you insist that other countries are not banning GMOs … They are! They either have whole bans or partial bans .. And guess what? A lot of them are in Europe. You can’t argue facts!
They aren’t facts if they’re wrong. Then they’re just lies. And that’s what you’re sticking to. I just linked to an article explaining to you that most countries do *not* ban them. If you choose to stick your head in the sand and insist that you’re right, especially when I’ve given you the evidence to the contrary, there’s not much more I can do.
Monsanto must pay you very well. It’s too bad you are on the wrong side. And shameful.
Really? That’s all you can come up with? Have you even read the other comments.
I guess when you’re going to ignore common sense and science, even when presented on a silver platter, that should be expected. https://www.thefarmersdaughterusa.com/2014/02/no-im-not-paid-by-monsanto.html
After being ill for a long time with no cure for what I have, I went in on a search for what could be causing the problems. Of course GMO’s came into the picture. I went gluten free and stopped eating “crap” and I started getting better. There is still no known cure for what I have but the symptoms were finally manageable. I was convinced it was gluten and GMO’s. I started doing some research but found it very difficult to find any credible studies not funded by or somehow linked to Monsanto and DuPont. I found this unfortunate because I feel “I” lack proper information to make an educated opinion on the subject. The only truths I know for a fact: get rid of sugars and processed food and start eating healthy = feel better. For now, this is good enough for me. I won’t fear GMO’s. However, I live in the Netherlands and there are some American products sold here which are labeled when containing GMO’s. As tempted as I may be to enjoy it, I turn my nose to it and pass it up. But it’s usually because it’s just junk anyway, but that label alone stops me from purchasing it.
I continue to find the subject interesting, and thank you for sharing your article.
Jenn, I appreciate you leaving a respectful and decent comment. 🙂
I can assure you that it is not the GMOs causing your ill feelings. First, it doesn’t really make sense that a little piece of DNA is going to make any difference in what you feel. Second, there has been absolutely no scientific evidence supporting a connection. I mean, if you stop eating “junk” food, then you’re probably going to feel better. That goes without saying. I suspect that’s the reason you feel better, not because you avoided GMOs.
By the way, if you’d like to find studies, you can see lots of them here: http://genera.biofortified.org/
There has been no response about whether you are on Monsanto’s payroll or getting some other kick back. Care to respond?
I’ve responded to this question many, many times.
The answer is no. I am not on Monsanto’s payroll and I am not getting some type of kick back.
Do you even understand how a business works? Businesses don’t have endless amounts of money to just throw around. It’s amazing what you people think a company like Monsanto can accomplish. Absolutely foolish.
This particular one does. And lots of friends at the bank.
So, no, you don’t know how businesses work.
Your agitated I get it, but also rude. Not sure you’ve learned how to be credible. Even if you are.
While I appreciate your opinion, I also know there are plenty of people that appreciate my snark and do think I’m credible.
Yellow #5
Argue all you want
People are screwing up the natural progression of sacred things. This banter included. I just want to raise my vibrations to be in harmony with the universe. Fruit loops can not help me there. But if I want to live a slave with a dulled existence I am allowed to choose that too. Good luck to you all in finding your calling to love. Remember true and noble things don’t cost money.
Um….ok….
By corn produces its own pesticide period. Nice try but Bt is a toxin… You might want to take an entry level biology class, where they teach exactly how and why.
If you’re worried, as a human being, about Bt being toxic, then you’re the one that needs more science lessons. In lieu of that, I suggest checking out my pretty basic explanation of it: https://www.thefarmersdaughterusa.com/2014/09/my-dog-chocolate-and-bt-sweet-corn.html
Sorry, “farmer’s daughter” I think you’ve been inhaling a bit too much methane. You can’t beat scientific facts.
I respond by giving you a link with a basic explanation of a complex scientific theory, full of reliable and scientific sources. You respond with a personal insult stereotyping farmers and somehow I’m the one that is contrary to science? The illogical conclusions some people reach continue to amaze me.
Amanda. I admire your sang froid in the face of willful ignorance (nothing you say can convince me that GMO’S are safe for consumption.”, ad-hominen attacks “you are on Monsanto’s payroll or getting some other kick back”, mediaeval religiosity “People are screwing up the natural progression of sacred things”‘ or plain stupid hypocrisy. “Bt corn produces its own pesticide period. Nice try but Bt is a toxin..”. On the latter one, if Bt is so dangerous, why was it first used by the organic sector? Why do you trolls bother to hang about here? Is it to try and change minds? If so, here are some rules of engagement-
1. Always be prepared to consider the full evidence. Systematic reviews are the gold standard. A selection of cherry picked studies will not beat a systematic review.
2. Arguments ad-hominen generally look like the last refuse of the lost. It is a big placard that says “I have run out of reason so am reverting to noisy emotion”.
3. Religion has no place in science. Keep it in the church, mosque or your home. Natural preference arguments are the same standard of creation science, flat earth or climate chance science denial.
4. Consistent application of standards to all parties in a debate. Bt is a classic in that regard.
Amazing how everyone making accusations of your lack of scientific vigour do not post a single, credible link to anything with a citation in sight.
My personal view – would I eat Fruit Loops or feed them to my nephews (I have not kids myself)? Nope – there are much better options for breakfast. Not because they contain GMOs, but because there isn’t much nutritional benefit in them.
I hadn’t realised until I read the comments above that some people think that DNA can some how jump species from being eaten. Wow. That hurts my head it is so stupid…. And drink a whole glass of glyphosate? Again, so terribly dumb (as was the guy who indicated he would and then wouldn’t!). I wouldn’t drink a whole glass of many things that I can happily ingest in the right/appropriate concentration. So painfully, painfully dumb.
Hello Amanda,
I respect your passion and connection to Science. I would like to offer my perspective. You mentioned that you are a woman of faith, but all of your arguments are Scientific. Would you be willing to accept the possibility that part of faith is listening to your own intuition? Mine says that unnatural food production doesn’t make my body feel good. Also, could it be possible that the industry has a hand in these studies you site? with love, Michael
Faith and science are not incompatible. Also, without getting too much into theology, I don’t think listening to your own intuition is necessarily part of faith. Our own intuition can fool us into thinking all sorts of really silly things and justifying all sorts of sin. That’s why we have authorities (be they the Bible or the church) that teach us right from wrong. I assure you, that your idea that GMOs somehow don’t make your body “feel good” is exactly this sort of silliness. To the extent that there is even any DNA left in the cereal when you eat it, it isn’t GMOs that cause you not to feel good. That’s definitely all in your head and not supported by any type of evidence. This is precisely how homeopathic doctors are able to trick people into believing what they’re selling. Of course it makes you don’t feel good; right? Much more productive to check on the things that we know will help you feel good – eating a well-balanced meal, exercise, etc. I’m also not really sure what you mean by “unnatural.”
Finally, if you’re worried about the industry somehow being involved in scientific studies, then you don’t understand how science works. The scientific method is built in with certain safeguards that we can easily review and assess to determine whether they are reliable. For example, scientific studies have to be reproducible. You should be able to reproduce the same study over and over again and get the same results. That information should always be included in the report of that study. If you look closely, you’ll find that many of the so-called studies that show some type of harm from GMOs never include enough details for them to be reproducible. Of course, that’s just one example. 🙂
You are either a liar for evil or an ignorant fool. You must work for the company or have stock in it. SHAME ON YOU!
But no matter, KARMA will take care of your evil doing;)
Either a liar for evil or an ignorant fool? Who is “the company” that you speak of? I think you would best be served by doing some more reading on my blog. 🙂
Thanks for this article. I always like to read different opinions, do some searching and try to make a logical conclusion. I would point out that 40 or 50 years ago no one said cigarettes would kill us. Then there was the whole eggs are bad for you, oh no, wait, they’re not. Milk is good, milk is evil. Avoid fats, fats are good. Generally speaking, it seems that as years go by more information is available and findings change. Just thinking, do we know for sure about these chemicals or GMA? Or will we learn after several decades that they actually are bad/good for us? Thinking out loud here…
It may be news to you but we have been eating GMO foods for at least two decades ant there has never been even a sniffle attributed to them. On the other hand, most of the food poising we read about in the news these days are from organic vegetables containing coli and other pathogens. Chipolte was recently forced to close 42 stores in the Northwest because of food borne pathogens on the organic foods that they serve.
Linda, well stated comment.
Unless I am missing something, the article actually proves that the level of glyphosate present in fruit loops is very safe.
It states that in the E.U. it is considered a safe RDI for a five year old kid of 20kg ( about 44 lb) to have 20*.3 mg = 6 mg of glyphosate. It further claims .12 ppm (parts per million) of glyphosate present in fruit loops. I beleive that means that for every 1,000,000 mg of fruit loops, you get .12 mg of glyphosate.
6/.12 = 50 so 50,000,000 mg of fruit loops ingested daily = 1763 oz or about 81 (21.7 oz) boxes of fruit loops before the RDI is reached.
Who lets their kid eat 81 boxes of cereal per day?
Ok, I meant Froot Loops and I never believed there was any actual Froot in them. 🙂
For anyone who wants to leave their food “to nature” here is the story of wheat., About 8,000 years ago the original wheat had a genome of 14 chromosomes. Around 4-5,000 years ago that wheat plant absorbed the total genome of a plant called “goat grass”, it now had a genome of 28 chromosomes, 2-3,000 years ago the same process happened again and produced the wheat we know today that has a genome of 42 chromosomes and to the biologists with proper tools those 3 genomes are still visible today. This could be the original GMO. I call it a God Made Organism. (if it makes any difference I am a plant physiologist) D>
To me the concerning thing about fruit loops has always been the high sugar content.
I agree that there’s been a lot of exaggeration about the dangers of GMO foods. We have been modifying the DNA of plants a long time and eating their DNA too.
One legitimate area of concern accirding to a coupke of the sciencedaily.com papers Ive read is the possibility some GMO products could be producing allergic responses in some folks. Thats still under study, but if youve got a propensity to allergies, thats a good reason to want to know about a food’s origins at this point.
It also seems that a little too much reliance on the roundup is producing tolerance in weeds. Crop rotations are very important to help control this. Overall the roundup systems have dramatically reduced pesticide use though. That’s a big win.
I think too about GMO products w Vitamin A and the difference that could be making in third world countries … It is a sin IMHO to deny this life saving technology to those people out of such ignorance such evil is grown.
Overall a good column. Thank you for being willing to take it on.
Thanks for your thoughtful (and respectful) comment.
I’d like to address a couple of your concerns. First, GMOs are not causing allergies. I found this excellent article by a registered dietitian here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/gmoanswers/2016/04/18/are-gmos-causing-food-allergies/#644e7d082b73 Also, please note that this is specifically one thing the FDA looks at before approving any genetically modified crop.
Also, herbicide resistance is not a GMO problem. Weeds evolve naturally whether the crops we’re planting are resistant to certain herbicides or not. The problem of weeds becoming tolerate to certain herbicides was an issue long before we started implementing biotechnology, and it is a problem that will be around for quite a long time. Unfortunately, the answer to this problem is to rotate which herbicides are being used, but since the EPA continues to take away these different tools from us, that makes it harder. That’s another post though. 🙂
Oh yeah … The way they do genetic mods in the lab actually mimics the way nature does it already. A virus in nature inserts a piece of its DNA into the plant which then passes the change on to a new generation. Except when nature does so it usually doesn’t benefit the plant, it just benefits the virus.
Scientists use that natural process to instead benefit the plant. Which to me is kinda neat if you think about it!
The results might need observation to ensure these new varieties don’t become super invasive or turn out to be some kind of big allergen — but that’s a far cry from the hysteria I have been seeing over ‘frankenfoods’ of late.
Haha and everyone is missing the point…the amount of carbs in that will kill you for sure. Over processed, sugar-laden food.