If you pay even a little attention to food industry news, you know there's been huge concerns over Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in our food supply. It's estimated 70% or more of America's processed grocery products contain gene-altered ingredients. Since at least the 1990's, we've been consuming genetically modified enzymes primarily in breads, cheeses, sodas, and beers. Today, genetically modified (GM) food crops include canola, corn, potatoes, sugarbeets, and soybeans. Other foods on the list are Arctic branded apples, pink pineapple, papaya, yellow crooked neck squash, and zucchini.

What does all of this really mean? Is there a real threat to health? Won't GM crops help us feed a planet with dwindling resources?

Regrettably, it's easy to get confused by arguments from both sides of the proverbial fence. We hope our basic, 5-point primer on GM foods helps you become a more informed consumer:

GE or GMO: What's the Difference?

"Genetically Engineered" (GE) and GMO are used interchangeably, but they have different meanings. Confusion arises because the USDA defines a GMO as an organism produced through any type of genetic modification. GE refers to the process of creating the GMO.

Genetically engineering food is different from the way plant breeders make selections for plant traits between two cultivars. Breeding (organic or conventional) means selecting a trait like disease resistance found in one plant and using that trait to enhance another plant. Breeders create a hybrid by crossing one plant with another. In this case, the plant breeder encourages the same kind of selections that might occur in nature. Breeders also monitor the plants for effects on specific characteristics including quality, nutrient density, and productivity.

A GMO crop is a plant where single gene or combinations of genes from one organism are artificially forced into the DNA of another organism (a crop). Essentially, the natural boundary between two species is broken in order to create a new life form (i.e., foods) with more desirable traits. For example, to get cold-weather hardy tomatoes, you can splice DNA from salmon that has those genetic features and transfer it into the tomato. This yields a larger crop when the weather is less than favorable. The problem? Tomatoes would never naturally contain those fishy genes.

Where Danger May Lurk

Disturbingly, there are far more than fish genes are being spliced into crops. According to Jeffrey Smith, President of the Institute for Responsible Technology, "GM plants, such as soybean, corn, cottonseed, and canola have had foreign genes, such as bacteria and viruses forced into their DNA. These have never been in the human food supply."

Therein lies the problem with food that has been genetically modified outside of nature's boundaries: The genetics of a plant, not only affect its color, taste, yield and nutrient quality, but they likely affect the way that food is utilized in the human body.

In the interest of larger crop yields, profits for big biotech companies, and claims that GM foods will 'feed the world,' we have no proof that these foods are safe and no data to indicate the short or long-term effects on human health. And, people are still starving around the world.

"Even if the transgene itself is not dangerous or toxic, it could upset complex biochemical networks and create new bioactive compounds or change the concentrations of those normally present. In addition, the properties in proteins may change in a new chemical environment because they may fold in new ways. Further, the potential toxic or carcinogenic effects could have substantial latency periods." - The Need for Greater Regulation and Control of Genetic Engineering: A Statement by Scientists Concerned About Trends in the New Biotechnology (1995)

What are the Health Concerns From GMO Food?

Sadly, GM foods do not undergo regulated testing in the United States. Much of what we know comes from independent scientists conducting animal studies (and the so-called unbiased studies from big biotech). However, scientists and politicians in other countries believe the threat to health is real. GE/GM crop cultivation is now banned by 38 countries worldwide (28 in Europe).

Medical professionals claim there are health effects potentially linked to eating these foods. In her article for the Chicago Tribune, Dr. Martha R. Herbert, a pediatric neurologist wrote: "Today the vast majority of foods in supermarkets contain genetically modified substances whose effects on our health are unknown. As a medical doctor, I can assure you that no one in the medical profession would attempt to perform experiments on human subjects without their consent... Yet manufacturers of genetically altered foods are exposing us to one of the largest uncontrolled experiments in modern history."

There are a variety of potential health effects listed including:

• Introduction of new allergens into crops could result in increased rates of allergies and allergy-related health conditions.
• Bacteria in our guts could pick up antibiotic-resistant genes found in many GM foods that have been spliced with antibiotics. These means medicines may not work when we need them to.
• Animal studies indicate GM foods may cause toxic effects on the liver, kidneys, pancreas or reproductive system.
• Animal studies also show that DNA in food can travel into organs throughout the body, even into the fetus.
• Perhaps most worrisom, the risks to children and fetuses may be greater because their digestive and neurological systems are not fully developed.

Why are Food Genetics Being Manipulated?

There are two primary traits scientists add to crops: herbicide tolerance that let the farmer spray weed-killer directly on the crop without killing it and the ability of the plant to produce its own pesticide. At this point, these outcomes have no proven health benefit to humans. There is, however, economic benefit for biotech companies such as Monsanto*, which developed (and owned the patent to) the weed-killer that farmers use on crops and we use in gardens (e.g., Roundup aka glyphosate). The company had been accused of everything from hiding research on the real health effects of glyphosate used on crops around the world to knowingly producing products that threaten plant biodiversity and cause cancer.

In July 2017, glyphosate was labeled as being known by the State of California to cause cancer under Prop 65. Additionally, the U.S. public demanded GMO labeling for years, and finally won the fight in 2018. As of June 2025, it is mandatory for foods with detectable bioengineered ingredients to be labeled as such in the United States. Labels read statements like “contains bioengineered” or “derived from bioengineered ingredients.” Additionally, restaurants, very small food manufacturers, and animal products produced from animals eating GMO feed are exempt from this rule.

Ways to Avoid GMO Products

To start, choose less processed, whole organic foods whenever you can. Make sure you try to get organic potatoes, corn, zucchini, yellow summer squash, soy products, and papaya as they may be from GMO sources. Purchasing dried beans, grains, nuts, and seeds will also help you avoid GMO foods. Don’t forget to buy organic meat and animal products whenever you can. Meat, dairy, and eggs that is non-organic are generally fed GE feed crops. Additionally, look for the Non-GMO product seal on items you buy from the store. You can learn more about them here. Looking for a professional's outlook? Dr. Blandford offers a nutritional consultation focused on macronutrients and healthy food choices. Schedule today!

Here are some additional resources for learning more about GMOs, Monsanto*, and other health implications are listed below.

• GMO FAQ. http://responsibletechnology.org/gmo-education/faqs/ (also has non-GMO shopping tips, education, training resources)
• Poison Plants. Scientific American Online. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/poison-plants/

*Monsanto is now defunct. The company was bought out by Bayer in June 2018 and its products are now folded into Bayer’s Crop Science Division. Litigation claiming the weedkiller causes multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is still ongoing as of June 2026.

Resources

1. Artemis, D. & Arvanitoyannis, I. (2002). "Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods." Crit Rev Health Sci & Nutrition 49:2, 164-175. DOI:10.1080/10408390701855993.
2. Borreli, Lizette. (2014). “Six Easy Ways to Avoid GMO Foods in Your Shopping Bag.” Medical Daily. http://www.medicaldaily.com/eating-gmo-free-6-easy-ways-avoid-genetically-modified-foods-your-shopping-bag-307884.
3. Endelman, R. "The Difference between GE and GMO." Accessed on Feb 8, 2016. http://thedelicioustruth.blogspot.com/2012/03/difference-between-terms-ge-and-gmo.html.
4. Food Matters. (2013). "6 Easy Ways to Avoid GMO Products." http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/6-easy-ways-to-avoid-gmos. Accessed on Feb 8, 2016.
5. Herbert, Martha. (2000). "Feasting on the Unknown: Being Exposed To One Of The Largest Uncontrolled Experiments In History." Chicago Tribune, pp. 87. https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/newspage/170557656/.
6. InstituteforResponsibleTechnology.org. (2015). “Health Risks of GMO Foods.” http://responsibletechnology.org/gmo-education/health-risks/. Accessed on Feb 7, 2016.
7. Perlmutter, David.(2020). “Safety and Risk of GMO Foods – with Jeffrey Smith.” The Empowering Neurologist – Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUzgUSmkjcc. Accessed 06/10/2026.
8. United Kingdom Institute for Science in Society. (2019). “New GMO Studies Demonstrate Genetic Non-Equivalence.” http://www.i-sis.org.uk/Substantial_Non-Equivalence.php. Accessed June, 2026.
9. U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Marketing Service. “BE Disclosure. https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/be. Accessed 06/10/2026.
10. Science Literacy Project. “Where are GMO crops and animals approved and banned?” https://geneticliteracyproject.org/gmo-faq/where-are-gmo-crops-and-animals-approved-and-banned/#:~:text=Countries%20with%20GMO%20prohibitions%3A,in%20Tasmania%20and%20Kangaroo%20island. Accessed 06/08/2026.
11. SustainablePulse. (2015). "GM Crops Now Banned in 38 Countries Worldwide." https://sustainablepulse.com/2015/10/22/gm-crops-now-banned-in-36-countries-worldwide-sustainable-pulse-research/#.Vq-sA8cwfL8. Accessed on June 8, 2026.
12. Third World Network, Penang, Malaysia (1995) p.18. Quoted in "Why the Genetic Engineering of Our Food Offends Principles of Most Religions." In reference to the quote form A Statement by Scientists Concerned About Trends in the New Biotechnology, As cited at PBS.org "Should we Grow GM Crops?" http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/harvest/exist/arguments.html