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The Shocking Difference Between Organic & Non-GMO Labels – It’s Huge!

One of the things I love to do every year is visit The Natural Products Expo, I go to both shows every year (west coast and east coast) to see the types of natural products food companies are creating and meet the founders behind them. Every year I see more and more Non-GMO products being created which is a great sign of the times, but there’s something really tricky and important you need to know about these products.

Shocking Difference

There’s a lot of confusion and debate about what non-GMO and organic labels really mean.

The labels are very different! It’s crucial to understand the difference if you want to pick out the healthiest and safest food for you and your family. Every time we decide to buy a product, we are supporting so much more than our bodies. We are shaping the landscape of the entire food system – everything from the environment, land, air, water to the farmers themselves. And this is why I want you to know the truth about the “Non-GMO” label and what it really means.

What exactly does the “Non-GMO Project” label mean?

The “Non-GMO Project” label only verifies that a product doesn’t contain genetically modified (GMO) ingredients (or technically less than 0.9% GMOs). While that is good, it’s not the whole story about what the product contains, how it was produced, and where it came from.

But when I have a choice, I always choose organic food because of these reasons…

10 reasons why “Organic” beats “Non-GMO” every time:

OrganicVSnongmo-3

1.  Certified organic foods are also non-GMO. USDA organic regulations prohibit any genetically modified (GMO) ingredients in a certified organic product. I avoid GMOs at all costs, and going organic is one of the easiest ways to do it. NOTE: The USDA Organic label certifies that 95%-100% of the ingredients are organic, so there is a slight chance that (up to 5%) of non-organic ingredients are in the product – however they are not supposed to be GMO. There are still some tricky loopholes, so that’s why you need to look for “100% certified organic” or a “Non-GMO Project” verified label to ensure it’s GMO-free.

2.  Organic crops cannot be grown with synthetic pesticides, and contain much lower pesticide residues overall. Organic regulations prohibit certain toxic pesticides from being used on crops, but there are no special restrictions for non-GMO crops. So, non-GMO crops can be grown the same as other conventional crops and can still be laden with toxic pesticide residues, including organophosphates that are linked to lymphoma and leukemia. A bag of non-GMO potato chips can contain residues from up to 35 different pesticides used on conventional potatoes, several of which are known carcinogens, suspected hormone disruptors, neurotoxins, or reproductive toxins. Also non-GMO produce (like strawberries and celery) are on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen Guide as the most contaminated with pesticides. While natural pesticides are allowed on organic crops, it’s been shown that organic produce has very low levels of pesticide residue compared with conventional crops, and by eating organic you can significantly decrease your exposure to pesticide residues (source).

3.  The most widely-used herbicide on the planet – Glyphosate (Roundup) – is prohibited on organic crops. Non-GMO crops such as wheat can be pre-harvested with glyphosate. This herbicide is a toxin that can accumulate in your body the more you are exposed to it. It has been linked to kidney disease, breast cancer, and some birth defects. According to Dr. Stephanie Seneff, a senior research scientist at MIT, glyphosate is largely responsible for the escalating incidence of autoimmune and other neurological disorders that we are experiencing. There are many non-GMO products on the market that contain wheat and seem healthy – but they could be laced with glyphosate. For instance, whole-wheat breads and non-GMO cereals that aren’t organic (like Grape Nuts) may contain glyphosate residues.

4.  Organic ingredients aren’t processed with toxic hexane. Most conventional oils (canola, soybean, corn) are extracted with the neurotoxin hexane, and some residue has been shown to remain in these oils. Hexane is also used in the processing of many soy ingredients like soy protein and textured vegetable protein, and testing done by The Cornucopia Institute has found residues in some of these ingredients. Almost all research focuses on the industrial use and inhalation of hexane: “No epidemiology or case report studies examining health effects in humans or chronic laboratory studies evaluating potential health effects in animals following oral exposure to n-hexane are available”.  Why isn’t anyone studying how “safe” it is to have this neurotoxin in our food? Industrial exposure has been linked to brain tumors and nerve damage. The FDA does not set a maximum residue level for hexane, and no one knows for sure how much residue is being consumed by the American public. There’s nothing prohibiting these ingredients in non-GMO products, but hexane-processed ingredients are banned from products with the USDA Organic seal.

5.  Organic crops are prohibited from being fertilized with sewage sludge. Conventional non-GMO crops can be treated with “biosolids”, which is literally the treated waste that’s flushed down the toilet, and waste from hospitals and industry. This waste can be contaminated with such things as heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, pathogens, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and dioxins – it’s basically a toxic chemical soup! It’s been shown that some of these contaminants are absorbed into (or remain as residue on) the crops that we eat. These residues have proven deadly to cattle that have grazed on crops fertilized with biosolids, and it certainly isn’t something we should be eating.

6.  Organic meat isn’t produced with growth-promoting drugs, like ractopamine. Packaged non-GMO foods may contain meat that has been raised on growth-promoting steroids and drugs. Residues of some of these drugs have been found in meat and it’s been shown that eating products with traces of ractopamine can lead to an unacceptable level of risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system.

7.  Organic animals aren’t fattened up with growth-promoting antibiotics. The overuse of growth-promoting antibiotics is creating superbugs that could threaten the entire human population. Antibiotics have been used for years, not just to fight infection, but to fatten up farm animals. This use is polluting our environment, water and food supply. Studies show that antibiotics have the same consequences for us, and can fatten us up too. This is because antibiotics kill off healthy bacteria in the gut – beneficial bugs called probiotics that influence how we absorb nutrients, burn off calories, and stay lean. Scientists have found that lean people have more of the good, anti-obesity bacteria in their guts, compared to people who are overweight. Growth-promoting antibiotics are only being used to increase industry profits and the best way to stop these practices is to refuse to buy products made with them.

8.  The non-GMO label claim is unregulated. Essentially anyone can say that their product is non-GMO, because the FDA has not set any standards to regulate the use of this claim on a label. This is not to be confused with the Non-GMO Project label, as they have a process for verifying whether products are non-GMO, and I feel that their label can be trusted (just as Whole Foods will only label products as non-GMO if they carry the Non-GMO Project verification label or are certified organic). However, some food manufacturers have been caught red-handed with unverified claims on their packages that say they are “non-GMO” when they really aren’t. As no independent 3rd party testing is required to verify their claims, there is some corruption going on. For instance, when Consumer Reports tested Xochitl tortilla chips with a non-GMO claim on the bag, they found GMO corn in them. Since most of these non-verified products have not been 3rd party tested and there are no government regulations, it’s not a reliable label claim.

There’s another big reason to eat organic… It can help you stay thin!

9.  Organic foods prohibit many of the chemicals known as “obesogens” that trigger our bodies to store fat. Antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides, and synthetic preservatives are just a few of the chemicals that researchers have defined as obesogens. The theory that obesogens in our food and environment could be making us fat has been gathering steam ever since researcher Paula Baillie-Hamilton published an article in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2002, presenting strong evidence that chemical exposure caused weight gain in experimental animals. As reported in the New York Times piece, “Warnings From A Flabby Mouse”, exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals can cause weight gain. This is important because many of the synthetic pesticides that can be found on non-GMO conventional crops are endocrine disruptors. Also – the sewage sludge fertilizing some of these crops has been shown to contain endocrine disruptors. Minimizing your exposure to obesogens by choosing an organic diet may be the boost you need to lose weight and keep it off.

20KRISTOFSUB-articleLarge

Source: NY Times

The only difference between these mice: The one at the top was exposed at birth to a tiny amount of an endocrine-disrupting chemical – these chemicals can be found in synthetic pesticides sprayed on non-GMO and conventional crops.

10.  By choosing organic food you’ll automatically avoid most of the “Sickening 15” ingredients that I talk about in my book, The Food Babe Way.  Chemicals like synthetic preservatives, synthetic pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics are not used in organic food. These are the chemicals that can make you tired, wreak havoc on your skin, make you feel fat and miserable, even though you’ve been dieting and exercising like crazy. Even worse – they may put you at risk for scary, life-shortening diseases like cancer.

I’m not saying that all organic products are perfect. Some of them contain suspect chemicals too.

While it’s best to choose organic unprocessed food whenever you have the opportunity, it’s still very important to read ingredient lists on organic packaged products. Some organic and non-GMO products contain unnecessary additives and non-organic additives that can be detrimental to your health and waistline. Look for (and avoid) these ingredients in organic and non-GMO foods:

  • Hidden MSG – Although monosodium glutamate is prohibited in organic food, they can use other forms of free glutamic acid  – such as Yeast Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Textured Protein. These chemicals are excitotoxins and can greatly influence how much you eat. For a full list of these hidden MSG additives, check out my #1 bestselling book – The Food Babe Way.
  • Carrageenan – It’s alarming that this is permitted in organic food. According to research conducted by The Cornucopia Institute, animal studies show that “food-grade carrageenan causes gastrointestinal inflammation and higher rates of intestinal lesions, ulcerations, and even malignant tumors”. Food grade “undegraded” carrageenan is contaminated with “degraded” carrageenan (the kind that’s not considered “food grade”). The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer and the National Research Council of the United States have both determined that degraded carrageenan is a carcinogen.
  • Unhealthy Oils – Non-GMO canola oil is used in some products, but canola oil consumption is linked to vitamin E deficiency and a shortened life span in animal studies.  Likewise, I often see sunflower and safflower oils on the label, which are very high in omega-6 fatty acids, and not the healthiest oil to use.
  • Natural Flavors – These are not so “natural”, as they are created in a lab, may contain addicting chemicals and up to 100 secret ingredients.

If you know someone who needs to know this truth – please share this post with them! It’s so important that we keep spreading the word about what these labels really mean. The more we know, the better we all are!

Xo,

Vani

P.S. If you like investigations like this, you will love my books. In my #1 best selling book The Food Babe Way – I teach you even more ways you can break free from the hidden toxins in your food, lose weight, look years younger and get healthy in just 21 days. In my 2nd book, Feeding You Lies, I blow the lid off of the lies we’ve been fed about the food we eat – lies about its nutrient value, effects on our health, label information, and even the very science we base our food choices on. And, my first cookbook, Food Babe Kitchen, contains over 100 mouthwatering recipes to show you how delicious and simple it is to eat healthy, easy, real food. Available anywhere books are sold.

 

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197 responses to “The Shocking Difference Between Organic & Non-GMO Labels – It’s Huge!

  1. I was wondering when I looked at your sponsors Nutiva. I was looking at the shakes and they have inulin. Isn’t that a trigger for IBS? I had trouble with xylitol also. What is your comment about that? I would like your take on these two items.
    Thanks and you are doing a great thing in all your research.

  2. So, I spent a bunch of time submitting a multi paragraph comment hours ago, complete with checked links – but it doesn’t show up! What’s going on here?

  3. Thank You Food Babe. These facts are known to me, but it is always good to be reminded about the “non-gmo” label. Lots of people don’t know the differences you point out.

    1. Hi Vani. I live in Shanghai China. Would love to have a copy of the Ultimate Grocery Guide. However, I can’t easily get a hard copy of Food Babe Way 🙁

  4. Heya Vani,

    Excellent article!! I’ve known this (organic vs non-GMO labeling) for a long time now and would tell my friends, but they weren’t really understanding. I shared your article on my Facebook page so they can see and understand what I’ve been trying to tell them.

    I’m a vegan and buy mostly organic and thought I was eating healthy. I’ve learned to be so careful of soy because of the hexane. What I did not know about, and learned from you, is about carrageenan! I never expected a problem from seaweed… It sounds healthy. And I do drink almond milk almost daily and as I went down the aisle reading every brand/variety of almond milk, there was carrageenan! FINALLY, I found Tree of Life doesn’t have it (I think they took it out recently), but they do have gellan gum. What is that and is it ok to eat?

    I’ve since found carrageenan in so many things that I no longer buy. Even in supplements! Since removing carrageenan from my diet, I do notice less digestive distress.

    Thanks for standing up and fighting the good fight to make sure food is actually “food” again. I’d like to join the Food Babe Army and help continue the fight… =)

    1. Her lable is wrong! organic does not mean NON GMO! in fact many organic products are GMO! you should really think twice about taking any of her info as fact.. It is poorly put togethe pesudoscience.

      1. I’m sorry, but the organic standards does not allow GMO ingredients. If the product is labeled USDA organic, it does not contain GMO’s. Of course there’s always a chance an organic crop has been “contaminated” by nearby GMO’s or a company is lying about a product actually being organic.

        I used to help with the records required to maintain an organic certification for a company. GMO’s are NOT allowed in products with the USDA organic seal. But as always… Check the ingredient labels for yourself!

      2. Please read the NOP guidlines. GMO is PROHIBITED from organic. Maybe you should think twice before you start writing false information. I would like to see a source for your uneducated claim.

      3. Organic still sprays w herbal poisonous properties from plants and herbs, and unless you buy real local, nothing is allowed on a food transport truck w out being sprayed…. Our infra structure is so broken, the EPA, USDA, FDA, GMA, ect…. Are all profit only. 86,000 chemicals in the world since the 1970 only 10 have been banned off the market, so yes the answer is yes, they are all about profit. organic so work when I need to know I am not buying GMOs but if we don’t support our local farmers them Organics is going to continue to be the way they get us to over pay for natures food and once again the organic name is being used for profit, they will profit from people’s fear of chem / lab laden or made foods

  5. I was wondering why I never received my free bonuses that I was promised when I bought your book???

      1. Hi Pam. I live in Shanghai China. Would love to have a copy of the Ultimate Grocery Guide. However, I can’t easily get a hard copy of Food Babe Way 🙁

    1. Wrong, hydroponic is the reason why organic is tainted. Look up cornucopia institute and how they put major organic providers like Costco on blast because they call it organic yet they use hydroponic mediums fed with Monsanto soy nutrients which have glyphosate and god knows what else that involves soy production.

  6. I don’t disagree with you, but I don’t get the picture of the mice. It looks like the “fat” mouse simply has its legs bunched under it, which would give the body a fatter look. It seems deceitful on your part.

    1. Really? Come on now. Are you just trolling? It’s quite obvious that one rat is fatter than the other. Look at the difference in the heads.

      1. I’m not trolling. I agree with almost everything she writes. I just don’t think the photo is accurate. To me, it looks like they took a photo of two animals where you can’t see the whole head of one and the way the body is positioned. Perhaps if the two mice were photgraphed facing the same direction and that the picture was taken so that you could see both animals, equally, you could tell if one was fatter than the other. I can’t even tell which one is supposed to be bigger…the one with the longer looking body or the one that looks fat. I have 2 cats and one is fatter than the other; if they are sitting a certain way, the smaller one will sometimes appear to be fatter. In the picture with the mice, perhaps one of the mice really is larger than the other, I just don’t think this photo proves anything.

      2. The “fat” animal appears to be suffering from neoplasms which are common with this type of rat (it’s not a mouse).

        Rats get cancer and some rats get lots of cancers a lot of the time!

      3. I’m sorry but that’s pretty funny… Just trolling, lol

  7. Hi Food Babes,

    I just came across this site the other day. I have been trying to eat better, and this site has really opened my eyes to just how bad I have eaten my whole life. Anyways, I love it. Looks like it will be a great resource. I think it would be great if you had a glossary of food ingredients for a quick reference. You could even split it into healthy and bad or use green and red fonts to differentiate at a glance. I am glad I found your website. Keep up the good work!

  8. One day there will be no need to label foods organic or non gmo. One day the whole industry will turn over and we will be free again. One day…

    1. Like your positive attitude towards this problem we’re facing today, not only the food industry, but the water and the air are being polluted as well. I guess this is part of the transition, in order to see a positive change……
      Love is All and All is Love 🙂

  9. I read from doctors that Red palm oil is not good for your health, now red palm fruit oil is good for your health.

  10. Listening to NPR Morning Edition.
    How can we all help our neighbors buy fresh fruit and vegetables?
    Folks know how to eat right, but some can’t afford it . . .Thanks to the food industry THIS IS INSANE!

    Please listen to NPR Morning Edition segment for March 2
    Here is a snippet:
    “People whose household income is more than $75,000 a year have very different perceptions of what affects health than those whose household income is less than $25,000. This is one key finding in a poll conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. One third of respondents who are low income say lack of money has a harmful effect on health.

    My health is deteriorating and I know what the cause of it is, but I can’t fix it.
    – Anna Beer
    This is the case for 29-year-old Anna Beer of Spokane, Wash. She lives with her husband in the basement of her father’s house. Beer got laid off from her job as a nanny last summer. Now she is attending college in the hope that she will get a better than minimum-wage job when she graduates. Beer’s husband earns $10 an hour working at a retail store. “This is probably the most poor we’ve been,” Beer says.

    When she was working, Beer could afford to buy fresh fruits and vegetables and chicken from the local farmer’s markets. Now she buys canned and frozen vegetables, which are cheaper but not as healthy.

    “They’ve had preservatives added to them, a lot of times salt that’s just not good for you,” she says. Poor diet and financial stress have had a huge impact on her health, Beer says. Her migraines are worse and her health has deteriorated. It’s frustrating, she says. “I know what the cause of it is, but I can’t fix it. It’s hard.”

  11. Great article…but I think you also have to be careful when you see just organic. For example, Costco has organic tortilla chips under the Kirkland brand. They are labeled organic and not non-GMO, so I contacted Costco because, especially with corn, I want to make sure it is non-GMO. There response was “We do not specifically source non-GMO oil from our supplier. They have provided the following information:

    “Soybeans, canola, cottonseed and corn grown in commercial quantities in the United States include both GM and non-GM varieties. Consequently, our canola, cottonseed, corn and refined soybean oil products may or may not be produced from GM canola, cottonseed, corn and soybeans. … The refining process is known to remove protein compounds which should yield non-detectable results of gene modification.”

    So, in this case, I still do not feel comfortable, and will go for the Late July brand, which is organic & non-gmo.

    1. Nasty Oils…

      If there is ever a chance to have a focused effort on improving the stuff we all put in our mouth, it’s educating everyone on the pure evil of most man made oils, particularly the ones that are made from plants that we cannot eat from nature.

      I would never eat cotton, but you can eat cottonseed oil — I choose not consume this.
      I would never eat a rapeseed (canola)–btw mostly GMO and worse transfats, is easily oxidized, and incorrectly marketed as healthy: it is not– I choose not to consume this.
      Soybean oil is a by product of GMO soybean production — I avoid this oil at all times.
      I eat lots of vegetables but I do not normally eat them for their oils…so why is vegetable oil promoted as healthy? I choose not to consume this.
      When I eat olives I eat the oil that inside them. There is generally enough omega 6 in my diet from all sources. I will need to add more omega 3 to balance the excess omega 6 — I do not consume even the best kinds of olive oil to a large extent.

      I do consume liquid oil, but it normally in the form of higher quality fats that are warmed above the liquification point. We are not living at room temperature. We exist at 98.6 F (37 C). If you are eating large quantities of oils that are liquids at room temperature, you are likely eating way too much of them and very likely the wrong ones. If you cooking or frying with liquid oils, it compounds the problem via oxidation of the oil.

      BTW I voted Vani tops on the list

      http://time.com/3732203/the-30-most-influential-people-on-the-internet/

      The Best Food for the Brain and the Body is what everyone wants the most.

    2. Non-GMO oil does not make sense. Modifying the genes of an organism affects the proteins produced in the cells of the organism. Oils contain no proteins, so oil extracted from GMO corn or soybeans or rapeseeds is precisely identical to that extracted from the non-GMO, 100% organic, versions of those grains. The finest lab in the world could not tell the difference. Neither can your body.

  12. Hi vani,

    I have heard that you have installed a whole house water filter system for your home,can you pls suggest me the brand you have installed in your home.

  13. The other day I was at a exercise food store and they told me the opposite. I am glad I read this.

  14. This was a great read and all… But tell me how to do this while feeding a family of 4 (one of which a growing toddler) on a budget of $300 a month… And no we don’t qualify for food stamps or tanf.

    1. it can be frustrating trying to implement healthy eating on a budget. Personally, I would start with always purchasing organic when shopping for items on the dirty dozen list. Look up dirty dozen and you will find the produce which have the highest level of pesticides. Also, buy organic flour, sugar and butter. Make all your own cookies/ deserts from these items. Although eating sugary items are not good for you, in moderation they are fine and they will be chemical free. And taste better! We have a meat processing facility who sell beef and chicken cheaper than the grocery store at a much superior quality. They offer lots of cuts for different budgets. Your farmers markets will be a wonderful place to purchase fresh produce at a great price and remember to freeze veggies for the winter. I have tons of veggies in my freezer that I’ve been eating all winter. Do what you can and stay away from processed foods. Don’t give up, it is worth the trouble of figuring out a way!

      1. Cris, I think you are missing Suzi’s point, by a lot. You might not realize your privilege of having access to meat processing facilities and local farmers markets and co-ops. Buying an organic vegetable versus a conventionally grown one has a significant markup in most grocery stores. I doubt the average person could feed a family of 4 on $300 AND use all organic and natural ingredients.

    2. Suzi, it is tough and quite possibly impossible to buy organic with a $300 monthly budget. We are a family of 4, as well, and we continuously exceed our $800 monthly budget. The only suggestion I have is, try your best to not eat out at fast food places or restaurants. Spend most of your money on ingredients that will be used in preparing meals rather than buying a lot of snacks. If you can’t afford organic, then don’t buy organic. It is better for your kids to have a carrot rather than a processed snack, even if the carrot is not organic. It is tough, dear, I know, I’ve been there. I believe that organic is the best option, but not everyone can afford it and as long as you are choosing to spend your money on fruits and veggies and teaching your kids healthy eating habits, you are doing just fine. Also, one thing you can do is plant a little garden. Even if you live in an apartment you can have a few pots of herbs or strawberries and such. We have a little herb garden and you won’t believe how good it feels to take care of them and enjoy the produce. One more thing, when buy fresh veggies/fruits, make sure you buy no more than you would consume in a week as they tend to go bad after a few day/week. Also, I have found that meal planning helps a lot! Have a plan of what you are going to make for lunch/dinner for the week and let that guide you during your shopping trip.

    3. Also, Suzi, if you do have a farmers market close by, check it out. I go to the one in my town every week and bring my kids with me. I have noticed that the prices are not cheaper than grocery stores, but it is a place full of information. Get to know the farmers and tell them your story and ask if they would be willing to sell you the produce at a reduced price if you purchase from the lot at the end of the day. To me, there is no shame in trying all you can that is legal to feed your children healthy food.

  15. Hi,
    I recently learned directly from the USDA label certification program that all the produce certified may or may not be receiving natural sunlight. So far, from all the USDA certified produce (fruits and vegetables) I collected from the Wholefoods Market and BJs Wholesale Club, none receive natural sunlight. Therefore, its seems like nothing out there for sale is natural or organic. From my 10 years of expert study on the importance of sunlight and the sun’s power, my heart tells me that produce not receiving natural sunlight is not real food at all. Will you please help us understand this topic better? ~*~Love, Peace & Light~*~

    1. What is the light difference between hydrogen fusion energy (from the sun) and greenhouse bulbs, for example, metal halide lights, which capitalize on temperature and pressure change to emit UV light?

      Artificial and “sun-produced” light waves are exactly the same. Please, I’d love to hear more about this expert research. As a scientist we should all know when it comes to science, it is best to use your mind rather than your heart.

      I am a plant biologist and objectivity is essential to sound science, not preconceived ideas.

    2. Hey Raji,

      I just want to mention that I share your concern: It seems like the repeating theme we keep getting as we learn more about the health and food and food is that closer to nature is better, therefore real sun exposure versus “artificial light” is concerning. As a previous commentator stated, there may be no difference, but don’t forget, there a lot of parties willing to misconstrue the truth or even straight out lie: Remember when the medical industry was certain that artificial sweeteners were BETTER for you than traditional sweeteners?

      I guess we’ll just have to wait 5, 10 or maybe 15 years for the truth!

      Vani, thank you so much for always pursuing that truth 🙂

  16. Great article Vani! I really enjoyed it. The Non-GMO label is again another deceptive form of protection for consumers. Even though, the Non-GMO label is considered an achievement among conventional produce. They only thing a Non-GMO is preventing is the amount of pesticide it can withstand.

  17. One cannot eat healthy on a fixed, low income. So what I am hearing is that people such as myself are doomed to die an ugly death.

    I am also wondering, Asians have been around for well over 5,000 years. They have been eating soy all this time, along with MSG. How do they manage to survive their bad eating habits?

    I also notice that no one replies to these comments, which is very telling.

    1. My understanding is most Asians eat fermented soy, non GMO/organic soy which is quite a different product than what we have here. This of course is referring to the people living overseas. As far as the MSG, I have no idea..

      1. Age, tofu, shoyu and other soy products are available here in the United States, have been for many, many years. MSG seems to have a bad reputation here in the USofA, but in the Orient it has been used for ages.

        As you may or may not know, Orientals are known for their academic achievements, so I don’t know why MSG has a bad reputation.

        Seaweed (carrageen) has also been consumed by Orientals for centuries, it is so very healthy for the human body and very nourishing.

        Asians are also known to have long lifespans, but when they consume the western diet, they immediately begin to suffer the european and american diseases. We all bleed red, so I am puzzled as to why.

      2. All soybeans, even 100% organic soybeans, contain hidden MSG. This hidden MSG is concentrated in soy sauce. Organic tomatoes and organic mushrooms also have hidden MSG. Yeast and cheese are MSG bad guys, too!

    2. Reply?
      I am doing it just for you 🙂

      Interesting question, perhaps Asians eating Soy and things Westerners are not quite able to endure. 5,000 years is a LONG time to evolve and able to eat something that’s really not good for the rest of the species….

      Lots of questions about everything.
      The more you know, makes you realize how much we don’t know !

  18. This is all well and good and health, please make organic food less expensive. this is not fair to those who cannot afford it.

  19. I try my best to buy organic, but sometimes I can’t so I do go the non gmo. What other choice do you have? Simple Truth uses free from 101 artificial preservatives and ingredients. I use them too. But sometimes it just hard to find what you are looking for in some foods.
    PS to you every give away a free book?

    1. Susan, great idea! Vani, how great would it be if you had a giveaway?! Give 10 (or 100) of your faithful followers a FREE book! we know you didn’t write it for the money, but rather to share your passion and knowledge with the world! Th poor souls of this world could definitely use a free copy of the books.

  20. Is ozonizing your veggies and fruits, chicken and fish ( I don’t eat pork) remove the chemicals in them?

  21. Hi there My name is Lindsay from Dare 2 Dream Alpaca farm in Mckerrow, Ontario. We grow fresh organic vegetables, eggs, and chicken. Its a very healthy life style choice. You can see for yourself

  22. Hi Food Babe,
    I was wondering how is it possible that I can order 2 organic products online and when I received them, they had a warning label, that is required by California law, saying there is a chemical that may cause cancer in them? The products were ground flaxseeds and chlorella powder from 2 different websites. What is this hazardous chemical and how can the products still be certified organic? Thank you for helping understand.

  23. I was just wondering how does a person eat healthy and organic when I go over to a person’s house and they don’t eat anything organic. I just eat what they eat but I’d rather not eat it. I don’t really know many people or should I say I only know one person that eats organic. It would be good to have some advice on this because some of us don’t have the luxury to be surrounded by people that eat that way or believe in eating that way.

    1. It’s OK to do it once in a while… I suppose or just say you’re on a diet of specific food. There are no good ways to answer without insulting the host 🙂

    1. Science Dude,
      Don’t get me wrong, I love NDT. I watch Cosmos and Startalk religiously. I follow him on FB and enjoy his articles. The thing is, he is an astrophysicist. Not a medical doctor or nutritionist, or any other profession that is related to health and food. That is not to say that he is not a smart guy but when it comes to his comments about GMO (and Vani’s sensationally titled articles about the subject for that matter), I would think that it would be a good idea to take them with a grain of salt and do some more research yourself.

  24. HI there. Just wanted to clarify: if a product has an organic verified seal, then all the ingredients must be organic. The natural flavors in the statement in the last paragraph states that this is allowed in organic foods. I know some products have some organic and some non organic ingredients and do not bear the organic seal. Is this the case?

  25. Hi Vani, Been trying to make sense of a lot if this for years. My mom taught me to read labels. Nowadays that can be exhausting and frustrating. 11 yrs.ago at age 50 I was in the best shape of my life. Then I tried to eat what was said to be “healthy.” With all the additives especially the “sugar substitues” I watched my body change for the worse. Despite various people telling me I was healthy I knew better. My weight itself isn’t horribly bad, but where the fat is migrating to isn’t. I’m especially concerned because both my parents and my brother suffered with diabetes. I’m also some aches and pains I have, brain fog, etc.are linked to the food I eat. There are some sweeteners and additives that send red flags. But I see there are many I don’t know about. And it’s said if you can’t pronounce it you shouldn’t eat it. Don’t always follow that. I’ve been listening and reading your presentations and people like Dr. Oz. Then there are those who espouse knowledge and insult my intelligence. I don’t subscribe to diets but I know a balance is needed. I was put on a diet for hypoglycemia years ago. Great help in many ways. The last several years I’ve drifted into some bad habits because of my work shift and some life experiences. I want to give you and your book a try. I’d like to see how to eat healthy and not spend overly large sums of money to do so. I want my good life back. Thanks for listening or reading. 🙂

  26. I have been doing research on carrageenan for some time now and in a recent fight with a well known ice cream company, I have learned that it may not be the carrageenan itself but how it’s processed. For example, potassium hydroxide. Here is a good article about where carrageenan comes from, http://www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com/irish-moss.html. Now, I am not promoting the use or consumption of carrageenan but sometimes we need to look further into an issue.

  27. I’ve noticed this for awhile – that companies employ “non-gmo” labeling as meaning something healthy, when usually in fact, it’s not! Most companies aren’t even allowed to place “organic” on their labels until substantially qualified to do so.

  28. Thank you for your work Foodbabe. It can’t be easy to get so much criticism. I am super grateful that you keep going. Your investigations have been a big help to me, saving me time to do so much groundwork myself.

  29. Certified Organic always comes first. Non GMO Project Verified enhances the USDA Organic certification. I do not think there is a better combination. These 2 logos combined ensures consumers that they are eating certified organic, certified non GMO food.

    Back Roads Granola is proud to display both of these logos on our Granolas & Gluten Free Oats. And, keep in mind that the process for us has been costly & lengthy ~ a cost that we believe, as a food manufacturer, is worth every penny.

  30. Anyone have any information on Organic and what pesticides are used on them – because many people say some of the pesticides on organic produce are even more harmful than conventional…..can someone shed some light on this????

  31. Hi Vani,

    I’m a nutritionist (MSc Nutrition) and noticed that in your claims of reduced pesticide and residue in organics you only used one source. This source only used subjects with Atherosclerosis disease and used urinary dialkylphosphate as a marker. Please note that this is only representative of a small subgroup of people as well as a specific pesticide out of numerous ones available, raising questions including “how does the physiology of atherosclerosis affect processing of this specific pesticide?” and “how would dialkylphosphate content compare against content of other pesticides?” I encourage you to go further into your research, and look at multiple studies, as this source is not sufficient to draw conclusions applied to the general population. That being said, it’s always great to educate a population to be healthier. 🙂

  32. Hi Vani,

    I’m a nutritionist (MSc Nutrition, http://www.factvsfitness.com) and noticed that in your claims of reduced pesticide and residue in organics you only used one source. This source only used subjects with Atherosclerosis disease and used urinary dialkylphosphate as a marker. Please note that this is only representative of a small subgroup of people as well as a specific pesticide out of numerous ones available, raising questions including “how does the physiology of atherosclerosis affect processing of this specific pesticide?” and “how would dialkylphosphate content compare against content of other pesticides?” I encourage you to go further into your research, and look at multiple studies, as this source is not sufficient to draw conclusions applied to the general population. That being said, it’s always great to educate a population to be healthier.

  33. I have a question about what types of meat that I should eat, because organic meat is too expensive and I am quite confuse in telling which meat product like say for ham is not genetically modified or if it has any natural flavors and etc. I’m quite confuse in what it must mean that if natural flavors on ham or any meat product.

  34. All the way to their beggining with Whole Foods’ creators of the NON GMO Project, I have been telling people of this. I was very happy to find this article.
    Thanks you for your efforts!

    1. OK, I read it too quickly.
      I thought you had picked up on the fact that the NON GMO Project actually allows for a small percentage of GMOs in the products they test, in order to use the NON GMO Project label.
      You actually state that the NON GMO Project label guarantees no gmos, but that is not correct. The percentages allowed are no longer available at the NON GMO Project website, or at least not possible to find, for me. But that used to be clearly stated in their website for years since their start.
      The NON GMO PROJECT allows for GMOs in their verified NON GMO PROJECT labeled processed foods.

  35. Non- GMO is not an ingredient! It is the way that the product (fruit, beverage, snack, etc) has been created is not natural, meaning Genetically modified organism (GMO) are existing organisms whose genetic material has been artificially formed in a laboratory into a genetic design. This produces combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and virus genes that do not transpire naturally or through regular crossbreeding methods.

  36. The US imports more organics, grain, soybeans etc. than it grows. The USDA has done a weak job at inspecting these imports and protecting consumers and mfg.’s. Why is government the only one that can fail and keep running? A recent audit found multiple soybean shipments coming in from Europe being relabeled “organic” after they have been gassed with pesticides. These products could be in any products labeled organic there is no way to know without actual testing. It’s not really the GMO I care about it’s the 5 herbicides that can carry into the product. So much mis information out there.

  37. Too bad that our jackasses in Congress, don’t use their time to save the American people from the poisons that get sprayed on food instead of working on issues like should a male who feels like a female, be allowed to use the women’s public restroom on any given day that he “feels” like a female. Honestly what good are these flakes in D.C. to the hardworking taxpaying public??

  38. could you possibly furnish us with a list of all the banned chemicals that are banned in other parts of the world – like europe?

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