How To Avoid Food Brands Made With Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

This section is compiled by Frank M. Painter, D.C.

Send all comments or additions to: Frankp@chiro.org

Thanks to the Institute for Responsible Technology for access to this article!

Genetic Engineering (GE) or Genetic Modification (GM) of food involves the laboratory process of artificially inserting genes into the DNA of food crops or animals. The result is called a genetically modified organism or GMO. GMOs can be engineered with genes from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals, or even humans. Most Americans say they would not eat GMOs if labeled, but unlike most other industrialized countries, the U.S. does not require labeling.

This Non-GMO Shopping Guide is designed to help reclaim your right to know about the foods you are buying, and help you find and avoid GMO foods and ingredients.

Tips For Avoiding GM Crops

TIP #1: BUY ORGANIC

Certified organic products are not allowed to contain any GMOs. Therefore, when you purchase products labeled “100% organic,” “organic,” or “made with organic ingredients,” all ingredients in these products are not allowed to be produced from GMOs. For example, products labeled as “made with organic ingredients” only require 70% of the ingredients to be organic, but 100% must be non-GMO.

TIP #2: LOOK FOR “NON-GMO” LABELS

Companies may voluntarily label products as “non-GMO.” Some labels state “non-GMO” while others spell out “Made Without Genetically Modified Ingredients.” Some products limit their claim to only one particular “At-Risk” ingredient such as soy lecithin, listing it as “non-GMO.”

TIP #3: AVOID AT-RISK INGREDIENTS

Avoid products made with any of the crops that are GM. Most GM ingredients are products made from the “Big Four:” corn, soybeans, canola, and cottonseed, used in processed foods. Some of the most common genetically engineered Big Four ingredients in processed foods are: Corn

Corn flour, meal, oil, starch, gluten, and syrup

Sweeteners such as fructose, dextrose, and glucose

Modified food starch* Soy

Soy flour, lecithin, protein, isolate, and isoflavone

Vegetable oil* and vegetable protein* Canola

Canola oil (also called rapeseed oil) Cotton

Cottonseed oil Sugar

Anything not listed as 100% cane sugar *May be derived from other sources In addition, GM sugar beet sugar recently entered the food supply. Look for organic and non-GMO sweeteners, candy and chocolate products made with 100% cane sugar, evaporated cane juice or organic sugar, to avoid GM beet sugar.

TIP #4: BUY PRODUCTS LISTED IN THIS SHOPPING GUIDE

Keep this Guide with you whenever you shop. Store it inside your reusable shopping bag, put it into your coupon holder or check book, or leave it in your car.

FRUITS & VEGETABLES Very few fresh fruits and vegetables for sale in the U.S. are genetically modified. Novel products such as seedless watermelons are NOT genetically modified. Small amounts of zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, and sweet corn may be GM. The only commercialized GM fruit is papaya from Hawaii—about half of Hawaii’s papayas are GM.

MEAT, FISH & EGGS No genetically modified fish, fowl, or livestock is yet approved for human consumption. However, plenty of non-organic foods are produced from animals raised on GM feed such as grains. Look for wild rather than farmed fish to avoid fish raised on genetically modified feed, and 100% grass-fed animals. Meat and Fish: Non-GMO

Vital Choice

Organic Prairie

Eggs: Non-GMO

Egg Innovations Organic

Eggland’s Best Organic

Land O’Lakes Organic

Nest Fresh Organic

Organic Valley

Pete and Jerry’s Organic Eggs

Wilcox Farms Organic

ALTERNATIVE MEAT PRODUCTS Many alternative meat products are processed and include ingredients that can be genetically engineered, so give the ingredient lists close attention to avoid the Big Four at-risk ingredients, especially soy. Non-GMO 365 Brand (Whole Foods)

Amy’s

Bountiful Bean

Sunshine Burger

The Simple Soyman

Vitasoy

Wildwood

White Wave May contain GMO ingredients Boca, unless labeled organic (Kraft)

Gardenburger

Morningstar Farms, Morningstar Farms Natural Touch, unless labeled organic (Kellogg)

BABY FOODS & INFANT FORMULA Milk or soy protein is the basis of most infant formulas. The secret ingredients in these products are often soy or milk from cows injected with rbGH. Many brands also add GMO-derived corn syrup, corn syrup solids, or soy lecithin. Non-GMO Baby’s Only

(certified organic products)

Earth’s Best

Gerber products

HAPPYBABY

Mom Made Meals

Organic Baby

Plum Organics May contain GMO ingredients Beech-Nut

Enfamil

Good Start

Nestlé

Similac/Isomil

DAIRY PRODUCTS & ALTERNATIVE DAIRY PRODUCTS Some U.S. dairy farms inject the genetically engineered hormone rbGH, also called rbST, into their cows to boost milk production. Organic dairy products are rbGH-free and do use GM grains as feed. Products with a label that indicates cows free of rbGH or rbST may come from cows fed GM feed. Many alternative dairy products are made from soybeans and may

contain GM materials. Dairy Products: Non-GMO Certified Organic

Alta Dena Organics

Butterworks Farm

Harmony prHills Dairy

Horizon Organic

Morningland Dairy

Natural by Nature

Organic Valley

Radiance Dairy

Safeway Organic Brand

Seven Stars Farm

Straus Family Creamery

Stonyfield Farm

Wisconsin Organics

Nancy’s Organics Produced Without rbGH National

Nancy’s Natural Dairy

Alta Dena

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream

Brown Cow Farm

Crowley Cheese of Vermont

Franklin County Cheese

Grafton Village Cheese

Great Hill Dairy

Lifetime DairyWest Coast

Alpenrose Dairy

Berkeley Farms

Clover Stornetta Farms

Joseph Farms Cheese

Sunshine Dairy Foods

Tillamook Cheese

Wilcox Family Farms Midwest and Gulf States

Chippewa Valley Cheese

Erivan Dairy Yogurt

Promised Land Dairy

Westby Cooperative Creamery East Coast

Blythedale Farm Cheese

Crescent Creamery

Derle Farms (milk with

“no rbST” label only)

Erivan Dairy Yogurt

Farmland Dairies

Oakhurst Dairy

Wilcox Dairy (rbST-free

dairy line only) Alternative Dairy Products: Non-GMO

Belsoy

EdenSoy

Imagine Foods/Soy Dream

Nancy’s Cultured Soy

Pacific Soy

Silk

Soy Delicious

Sun Soy

Stonyfield Farm O’Soy

Tofutti

VitaSoy/Nasoya

WestSoy

WholeSoy

Yves The Good Slice

Zen Don May contain GMO ingredients

Colombo (General Mills)

Dannon

Kemps (aside from

“Select” brand)

Land O’ Lakes

Parmalat

Sorrento

Yoplait (General Mills)May contain GMO ingredients 8th Continent

GRAINS, BEANS & PASTA Other than corn, no GM grains are sold on the market. Look for 100-percent wheat pasta, couscous, rice, quinoa, oats, barley, sorghum, and dried beans (except soybeans). Prepared Meals: Non-GMO Annie’s Natural Pasta

Bob’s Red Mill (organic line)

Eden certified organic grains

Kamut

Lundberg Family Farms

Sunridge Farms

Vita-Spelt pastaPackaged Meals: Non-GMO Amy’s

Annie’s Homegrown certified

organic macaroni & cheese

Casbah (Hain-Celestial)

Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods

Fantastic Foods

Ian’s Natural Foods

Lotus Foods

Lundberg Farms Rice Sensations

Organic Planet

Seeds of Change certified

organic boxed meals May Contain GMO ingredients



Betty Crocker meals (General Mills)

Knorr (Unilever)

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese

Lipton meal packets (Unilever)

Near East (Quaker)

Pasta Roni and Rice-a-Roni meals (Quaker)

CEREALS AND BREAKFAST BARS Cereals and breakfast bars are very likely to include GMO ingredients, because they are often made with corn and soy products. Non-GMO: Ambrosial Granola

Barbara’s (organic line)

Cascadian Farms

Eden

EnviroKidz

Golden Temple

Grandy Oats

Health Valley (organic line)

Lundberg® Purely Organic

Rice Cereal

Nature’s Path

Nonuttin’

Omega Smart Bars

Peace Cereal Organic

Simple Sweets

Sunridge Farms

Ruth¹s May Contain GMO Ingredients Betty Crocker meals

(General Mills)

Knorr (Unilever)

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese meals

Lipton meal packets (Unilever)

Near East (Quaker)

Pasta Roni and Rice-A-Roni

meals (Quaker)

General Mills

Kellogg

Post (Kraft)

Quaker

BAKED GOODS While baking ingredients such as wheat flour, rice, kamut, and oats are not genetically modified, many packaged breads and bakery items contain other GMO ingredients such as corn syrup. Non-GMO: Arrowhead Mills (organic line)

Bakery on Main

Bob’s Red Mill (organic line)

Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods

Dr Oetker Organics

French Meadow

Natural Ovens Bakery

(organic line)

Nature’s Path

Rudi’s Organic Bakery

Rumford Baking Powder May Contain GMO Ingredients Aunt Jemima (Pinnacle Foods)

Betty Crocker (General Mills)

Calumet Baking Powder (Kraft)

Duncan Hines (Pinnacle Foods)

Hungry Jack (Smucker’s)

Pillsbury (Smucker’s)

FROZEN FOODS Many frozen foods are highly processed. Keep an eye out for the Big Four at-risk ingredients and stay away from frozen foods that contain them, unless they are marked organic or non-GM. Non-GMO: A.C. LaRocco

Amy’s Kitchen

Cascadian Farms Organic frozen

meals and vegetables

Cedarlane

Helen’s Kitchen

Ian’s Natural Foods

Linda McCartney frozen meals

Mom Made Meals

Plum Organics Kids

The Simple Soyma May Contain GMO Ingredients Boca, unless labeled organic

(Kraft)

Celeste (Pinnacle Foods)

Eggo Waffles (Kellogg)

Gardenburger

Green Giant frozen meals

(General Mills)

Healthy Choice (ConAgra)

Kid’s Cuisine (ConAgra)

Lean Cuisine (Nestle)

Marie Callender’s (ConAgra)

Morningstar Farms, Morningstar

Farms Natural Touch, unless

labeled organic (Kellogg)

Rosetto Frozen Pasta (Nestle)

Stouffer’s (Nestle)

Swanson (Campbell’s)

Tombstone (Kraft)

Totino’s (Smucker’s)

Voila! (Birds Eye/Unilever)

SOUPS, SAUCES & CANNED FOODS Many soups and sauces are highly processed, so give the ingredient lists close attention to avoid the Big Four at-risk ingredients. Soups: Non-GMO Amy’s

Fantastic Foods

Health Valley/Westbrae

Imagine Natural

Natural/Hain

ShariAnn’s Organics

Walnut Acres certified organicSauces/Salsas: Non-GMO Amy’s (organic line)

Annie’s Natural

Eden

Emerald Valley Kitchen

Green Mountain Gringo &

certi?ed-organic salsa

Muir Glen Organic pasta sauce

& salsa

Seeds of Change certi?ed-

organic pasta sauce

Walnut Acres certified-organic

pasta sauce Canned Food: Non-GMO Amy’s

Annie’s Natural

Eden

ShariAnn’s certified organic beans

Westbrae certified organic beans

Yves Veggie Cuisine (Hain Celestial) May Contain GMO Ingredients Chef Boyardee, Healthy Choice

(ConAgra)

Campbell’s products (including

Healthy Request, Chunky,

Simply Home, and Pepperidge

Farm)

Hormel products

Progresso products

(General Mills)Sauces/Salsas: May Contain GMO Ingredients Bertolli (Unilever)

Chi-Chi’s (Hormel)

Classico (Heinz)

Del Monte

Healthy Choice (ConAgra)

Hunt’s (ConAgra)

Old El Paso (General Mills)

Pace (Campbell’s)

Prego (Campbell’s)

Ragu (Unilever) May Contain GMO Ingredients Chef Boyardee

Dinty Moore, Stagg, Hormel

(Hormel)

Franco-American (Campbell’s)

CONDIMENTS, OILS, DRESSINGS & SPREADS Unless labeled explicitly, corn, soybean, cottonseed, and canola oils probably contain genetically modified products. Choose pure olive, coconut, sesame, sunflower, safflower, almond, grapeseed, and peanut oils. Also choose preserves, jams, and jellies with cane sugar, not corn syrup. Non-GMO Annie’s

Bountiful Bean

Bragg’s liquid amino

Carrington Farms Flax Seed

Crofter’s Organic

Drew’s salad dressing

Eden

Emerald Cove

Emerald Valley Kitchen

Emperor’s Kitchen

Follow Your Heart

Harvest Moon Mushrooms

Ian’s Natural Foods

I.M. Health SoyNut Butters

Maranatha Nut Butters

Miso Master

Muir Glen organic

tomato ketchup

Nasoya

Newmans Own Organic

Ruth¹s

Spectrum oils and dressings

SushiSonic Asian Condiments

The Simple Soyman

Vegan by Nature Buttery Spreads

Vigoa Cuisine

Wholemato May Contain GMO Ingredients Crisco (Smucker’s)

Del Monte

Heinz

Hellman’s (Unilever)

Kraft condiments and dressings

Mazola

Pam (ConAgra)

Peter Pan (ConAgra)

Skippy (Unilever)

Smucker’s (except their “Simply

100% Fruit” line of preserves)

Wesson (ConAgra)

Wish-Bone (Unilever)

SNACK FOODS Look for snacks made from wheat, rice, or oats, and ones that use sunflower or safflower oils. There is no GM popcorn on the market, nor is there blue or white GM corn. Snacks: Non-GMO Barbara’s (organic line)

Bearitos/Little Bear Organics

(Hain Celestial)

Eco-Planet

Eden

Garden of Eatin’

Grandy Oats

Hain Pure Snax/Hain Pure Foods

Health Valley

Ian’s Natural Foods

Kettle Foods

Kopali Organics

Late July Organic Snacks

Mary’s Gone Crackers

Nature’s Path Organic

Namaste Foods

Newman’s Own Organics

& Newman’s Own

(except salad dressing)

Simple Sweets

Sunridge FarmsEnergy Bars: Clif Bar

Genisoy Bars

Lara Bar

Luna Bar

Macrobars

Nature’s Path

Nutiva

Odwalla

Optimum Energy Bar

Organic Food Bar

Weil by Nature’s Path Organic May Contain GMO Ingredients FritoLay (Lay’s, Ruffles, Doritos,

Cheetos, Tostitos)

Hostess Products

(Interstate Brands)

Keebler (Kellogg’s)

Kraft (Nabisco, Nilla Wafers,

Oreos, Ritz, Nutter Butter,

Honey Maid, SnackWells,

Teddy Grahams, Wheat

Thins, Triscuit)

Pepperidge Farm (Campbell’s)

Pringles

Quaker Oats CompanyMay Contain GMO Ingredients Balance Bar

Nature Valley snack bars and

granola bars (General Mills)

Nabisco Bars (Kraft)

PowerBar (Nestle)

Quaker Granola Bars

CANDY, CHOCOLATE PRODUCTS, & SWEETENERS Many sweeteners, and products like candy and chocolate that contain them, can come from GMO sources. Look for organic and non-GMO sweeteners, candy and chocolate products made with 100% cane sugar, evaporated cane juice or organic sugar to avoid GM beet sugar, and watch out for soy lecithin in chocolates and corn syrup in candies. The sweetener aspartame is derived from GM microorganisms. It is also referred to as NutraSweet® and Equal® and is found in over 6,000 products, including soft drinks, gum, candy, desserts, yogurt, tabletop sweeteners, and some pharmaceuticals such as vitamins and sugar-free cough drops. Chocolate: Non-GMO Chocolove

Endangered Species Chocolate

Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate

Kopali Organics

Nonuttin’

Newman’s Own

Nonuttin’Candy: Non-GMO Jelly Belly

Pure Fun Confections

Reed’s Crystallized Ginger

candy (certified organic)St. Claire Organic

Sunridge Farms Sweeteners: Non-GMO Eden

Sweet Cloud

Nonuttin

Newman¹s Own May Contain GMO Ingredients Hershey’s

Nestlé (Crunch, Kit Kat, Smarties)

Toblerone (Kraft)

Ghiradelli¹s ChocolateMay Contain GMO Ingredients Hershey’s

Lifesaver (Kraft)

Nestlé

SODAS, JUICES & OTHER BEVERAGES Most juices are made from GMO-free fruit (avoid papaya though, as it could be GMO), but the prevalence of corn-based sweeteners—e.g. high-fructose corn syrup—in fruit juices is cause for concern. Many sodas are primarily comprised of water and corn syrup. Look for 100-percent juice blends. Non-GMO After the Fall organic juices

Big Island Organics

Blue Sky

Cascadian Farm

Crofters Organic

Eden

Frey Vinyards

Odwalla

Organic Valley

Quinoa Gold

Mixerz All Natural Cocktail Mixers

R.W. Knudsen organic juices

and spritzers (Smucker’s)

Santa Cruz Organic (Smucker’s)

Sea20 Organic Energy Drink

Teeccino Herbal Caffe

Walnut Acres Organic Juices May Contain GMO Ingredients Coca-Cola (Fruitopia, Minute

Maid, Hi-C, NESTEA)

Hansen Beverage Company

Hawaiian Punch

(Procter and Gamble)

Kraft (Country Time, Kool-Aid,

Crystal Light, Capri Sun, Tang)

Libby’s (Nestlé)

Ocean Spray

Pepsi (Tropicana, Frappuccino,

Gatorade, SoBe, Dole)

Sunny Delight (Procter and

Gamble)

Special Note: This guide was compiled based on company statements, not genetic testing. Any product labeled as Non-GMO indicates that its manufacturing process is designed to avoid GMOs, but consumers should be aware that GM contamination is possible due to natural pollen movement, weather events, seed contamination, or human error. Hence there is no guarantee such products are 100% free of GMOs.

INVISIBLE GM INGREDIENTS

Processed foods often have hidden GM sources (unless they are organic or declared non-GMO). The following are ingredients that may be made from GMOs.

Aspartame

baking powder

caramel color

cellulose

citric acid

cobalamin

(Vitamin B12)

corn gluten

corn masa

corn oil

corn syrup

cornmeal

cornstarch

cyclodextrin

cystein

dextrin

dextrose

diacetyl

diglyceride

fructose

fructose

(crystalline)

glucose

glutamate

glutamic acid

gluten

glycerides

glycerin

glycerol

glycerol

monooleate

glycine

hemicellulose

high fructose

corn syrup

(HFCS)

hydrogenated

starch

hydrolyzed vegetable protein

inositol invert sugar

(colorose or inversol)

tamari

isoflavones

lactic acid

lecithin

leucine

lysine

malitol

maltodextrin

maltose

mannitol

methylcellulose

milo starch

modified starch

monosodium

glutamate MSG

oleic acid

Phenylalanine

phytic acid

sorbitol

soy flour

soy isolates

soy lecithin

soy protein

starch

stearic acid

inverse syrup

tempeh

threonine

tocopherols

(Vitamin E)

tofu

trehalose

triglyceride

vegetable fat

vegetable oil

Vitamin B12

Vitamin E

xanthan gum

Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) although usually derived from corn, is probably not GM because it is not likely made in North America.

To learn more about GMOs, consult the books Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods by Jeffrey M. Smith or Your Right to Know: Genetic Engineering and the Secret Changes in Your Food by Andrew Kimbrell. Information on GMOs is also available at www.centerforfoodsafety.org and www.HealthierEating.org.

Copyright 2008 Center for Food Safety and Institute for Responsible Technology. No part of this booklet may be reproduced in any form without written permission from both parties. For large print quantities or electronic distribution requests, contact: info@responsibletechnology.org or info@centerforfoodsafety

© Stuart Wilde 2013

www.stuartwilde.com