SUMMARY

• Genetic engineering is the practice of altering or disrupting the genetic blueprints of living organisms such as plants, fish, animals and microorganisms. ¹ The term genetically modified (GM) foods refer to any product that gets some of its content from an organism whose DNA has been altered to enhance specific traits such as increased resistance to herbicides, insect pests or disease.
• Turtle Mountain products do not use any ingredients that contain or may possibly contain genetically modified organisms (GMO). To prevent GMOs in our products we require all of our ingredient suppliers to provide documentation to verify that the ingredients they supply us do not contain GMOs which is further validated by plant audits and sample testing.
• Genetically modified foods have provided an opportunity to improve crop characteristics such as yield, pest resistance, or herbicide tolerance often to a degree not possible with traditional methods.
• Opponents of genetically modified foods feel that the technology is still too unpredictable and the potential threat to human health and the environment is still too great.

WHAT ARE GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS?

The technology of genetic engineering is the practice of altering or disrupting the genetic blueprints of living organisms such as plants, fish, animals and microorganisms.¹ The term genetically modified organisms (GMO) refers to an organism whose DNA has been modified to enhance specific traits. Thus, the term genetically modified (GM) food refers to any product that gets some of its content from an organism that has been genetically modified. In traditional breeding, many genes are transferred between related species, without clear control over just which genes are being transferred and which are not. Genetic engineering is more precise, which is, in fact, one of its greatest benefits. It allows, for example, a single gene from a cold-hardy plant to be introduced into a strawberry plant to help increase its tolerance to cold weather.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) there are over 60 plant varieties that have completed all of the federal requirements for commercialization.² Some examples of these plants include tomatoes and cantaloupe that have modified ripening characteristics, soybeans and sugar beets that are resistant to herbicides, and corn and cotton plants with increased resistance to insect pests. Not all these products are available in supermarkets yet; however, the prevalence of genetically modified foods in U.S. grocery stores is more widespread than is commonly thought. While there are very, very few genetically-modified whole fruits and vegetables available on produce stands, other processed foods, such as oils or breakfast cereals, are at higher risk for containing a small percentage of genetically-modified ingredients because the raw ingredients have been pooled into one processing stream from many different sources.

Turtle Mountain LLC does not use any ingredients that contain genetically modified organisms. For all Turtle Mountain products, organic and non-organic alike, we follow the requirements set forth in the National Organic Program (NOP) which prohibits the use of genetically modified ingredients. To prevent GMO material from reaching our consumers we require all of our ingredient suppliers to verify and sign a questionnaire stating that the ingredients they provide do not contain GMOs. In addition, our raw material ingredients and finished products are sample tested to confirm the absence of GMOs on a regular basis and further validated by on-site audits.

THE ADVANTAGES

Advocates of genetic engineering believe the advances being made with regards to GM foods offer a way to quickly improve crop characteristics such as yield, pest resistance, or herbicide tolerance often to a degree not possible with traditional methods. Some of the advantages include:

• PEST RESISTANCE. Farmers use many tons of chemical pesticides annually to protect themselves from crop losses as well as devastating financial losses caused by insect pests. Consumers however do not want to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards, and run-off of agricultural wastes from excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers can poison the water supply and cause harm to the environment. As an alternative GM foods can be genetically-engineered to be more resistant to certain pests which helps eliminate the application of chemical pesticides.
• HERBICIDE TOLERANCE. For some crops, it is not cost-effective to remove weeds by physical means such as tilling, so farmers will often spray large quantities of different herbicides (weed-killer) to destroy weeds. This is not only a time-consuming and expensive process, but also requires much attention so that the herbicide doesn't harm the crop plant or the environment. Crop plants genetically-engineered to be resistant to one very powerful herbicide could help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed.
• DISEASE RESISTANCE. There are many viruses, fungi and bacteria that cause plant diseases. Plant biologists are working to create plants with genetically-engineered resistance to these diseases.
• COLD TOLERANCE. Unexpected frost can destroy sensitive seedlings. An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill unmodified seedlings.
• DROUGHT TOLERANCE AND SALINITY TOLERANCE. As the world population grows and more land is utilized for housing instead of food production, farmers will need to grow crops in locations previously unsuited for plant cultivation. Creating plants that can withstand long periods of drought or high salt content in soil and groundwater will help people to grow crops in formerly inhospitable places.
• NUTRITION. Malnutrition is common in third world countries where impoverished peoples rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. However, rice does not contain adequate amounts of all the necessary nutrients to prevent malnutrition. If staple foods, such as rice, could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals many nutrient deficiencies could be alleviated.

THE DISADVANTAGES

Environmental activists, public interest groups, professional associations and other scientists have raised concerns about GM foods. Biotechnology corporations are being criticized for pursuing profit without concern for potential hazards, and the government for failing to exercise adequate regulatory oversight. The primary concerns regarding GM foods are the following:

      ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

• UNINTENDED HARM TO OTHER ORGANISMS. Last year a laboratory study was published in Nature magazine showing that pollen from Bt corn, a genetically modified species, caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars. Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants, not corn, but the fear is that if pollen from Bt corn is blown by the wind onto milkweed plants in neighboring fields, the caterpillars could eat the pollen and perish.³ Although the Nature study was not conducted under natural field conditions, the results seemed to support this viewpoint. Unfortunately, Bt toxins kill many species of insect larvae indiscriminately; it is not possible to design a Bt toxin that would only kill crop-damaging pests and remain harmless to all other insects. This study is being reexamined by the USDA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other non-government research groups.
• REDUCED EFFECTIVENESS OF PESTICIDES. Just as some populations of mosquitoes developed resistance to the now-banned pesticide DDT, many people are concerned that insects will become resistant to Bt or other crops that have been genetically-modified to produce their own pesticides.
• INCREASED USE OF HERBICIDES. Scientists estimate that plants genetically engineered to be herbicide-resistant will greatly increase the amount of herbicide use.⁴ Farmers, knowing that their crops can tolerate the herbicides, will use them more liberally.
• GENE TRANSFER TO NON-TARGET SPECIES. Another concern is that crop plants engineered for herbicide tolerance and weeds will cross-breed, resulting in the transfer of the herbicide resistance genes from the crops into the weeds. These "superweeds" would then be herbicide tolerant as well. Other introduced genes may cross over into non-modified crops planted next to GM crops. The possibility of interbreeding is shown by the defense of farmers against lawsuits filed by Monsanto. The company has filed patent infringement lawsuits against farmers who may have harvested GM crops. Monsanto claims that the farmers obtained Monsanto-licensed GM seeds from an unknown source and did not pay royalties to Monsanto. The farmers claim that their unmodified crops were cross-pollinated from someone else's GM crops planted a field or two away. More investigation is needed to resolve this issue.
• SIDE EFFECTS. Genetic engineering is like performing heart surgery with a shovel. Scientists do not yet understand living systems completely enough to perform DNA surgery without creating mutations which could be harmful to the environment and our health. They are experimenting with very delicate, yet powerful forces of nature, without full knowledge of the repercussions.⁵
• WIDESPREAD CROP FAILURE. Genetic engineers intend to profit by patenting genetically engineered seeds. This means that, when a farmer plants genetically engineered seeds, all the seeds have identical genetic structure. As a result, if a fungus, a virus, or a pest develops which can attack this particular crop, there could be widespread crop failure.⁶
• Threatens Entire Food Supply. Insects, birds, and wind can carry genetically altered seeds into neighboring fields and beyond. Pollen from transgenic plants can cross-pollinate with genetically natural crops and wild relatives. All crops, organic and non-organic, are vulnerable to contamination from cross-pollinatation.⁷

HUMAN HEALTH RISKS

• Allergen Issues. Many children in the US and Europe have developed life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other foods. There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals.⁸ A proposal to incorporate a gene from Brazil nuts into soybeans was abandoned because of the fear of causing unexpected allergic reactions. Extensive testing of GM foods may be required to avoid the possibility of harm to consumers with food allergies.
• Unknown Health Effects. There is a growing concern that introducing foreign genes into food plants may have an unexpected and negative impact on human health.
• Toxins. Genetic engineering can cause unexpected mutations in an organism, which can create new and higher levels of toxins in foods.⁹
• Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria. Genetic engineers use antibiotic-resistance genes to mark genetically engineered cells. This means that genetically engineered crops contain genes which confer resistance to antibiotics. These genes may be picked up by bacteria which may infect us.¹⁰

Bringing a GM food to market is a lengthy and costly process of which biotechnology corporations wish to ensure a profitable return on their investment. Consumer advocates are worried that patenting these new plant varieties will raise the price of seeds so high that small farmers will not be able to afford seeds for GM crops and be forced out of business.

Both proponents and opponents of genetic engineering make valid points. Only through continued research will we be able to better predict the long term implications of genetic engineering and the effect of genetically modified foods have on the environment and our health. Turtle Mountain errs on the side of caution where GMOs are concerned and remains committed to our zero GMO policy.

Want to know more about GMOs? We suggest you check out these references for more information regarding GMOs.

US Food and Drug Administration – Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

Economic Research Service – USDA: Agricultural Biotechnology

Monsanto: Biotech Basics

Safe Food Campaign 2001: Mothers for Natural Law

REFERENCES

1. “Position Statement on Genetically Modified Organisms and Genetically Engineered Organisms.” Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative. 5 Apr. 2005

2. “List of Completed Consultation on Bioengineered Foods.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 17 Mar. 2005. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. 1 Apr. 2005

3. Saxena D, Flores S, Stotzky G. “Insecticidal Toxin in Root Exudates from Bt Corn.” Nature. 1999 Dec 2; 402:480. PubMed. 15 Mar. 2005.

4. Benbrook, C. “Evidence of the Magnitude and Consequences of the Roundup Ready Soybean Yield Drag from University-Based Varietal Trials in 1998.” Ag BioTech InfoNet. 13 Jul. 1999. Benbrook Consulting Services. 3 Mar. 2005.

5. Schoofs, M. "The End of Nature - From Banana Vaccines to Fast-Growing Fish: DNA Lets Scientists Play God." The Village Voice. 10 Mar. 1998.

6. Robinson, R.A.. “Return to Resistance: Breeding crops to reduce pesticide dependency.” California, USA: AgAccess. Ottawa, Canada: IDRC Books. 1996

7. Emberlin, J., Adams-Groom, B., and Tidmarsh, J. “A Report on the Dispersal of Maize Pollen.” Soil Association. 27 May 1999. Biotech- Info. 10 Mar 2005. < >

8. Nordlee, J.D., Taylor, S.L., Townsend, J.A., Thomas, L.A. and Bush, R.K. “Identification of a Brazil Nut Allergen in Transgenic Soybeans.” N Engl J Med. 1996 Mar 14; 334(11):688-92. PubMed.

9. Inose, T., and Murata, K. “Enhanced Accumulation of Toxic Compound in Yeast Cells Having High Glycolytic Activity: a Case Study on the Safety of Genetically Engineered Yeast.” 1995. International Journal of Food Science and Technology 30: 141-146.

10. MacKenzie, Debora. “Can we really stomach GM foods?” New Scientist. 30 Jan 1999. Genetically Modified Food News. 10 Mar. 2005