How Organic Insider operates: We accept no advertising, we have no paywalls and we make our newsletters free to everyone because vital information about our industry needs to get out to as many people as possible. Please consider supporting our work and becoming an Organic Insider+ subscriber, whether you are an individual or a company. Thank you so much.
When an organic product is introduced into the marketplace, there are hardly ever any issues.
Yet, when a novel and unproven GMO product is introduced into the marketplace, it is the complete opposite, and the script is generally the same — unfulfilled promises, unforeseen consequences, lawsuits, patents, secrecy and attacks on critics.
EARLY GMOS
We saw it first with Roundup-resistant GMO corn and soy crops, which were promised to feed the world.
Not only did they not feed the world, but according to the Glyphosate Global Study, use of the cancer-linked glyphosate has increased 15-fold since genetically-modified crops were introduced in 1996. Bayer and Monsanto have been subsequently hit with billions of dollars in lawsuit judgments.
Another cancer-linked herbicide, dicamba, has had its own issues.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said that this chemical has “torn apart the social fabric of many farming communities” due to the property damage caused by its spraying on GMO crops and the ensuing conflict between neighbors. It has even resulted in a murder.
GMO 2.0 — PRECISION FERMENTATION
What has since followed is GMO 2.0 animal-free “whey protein,” which utilizes a process that the industry often refers to as “precision fermentation.”
GMO/Toxin Free USA and Organic Consumers Association recently filed a lawsuit against Perfect Day, the producer of ProFerm — the GMO 2.0 “whey protein” used by brands such as Bored Cow and Myprotein — alleging material omissions and deceptive marketing of the product.
“The ProFerm product was marketed as bioidentical to cow’s milk, and that is simply not true,” said P. Renée Wicklund, co-founder of Richman Law & Policy, the firm that is representing the plaintiffs.
According to the Health Research Institute (HRI), which analyzed the product, ProFerm is only 13.4% cow’s whey protein and contains a fraction of the nutritional value of cow’s milk. It is missing 69 nutrients and has no omega-3 fatty acids or vitamins B2, B5 and E.
HRI also found that ProFerm contained 93 fungal compounds not found in cow’s whey, and the fungal proteins and compounds have never been part of the human diet and are unknown to science.
Interestingly, something similar took place with another GMO 2.0 product — the Impossible Burger — when 46 of its proteins were discovered only after a Freedom of Information Act request was granted.
According to Michael Hansen, PhD, senior scientist at Consumer Reports, “These 46 proteins have not been in the human diet before but are nevertheless being presented in the Impossible Burger, with no safety assessment having been completed for the protection of consumers.”
GMO 2.0 — GENE EDITING
The next generation of GMOs set to flood the market are gene-edited foods.
Gene editing uses modern biotechnology tools, often CRISPR or TALEN, to rearrange or delete a seed’s existing genetic code to achieve a particular outcome, such as a piece of fruit that doesn’t brown when cut open.
Yet, this hasn’t stopped countries or gene-editing companies from calling them “Non-GMO.”
“The argument that a gene-edited crop is not a GMO is factually incorrect. Statements such as these are misleading and misinforming consumers,” put forth Michael Hansen, PhD.
According to Megan Westgate, executive director of The Non-GMO Project, “Companies that make gene-edited foods have tried to apply for Non-GMO Project verification in the past and were denied.”
Some entrepreneurs and scientists refer to gene editing as “100% accurate” and “exceptionally precise.”
Based on the very grave and unintended consequences of gene editing, as reported in both Nature and the MIT Technology Review, these characterizations could be seen as greatly misleading to the public.
IN CONCLUSION
Just as our government is starting to take on artificial ingredients and ultra-processed foods, it must also address the genetic engineering of our food supply, not to mention that of animals, trees, insects and microbes.
The serious risks and failed promises of GMO technologies speak for themselves, and embracing the precautionary principle is an absolute imperative.
 |
With gratitude, 
Max Goldberg, Founder |
A great outcome for founder Rachel Drori and CEO Ricky Silver, and Chobani is getting a fantastic asset in Daily Harvest.
America’s certified organic acreage fell almost 11% between 2019 and 2021, with farmers saying that certification is too costly, doesn’t do enough to combat climate change and appears to be losing cachet in the marketplace. Very concerning.
In a shocking admission, an Argentine exporter of organic grains said his company had two levels of purity for organic grain exports: one for the European Union and other countries, and one for the United States.
Pushback in the Trump administration, as to whether pesticides will be blamed for America's health woes in the upcoming MAHA Assessment Report, to be released on May 22nd.
On May 12th, the USDA reversed course and committed to restoring climate-focused webpages purged from its websites after a lawsuit was filed on behalf of organic farmers.
Danone is acquiring the California-based Kate Farms, an organic manufacturer of formulas and shakes for everyday and specialized medical needs. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
The Idaho-based organic specialty soda company has landed $15 million in venture funding from Keurig Dr Pepper and others.
While the Watsonville-based company sells a line of organic berries, Driscoll’s is not fully organic and still uses pesticides.
Organic agriculture doesn’t necessarily translate into better working conditions for farmworkers, a University of California study found, with cost being a major issue.
Want to share this newsletter on social media? You can use this link: Newsletter Link
