Genetically Modified foods may have an impact on our mental and emotional health, something that is not evaluated in most traditional food safety assessments.

One Dutch experimenter just happened to notice that, besides weighing more, mice fed GM corn “seemed less active while in their cages,” and were “more distressed” than the other mice. “Many were running round and round the basket, scrabbling desperately in the sawdust, and even frantically jumping up the sides.”

Barbara Reed Stitt, author of “Food and Behavior,” was able to modify the “rude, obnoxious, and ill-mannered” behavior of students from a school in Appleton, Wisconsin simply by changing their diet. GM foods were taken off the menu.

Genetically Modified foods are finding their way in increasing numbers into the marketplace. Find out how to avoid them here:

1. Currently, the major genetically engineered crops are soy, cotton, canola and corn. Other modified crops include some U.S. zucchini and yellow squash, Hawaiian papaya and some tobacco. There may also be some remaining GM potatoes in the form of starch, but Monsanto is no longer marketing them. The GM tomatoes have similarly been taken off the market. China, however, has commercialized GM tomatoes, as well as cucumbers and a variety of pepper. US Dairy products may contain milk from cows injected with rbGH. And both meat and dairy products usually come from animals that have eaten GM feed. Even honey and bee pollen can contain GM sources.

2. There are genetically modified food additives, enzymes, flavorings, and processing agents in thousands of foods on the grocery shelves as well as health supplements. For example, the rennet used to make cheese is often a genetically engineered version. It is not allowed in organic cheese. Aspartame, the diet sweetener, is a product of genetic engineering. And GM bacteria and fungi are used in the production of enzymes, vitamins, and processing aids (xanthan gum, for instance, is a product that may be derived from a GM process).

3. Watch out for GM foods in oils: Soy, corn, canola or cottonseed. Unless the oil specifically says “Non-GMO” or Organic, it is probably genetically modified. Non-GM substitute oils include olive, sunflower, safflower, butter, almond, and just about any other oil available. For each type of food there is usually a brand that is non-GM. These are often found in health food stores.

4. Does Organic Mean Non-GMO?
The new rules do not allow a crop to be called organic if it is genetically modified. But organic certification does not require GMO tests.

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