Better Nutrition January 2020

ASK THE NUTRITIONIST
Non-GMO vs. Organic: Which Is Better?
What’s the bottom line? Overall, buying organic is better for people and
sustains the health of soils, ecosystems, and people.
To be as safe as possible, choose USDA Organic foods, preferably
those that are also Non-GMO Project Verified. Selecting products
with the two seals together gives extra assurance and the strongest
protection against GMOs, particularly for foods that are commonly
genetically modified, such as corn, soy, and sugar.
such as CRISPR or RNAi because
websites, send text
many do not contain detectable
messages, or make telephone
GMO DNA.
calls to find out if some of their
Does not use the term GMO. Instead, food contains GMOs.
*
labels will say “bioengineered” or
*
“derived from bioengineering.”
Using this confusing terminology
misleads consumers: More than
diet will not require disclosure.
95 percent of consumers are familiar
*
with the term GMO, but most
people do not understand what
bioengineered food means.
Fails to include any technical
*
requirements to ensure that
GMO testing is meaningful (e.g.,
testing method, accreditation of
labs, sampling plan requirements).
Doesn’t keep up with the rapid introduction
of new GMOs: it only updates
*
its list of GMO foods once per year.
Allows a 5 percent-per-ingredient
*
level for GMO contamination. For
context, the European Union and
the Non-GMO Project both use a
0.9 percent level for most foods.
Does not require products that
*
need a bioengineered disclosure to
have a plain-text label. Consumers
may need to scan QR codes, visit
46 • JANUARY 2020
Buying products labeled Non-GMO Project Verified or USDA Organic are
both excellent ways to steer clear of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
But do you know how to distinguish the difference between the two?
Products that have the Non-GMO Project Verified seal, the square box
with a butterfly, are free of GMOs and have been tested for at-risk ingredients.
However, products with this label still could be sprayed with synthetic
chemical pesticides.
In contrast, products that have the USDA Organic seal cannot, by law,
contain any GMO ingredients. Organic foods also must be produced without
irradiation, sewage sludge, antibiotics, and growth hormones, and without
synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides. And organic foods are more
nutritious than non-organic foods, according to reviews of multiple studies.
planet: It supports an environmentally beneficial food production system that
Does not apply to animal feed.
Therefore, meat, eggs, and dairy
products from animals fed a GMO
Has no penalty for failing to comply
with the law. In contrast, the USDA’s
National Organic Program levies
fines of up to $11,000 per violation.
These shortcomings and exemptions—coupled
with a lack of fines for
non-compliance—prevent the law from
delivering meaningful disclosure of
food produced using GMOs. So what’s
a consumer to do?
How to Avoid GMOs
The good news is that we actually can
learn to identify and avoid GMOs with
confidence when we shop even without
reliable GMO labeling mandated by the
government. As I explain in my book
Going Against GMOs, there are four
tried-and-true guidelines for shunning
GMO products. They are:
❶ Buy Organic
Foods labeled
with the USDA
Organic seal
are produced
without the use
of GMOs, synthetic
chemical pesticides
and fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation,
artificial dyes, artificial sweeteners,
and antibiotics and artificial growth
hormones (in the production of meat,
dairy, and eggs). Farmers and processors
must show that they are not using
GMOs; however, organic certification
does not require testing
for GMOs.
❷ Look for Non-GMO
Project Verified Seals
Products that carry
the Non-GMO Project
Verified seal are
independently verified
to be in compliance with North
America’s most rigorous standard for
GMO avoidance, including testing of
at-risk ingredients. Fortunately, the
USDA’s final rule allows Non-GMO
Project Verified claims, so looking for the
Non-GMO Project Verified seal remains
an easy and accessible way for consumers
to avoid GMOs.
❸ Learn & Avoid the At-Risk Foods
Currently, the following genetically
modified foods are available in the
U.S.: alfalfa, Arctic apples, canola,
corn, cotton, eggplant, papaya, pink
pineapple, potatoes, AquAdvantage
salmon, soybeans, sugar beets, yellow
squash, and zucchini. Either avoid
these foods and products containing
them, or choose Non-GMO Project
Verified or USDA Organic versions.
❹ Upgrade Your Animal Protein
Avoid conventional meats and dairy
products from animals or farmed
fish that are fed GMO feed. Switch to
wild-caught fish, and eggs, poultry,
meat, and dairy products labeled USDA
Organic or Non-GMO Project Verified.