If you tuned into the Super Bowl you may have caught the
endearing Cheerios commercial of a father sitting down with his child at the
breakfast table discussing life over a bowl of Cheerios. It was classic
Americana and no doubt an attempt by Cheerios to position itself as a staple in
every kitchen in America. Given recent news this commercial may have been an
attempt by Cheerios to start rebuilding the trust in its once pristine brand…
Cereal giant General Mills recently announced that its
original-flavor Cheerios would soon be made without the use of genetically
modified (GM) ingredients.
It's a major step by national brand that also highlights the
changing attitudes among the U.S. public regarding genetically modified
organisms (GMOs)… increasing numbers of people simply do not want them in our
food.
For some of you, the news that Cheerios even contained GM
ingredients to begin with may come as a surprise, as GM ingredients are not
required to be labeled in the U.S. (the way they are in the European Union).
Others may have assumed they were GM-free, since they're
made mostly from oats, not corn or soy, which are two of the most commonly used
GMOs in the U.S. Unbeknownst to many, however, Cheerios were formerly made
using GM cornstarch and sugar.
Most likely, though, General Mills' move was made in
response to recent consumer backlash, proving once again that the power to
clean up the food supply lies in your hands.
General Mills donated more than $1.1 million to the “No on
Prop. 37” campaign to defeat California's Proposition 37, which would have
required GM foods to be labeled. In other words the folks that bring you
Cheerios put their money toward keeping you in the dark on what’s in their
cereal. (1)
This may very well be the 'first domino' to fall …
In fact, Post Foods recently announced that they have
released a non-GMO verified Grape Nuts cereal that is available on store
shelves as of January 2014. And they're looking to add even more non-GMO
verified products, noting that
"We
are always listening to our consumers..."
The General Mills' saga bears a strong resemblance to what
happened to Kellogg's in 2012, when it was revealed that the soy in Kashi
cereals comes from genetically modified Roundup-ready soybeans. As was the case
with Cheerios, consumers felt duped into believing that Kashi was all natural
when it was not, and a class-action lawsuit was even filed against
Kellogg/Kashi "for allegedly misleading consumers with its
"natural" claims.
As a result of the consumer outrage, the Kashi brand pledged
to use at least 70 percent certified organic ingredients by 2015, and according
to their Web site now has 11 products that are Non-GMO Project Verified. (2)
The tipping point of consumer rejection of genetically
engineered foods in the U.S. is almost here. A clear sign of this occurred in
2012, when the president of Whole Foods confessed that when a product becomes
verified as Non-GMO or GMO-free, sales leap by 15-30 percent. Of all the
categories of health and wellness claims, such as "gluten-free," etc,
"GMO-free" products have the most rapid growth in sales.
Whole Foods has announced they will make labeling of GM
ingredients mandatory in its American and Canadian stores by 2018. Besides
that, Target has announced that its own brand will be non-GMO in 2014. Ben
& Jerry's became non-GMO at the end of 2013, and while Chipotle's
restaurants are working toward a non-GMO menu, they voluntarily started
labeling in the meantime.
Forbes recently opined on the recent momentum against GM
foods:
"The answer is that public opinion is reaching critical
mass. Ninety-percent of Americans believe that GMOs are unsafe, 93 percent of
Americans favor stringent federal GMO labeling regulations, and 57 percent say
they would be less likely to buy products labeled as genetically modified. When
we shift the focus from General Mills motivations to the timing of its
decision, we see why every food manufacturer ought to be taking notice, whether
another brand-name kitchen table staple goes non-GMO or not." (3)
Is breakfast cereal a good option?
Reading labels particularly on cereal boxes is always a good
idea but don’t forget the underutilized and powerful tool we all have at our
disposal and that is common sense. If you compare a label from a high fiber
whole grain (adult cereal) to a sugary children’s cereal you will often find
the box with the cartoon character is often higher in vitamins and minerals and
may even contain less sugar and total calories. Don’t be fooled these cereals
are often formulated to meet certain nutrient requirements for children with
vitamins and minerals (not to mention artificial colors and sweeteners) that
are man-made creations that are added back in to the cereal after being
stripped away during the manufacturing process.
In this case read a book by its cover!
Given that most cereals are heavily processed and
genetically modified it may be in your best interest to avoid even the
so-called “healthy” varieties of cereal. After all for years you probably
thought Cherrios and Kashi were good breakfast options, as it appears we may have been mislead.
Additional Resources:
For more details on why you may want to avoid breakfast
cereals check this out:
This problem of GMOs hiding in plain sight in products
marketed as natural is not, unfortunately, an isolated one. In 2011, the
Cornucopia Institute released a report, " Cereal Crimes," that
detailed the presence of genetically engineered grains in a number of leading
"natural" cereal brands. Many of the products tested were found to
contain high amounts of genetically engineered grains—some containing
100-percent genetically engineered grains!
The Non-GMO Shopping Guide:
Why GMO should be avoided:
Brands that support GMO labeling and those that oppose:
Reference:
(2)http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/05/19/kellogs-kashi-brand-with-ge-soy.aspx
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