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How to Avoid GMOs when Dining Out
Jeffrey Smith, Executive Director
Institute for Responsible Technology
Dining out can be a huge challenge to maintaining a healthy
lifestyle and avoiding GMOs. The simplest solution is to eat
at an organic restaurant, but that is not always (or rarely)
possible depending on where you live.
Some people are much more strict about being non-
GMO and
organic at home, and give themselves some leeway when
eating out. This is a personal decision. There is not enough
data for us to calculate just how risky or dangerous this might
be to your health
(
although usually the more
processed a
GMO is, the less dangerous it is
). We know that according to
physicians and reports from individuals, some people are very sensitive. They can
react to eating GMO food in a single meal. Others do not notice anything.
Whether you allow yourself to eat certain GMOs or even if you’ve accidentally
consumed some, my suggestion is not to worry about it. Because worrying can be
toxic, GMO food can be toxic, and now you’ve got two to toxins to deal with.
Here is an
easy checklist
to hel
p you navigate
restaurants and choose healthier non
-
GMO options.
1.
Eat at restaurants that cook from scratch, not fast-food.
Fast-food places are the biggest offenders, since processed foods usually have soy
and corn derivatives in most items. Higher-end restaurants generally cook from
scratch, but do use some prepackaged condiments like ketchup and mayo that
contain GMOs.
2.Avoid GMO Oils.
Unfortunately, most restaurants in North America cook with genetically modified
oils. Over 90% of soy, corn, cotton (seed), and canola grown here
are GMO. So
unless
the oil explicitly says organic or non-
GMO, assume it
is genetically
engineered. Vegetable oil is usually made from soybean oil, as is margarine.
I generally call a restaurant in advance and ask them, “What oil do you cook your
food with?” If they use a GMO oil, I ask if they can cook my food in, for
example, pure olive oil that they might have on hand. You might also be
interested in butter, but it may be from cows injected with GM bovine growth
hormone or fed GMOs. Some foods don’t use oil at all.
Fortunately, olive trees or not genetically engineered, so olive oil is not GMO.
Unfortunately, many restaurants will blend olive oil with canola oil for economic
reasons. If they say they use olive oil, ask if it is pure or a blend. Often the waiter
or waitress is not aware of the answer and must go back into the kitchen to find
out.
Also, be aware that salad dressings and mayonnaise often contain oil that is
derived from GMO soy, corn, cottonseed, or canola oil.
If you avoid GMO oils, I find that it is difficult to eat in most Mexican and
Chinese food places. Mediterranean restaurants, including Italian, Middle Eastern,
and Greek, often use olive oil. Thai restaurants often use GMO oils, but most do
not use any oils in their curry dishes. They cook the food in coconut milk. Also,
some Thai soups do not use oil. Fish entrees can often be grilled without oil as
well.
Deep fried foods like french fries are very difficult to obtain non-
GMO because of
the oil.
3.Sweeteners.
Most sugar in the US comes from GMO sugar beets. To avoid sugar GMO sugar,
limit desserts and soft drinks
to those made with pure cane sugar or some other
sweetener. (Unfortunately, cane sugar is often sprayed with Roundup before
harvest.)
Commercial soft drinks and sodas are usually sweetened with high fructose corn
syrup (HFCS) or a combination
of sugar and HFCS. The corn, of course, will be
from GMO sources.
Diet drinks are no better or possibly worse. Aspartame, also called amino sweet,
is found in Equal and Nutrasweet. Aspartame is produced from the use of
genetically modified organisms, and is linked to serious diseases.
4.
Processed foods and condiments.
Most processed foods contain GMO ingredients (corn or soy for example). This
includes meat substitutes used in veggie burgers and tofu, as well as condiments
like ketchup and soy sauce.
Try to avoid processed foods with the oils mentioned above, or with soy and corn
derivatives, including: soy flour, soy protein, soy lecithin, textured vegetable
protein, corn meal, corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, fructose, citric acid, and
lactic acid.
Ask what foods the chef prepares fresh, and choose those items. Check if
packaged sauces are used.
5.
GMO meats, fish, eggs, and dairy.
The bulk of GMO feed crops are fed to animals. This includes corn, soymeal
(leftover from processing soybeans into oil), alfalfa hay, and sugar beet pulp
(leftover from extracting the juice for sugar). Dried distillers grains with solubles
(DDGS), a by
-product of the corn-
based ethanol industry, are also mixed with
feed for animals.
For more news and information about the health risks of GMOs, go to
ResponsibleTechnology.org
.
04/20/2017
Farm
-raised fish as well as commercial
beef, pork, and poultry are fed with GMO
feed. Ask if the source is wild caught or pasture
-raised. Organic products don’t
allow the use of GMO feed.
6.
Apples, potatoes, and other produce.
Non
-browning Arctic
apples and non-
bruising White Russet
potatoes, both
created with genetic engineering technology, are entering the market with the
primary use intended for the pre
-packaged and commercial foods sector. The
apples are genetically engineered not to turn brown when sliced; the genetically
engine
ered potatoes do not show bruising
.
Papaya grown in Hawaii or China may also be genetically modified. A small
amount of zucchini and yellow squash are also grown from genetically modified
seed. And although more than 90% of the corn in United States is g
enetically
engineered, the percentage of GMO sweet corn, used for corn on the cob and for
canned corn, is much less. Edamame may have GMO soy.
No other produce currently on the market is
genetically engineered to our
knowledge. Not seedless watermelons, not tomatoes, NOTHING else.
7.
Always ask: consumers are the most persuasive activists of all.
If you plan ahead, you can call or email the restaurant you plan to visit and
ask specific questions that will serve two purposes:
*
You will (hopefully) get a list
of healthy non-
GMO eating options;
*
By informing the restaurant of your desire to avoid GMOs, you add to the
growing base of non-
GMO consumers that is steadily persuading
suppliers to seek more non-
GMO sources.
I know this works from personal experience. I
’ve seen several restaurants
switch ingredients as soon as they realized they were using unpopular GMOs.
One final word of advice. As you start looking into the ingredients used in your
favorite restaurants, you may get disappointed or angry when you real
ize the extent of
GMO contamination. I encourage you to not dump your anger or frustration onto the
restaurant staff. Befriend them, educate them, and have patience. The great news is
that the tipping point of consumer rejection is underway in the US and w
e can see a
day soon where the supply chain will be rid of GMOs altogether.
Safe eating.
Jeffr
Jeffrey Smith, Executive Director
Institute for Responsible Technology
Dining out can be a huge challenge to maintaining a healthy
lifestyle and avoiding GMOs. The simplest solution is to eat
at an organic restaurant, but that is not always (or rarely)
possible depending on where you live.
Some people are much more strict about being non-
GMO and
organic at home, and give themselves some leeway when
eating out. This is a personal decision. There is not enough
data for us to calculate just how risky or dangerous this might
be to your health
(
although usually the more
processed a
GMO is, the less dangerous it is
). We know that according to
physicians and reports from individuals, some people are very sensitive. They can
react to eating GMO food in a single meal. Others do not notice anything.
Whether you allow yourself to eat certain GMOs or even if you’ve accidentally
consumed some, my suggestion is not to worry about it. Because worrying can be
toxic, GMO food can be toxic, and now you’ve got two to toxins to deal with.
Here is an
easy checklist
to hel
p you navigate
restaurants and choose healthier non
-
GMO options.
1.
Eat at restaurants that cook from scratch, not fast-food.
Fast-food places are the biggest offenders, since processed foods usually have soy
and corn derivatives in most items. Higher-end restaurants generally cook from
scratch, but do use some prepackaged condiments like ketchup and mayo that
contain GMOs.
2.Avoid GMO Oils.
Unfortunately, most restaurants in North America cook with genetically modified
oils. Over 90% of soy, corn, cotton (seed), and canola grown here
are GMO. So
unless
the oil explicitly says organic or non-
GMO, assume it
is genetically
engineered. Vegetable oil is usually made from soybean oil, as is margarine.
I generally call a restaurant in advance and ask them, “What oil do you cook your
food with?” If they use a GMO oil, I ask if they can cook my food in, for
example, pure olive oil that they might have on hand. You might also be
interested in butter, but it may be from cows injected with GM bovine growth
hormone or fed GMOs. Some foods don’t use oil at all.
Fortunately, olive trees or not genetically engineered, so olive oil is not GMO.
Unfortunately, many restaurants will blend olive oil with canola oil for economic
reasons. If they say they use olive oil, ask if it is pure or a blend. Often the waiter
or waitress is not aware of the answer and must go back into the kitchen to find
out.
Also, be aware that salad dressings and mayonnaise often contain oil that is
derived from GMO soy, corn, cottonseed, or canola oil.
If you avoid GMO oils, I find that it is difficult to eat in most Mexican and
Chinese food places. Mediterranean restaurants, including Italian, Middle Eastern,
and Greek, often use olive oil. Thai restaurants often use GMO oils, but most do
not use any oils in their curry dishes. They cook the food in coconut milk. Also,
some Thai soups do not use oil. Fish entrees can often be grilled without oil as
well.
Deep fried foods like french fries are very difficult to obtain non-
GMO because of
the oil.
3.Sweeteners.
Most sugar in the US comes from GMO sugar beets. To avoid sugar GMO sugar,
limit desserts and soft drinks
to those made with pure cane sugar or some other
sweetener. (Unfortunately, cane sugar is often sprayed with Roundup before
harvest.)
Commercial soft drinks and sodas are usually sweetened with high fructose corn
syrup (HFCS) or a combination
of sugar and HFCS. The corn, of course, will be
from GMO sources.
Diet drinks are no better or possibly worse. Aspartame, also called amino sweet,
is found in Equal and Nutrasweet. Aspartame is produced from the use of
genetically modified organisms, and is linked to serious diseases.
4.
Processed foods and condiments.
Most processed foods contain GMO ingredients (corn or soy for example). This
includes meat substitutes used in veggie burgers and tofu, as well as condiments
like ketchup and soy sauce.
Try to avoid processed foods with the oils mentioned above, or with soy and corn
derivatives, including: soy flour, soy protein, soy lecithin, textured vegetable
protein, corn meal, corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, fructose, citric acid, and
lactic acid.
Ask what foods the chef prepares fresh, and choose those items. Check if
packaged sauces are used.
5.
GMO meats, fish, eggs, and dairy.
The bulk of GMO feed crops are fed to animals. This includes corn, soymeal
(leftover from processing soybeans into oil), alfalfa hay, and sugar beet pulp
(leftover from extracting the juice for sugar). Dried distillers grains with solubles
(DDGS), a by
-product of the corn-
based ethanol industry, are also mixed with
feed for animals.
For more news and information about the health risks of GMOs, go to
ResponsibleTechnology.org
.
04/20/2017
Farm
-raised fish as well as commercial
beef, pork, and poultry are fed with GMO
feed. Ask if the source is wild caught or pasture
-raised. Organic products don’t
allow the use of GMO feed.
6.
Apples, potatoes, and other produce.
Non
-browning Arctic
apples and non-
bruising White Russet
potatoes, both
created with genetic engineering technology, are entering the market with the
primary use intended for the pre
-packaged and commercial foods sector. The
apples are genetically engineered not to turn brown when sliced; the genetically
engine
ered potatoes do not show bruising
.
Papaya grown in Hawaii or China may also be genetically modified. A small
amount of zucchini and yellow squash are also grown from genetically modified
seed. And although more than 90% of the corn in United States is g
enetically
engineered, the percentage of GMO sweet corn, used for corn on the cob and for
canned corn, is much less. Edamame may have GMO soy.
No other produce currently on the market is
genetically engineered to our
knowledge. Not seedless watermelons, not tomatoes, NOTHING else.
7.
Always ask: consumers are the most persuasive activists of all.
If you plan ahead, you can call or email the restaurant you plan to visit and
ask specific questions that will serve two purposes:
*
You will (hopefully) get a list
of healthy non-
GMO eating options;
*
By informing the restaurant of your desire to avoid GMOs, you add to the
growing base of non-
GMO consumers that is steadily persuading
suppliers to seek more non-
GMO sources.
I know this works from personal experience. I
’ve seen several restaurants
switch ingredients as soon as they realized they were using unpopular GMOs.
One final word of advice. As you start looking into the ingredients used in your
favorite restaurants, you may get disappointed or angry when you real
ize the extent of
GMO contamination. I encourage you to not dump your anger or frustration onto the
restaurant staff. Befriend them, educate them, and have patience. The great news is
that the tipping point of consumer rejection is underway in the US and w
e can see a
day soon where the supply chain will be rid of GMOs altogether.
Safe eating.
Jeffr
