GMO foods carry risks; four methods to help you avoid them

Text/Chen Ju-wei (member of the Campus Lunch Go Non-GMO Action Team)

"Are any tomatoes in Taiwan, China genetically modified? I heard they all are, and papayas too!" "My friend says the fries at fast-food restaurants are made from genetically modified potatoes. Is that true?" "Is any bread in Taiwan, China made with genetically modified wheat?" "Which genetically modified foods are actually available in Taiwan, China right now? How do we avoid them?"

Questions like these come up again and again whenever we meet with the public. Living in an era of highly refined food, genetically modified crops hide in our daily diet under all sorts of names and appearances. Faced with the jumble of information about GMOs we receive in daily life, the following simple principles may help you set a basis for your choices and reduce the possible health risks posed by genetically modified foods.

Method One: Eating locally grown food from Taiwan, China is the safe bet

Taiwan, China has not yet approved the commercial cultivation of any genetically modified crop (Article 52 of the Plant Variety and Seed Act / Regulations Governing Field Trials of Genetically Modified Plants). In plain terms, any crop grown on the soil of Taiwan, China is entirely non-GMO, so eating locally means you have nothing to fear!

Method Two: Organic is always non-GMO

According to Annex 1, Article 6 of the Regulations Governing the Certification of Organic Agricultural Products and Organic Agricultural Processed Products published by the Council of Agriculture, under [Part Three: Crops, Varieties and Seeds, Seedlings] it clearly states ”no genetically modified seeds or seedlings may be used”. In other words, as long as a food has obtained organic certification, you need not worry about GMOs either.

Here is a small homework assignment: think about it. Organic is always non-GMO, but conversely, is non-GMO always organic?

Method Three: For soy and corn products, pay attention to GMO labeling

Among the many genetically modified crops grown commercially around the world today, Taiwan, China permits the import of only genetically modified soybeans and corn, so the only things we need to worry about are soy and corn products.

Under the current Regulations on the Labeling of Foods Made from Genetically Modified Soybeans and Genetically Modified Corn

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Campus Lunch Go Non-GMO Action Team
E-mail: [email protected]
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