The public is generally uninformed as to what is in our food. If you’re reading this blog regularly, that’s probably already a given. Due to the fact that our parliament (through a bi-partisan effort) insists on keeping this important information from Canadians, we’ll reprint an excellent table made by the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network outlining the genetically engineered foods approved for Canadian consumption. Note the list of actions you can take while shopping for food to avoid eating something harmful that you really don’t want anything to do with. If only there was a single label that would make this so much easier…
The most interesting thing I find about this list is that the products that are approved tend not to be foods like apples, pears, carrots and the like, but commodity foods like corn, soy and canola–foods with the largest economic interests backing them. Since these three are in virtually every processed food, it means that Canadians really can’t escape from the reach of GE unless they buy organic. What kind of consumer “choice” is that? What the hell is in your can of Irish stew?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Good list, Ryan – thanks.
A Fan
I thought you would have signed “nemesis” instead.
Very useful list – thank you !
what about strawberries? i can’t remember when I first noticed, but imported strawberries fresh in the grocery store are drastically different from the kind I knew growing up picking them from farmers fields….they are carboard like and bland in the stores now. Anyone know if this is a gmo issue or something else?
Thanks for your comment Theresa.
Catherine–I don’t think there are GMO strawberries grown in Canada or approved for import.
I took a peek at the Agri-food Canada site for the approved food, and couldn’t find strawberries listed on their site.
Having said that, my guess is that the strawberries that they cultivate are probably a variety that is a) resistant to damage for long range transport and b) happens to taste bland thanks to that choice in variety. It’s pretty likely they aren’t our grandmother’s strawberries–likely a variety that anyone who cared about taste wouldn’t grow if they had the choice.