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Here’s the Genetically Modified (GM) Foods You Probably Eat
From soybeans and apples to corn and potatoes, more foods are genetically modified for reasons ranging from increased yields, pest resistance, or even saving an entire industry from demise.
For many of these crops, you would struggle to find a non-GM option in the U.S. So whether you are for or against GM foods, it’s likely that you are consuming them without even knowing it. Here’s a list of common foods made from GM crops.
Sugar
About half of the U.S. sugar supply is made from GM sugar beets. The beets are easier to grow since they are herbicide-resistant, which helps farmers manage weeds. In the U.S. and Canada, the adoption of GM sugar beets is over 90 percent, so you can usually assume you’re getting GM sugar beets.
The other major source of sugar is sugar cane, which hasn’t been genetically altered. If you’re trying to avoid GM foods, look for products that specifically say “cane sugar” in the ingredient list. This is an easy trick to avoid sugar made from GM sugar beets.
Corn
In 2020, it’s estimated that about 92 percent of the corn planted in the U.S. is GM.
Corn was actually one of the earliest crops to be genetically modified. In 1996, farmers were introduced to the genetically engineered BT corn. The BT comes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, which naturally protected crops from pests. This type of bacteria produces a protein toxin that attacks the gut of insects and is lethal to larval caterpillars. Now, the corn could produce the same toxin.
At the time, scientists thought BT corn would be a slam dunk. It would reduce the amount of pesticide sprayed on fields and spores of Bacillus thuringiensis were already commonly used in organic farming.
