Here is more evidence that the term 'natural' has no defined meaning. In my opinion a 'natural' food in a box or can is an oxymoron. It is a contradiction in terms. A food that has been processed for shelf life has lost its naturalness. It is now a processed (fake) food, no matter what its origins were.
For far too long, breakfast cereal makers have carried out highly deceptive product labeling and positioning campaigns through the use of the term "natural." Consumers are easily misled by this term, believing it to mean the product is free from pesticide chemicals and genetically engineered ingredients. But an explosive new investigation by the Cornucopia Institute (
www.Cornucopia.org) -- the same group that exposed the widespread use of hexane solvents in soy protein -- is set to send shockwaves through the "natural" products industry by revealing which so-called "natural" brands actually contain high levels GMOs and toxic chemical pesticides.
Three facts you need to know about GMOs before you read the explosive test results below
Before you view the Cornucopia's test results below, there are three important things you need to know about GMOs:
#1) There is GE contamination in almost everything. Even "non-GMO" food products almost always contain trace levels of GMOs (often between .01% and 0.5%). A test for the mere presence of GMOs is not considered conclusive. What's important is the
level of GMOs in a particular food item. Some of the "natural" items tested by the Cornucopia Institute showed GMO contamination levels between 28 and 100 %, which means the key ingredients in those cereals are most definitely genetically engineered from the source (and it's not just a chance contamination from some other nearby field).
#2) All GMO tests are merely a "snapshot" that can change over time. Foods that test free of GMOs today may contain higher levels tomorrow due to supply line errors, contamination, supply source changes, and so on. At the same time, foods that test at high levels of GMOs today may test at lower levels in the future or even for different batches from the same manufacturer. Sometimes manufacturers are lied to by their suppliers. Some manufacturers test for GMOs in every batch, but others take a "don't ask don't tell" approach where they don't test because they'd rather not know.
#3) Products may be "enrolled" in the Non-GMO Project and still contain GMOs before they are "verified." The Non-GMO Project has two designations for products. There are products which are "enrolled" which means they are "on the path" to becoming free of GMOs but may not have achieved it yet. Thus, it is true that products "enrolled" in the Non-GMO Project may still contain substantial levels of GMOs. Products that meet far more stringent supply line audits and GE testing requirements are granted the label "Verified" by the Non-GMO Project.
You got all that? It's a lot to keep in mind. GMOs are a complicated issue. But one thing is certain: Most "natural" breakfast cereals contain surprisingly high levels of genetically engineered ingredients. This is why it's crucial to shop for
certified organic breakfast cereals from companies like Nature's Path, whose products are 100% certified organic and free from GMOs.
All these concerns about GMOs don't even cover residues of toxic and carcinogenic pesticides in the grains used to produce "natural" breakfast cereals. The Cornucopia report cites extensive USDA testing and research revealing which "natural" grains and ingredients may be routinely contaminated with chemical pesticides. Synthetic pesticides are banned in organic production with oversight by independent certifiers and USDA accreditation, so organic is once again the way to go if you wish to avoid pesticide residues.
Keep reading to see some of the shocking test results uncovered by the Cornucopia Institute...
Here's what the test results reveal
The Cornucopia Institute's "Cereal Scorecard" (
http://www.cornucopia.org/2011/10/n...) reveals some truly astonishing facts about what's in our breakfast cereal:
• Kashi brand cereals (Kellogg's) contains "high levels" of GMOs. Not just a trace of GMOs, in other words, but a high level meaning the key ingredients are genetically engineered from the get-go. In fact, NaturalNews has learned that test results reveal 100% of the soy used in tested boxes of Kashi cereal was genetically engineered soy.
• Mother's brand cereals (PepsiCo) contains "high levels" of GMOs. Test results revealed
28% of the corn to be genetically engineered.
• Whole Foods' 365 brand Corn Flakes contains "high levels" of GMOs (more than 50% GE corn).
• Barbara's Bakery Puffins cereal was also shown to contain more than 50% genetically engineered corn.
• Both Barbara’s Bakery Puffins and Whole Foods 365 Corn Flakes are "enrolled" in the Non-GMO Project, says Cornucopia (see below). Note that this does not mean "verified" by the Non-GMO Project, which is a different designation. Still, the term "enrolled" in the Non-GMO Project may imply to many shoppers that the products are free from GMOs. This is something NaturalNews will address later, as it is a concern for both us and many readers who have long believed that any affiliation with the Non-GMO Project meant the same thing as "GMO free," which it does not.
• One of the shining examples
honest organic cereal is
Nature's Path, whose products are all certified organic, contained no significant GMO contamination and are clearly made with entirely non-GMO ingredients.
• As the report states:
Numerous “natural” products were indeed contaminated with high levels of GE ingredients, sometimes as high as 100%: Kashi GoLean, Mother’s Bumpers, Nutritious Living Hi-Lo, and General Mills Kix.• Kashi Heart to Heart Blueberry cereal costs
more than Nature's Path Organic Blueberry Cinnamon Optimum Cereal, and yet the grains used in Kashi cereal were found by the USDA, to typically contain residues of all the following pesticide chemicals:
phosmet, carbaryl, azinphos methyl, malathion, chlorpyrifos methyl, chlorpyrifos. (Note: This does not mean these Kashi cereals were tested for each of these chemicals, only that these chemicals are admitted by the USDA to be found in the non-organic grains used to manufacture Kashi cereals.)
• Quaker Oats states that it is an "all-natural" product. But Quaker Oats (a unit of PepsiCo) manages a processing plant that emits roughly 19,000 pounds of
sulfuryl fluoride yearly. Sulfuryl fluoride is a toxic greenhouse gas used to treat crops like oats in storage.
• "Natural" Peace Cereal Wild Berry Crisp is produced from conventional commodity ingredients commonly containing the neurotoxin
phosmet and the carcinogen
captan in 11% and 55% of samples, respectively.
• Mom's Best Naturals Raisin Bran cereal contains "natural" (non-GMO) ingredients that are commonly contaminated with
malathion and
phosmet chemicals, both of which are neurotoxins.
• Several Bear Naked and Kashi products contain conventional soy protein. Soy protein in this country is nearly universally hexane-extracted. The "hexane bath" that the soybeans are immersed in consists of more than 50% n-hexane, which is a known neurotoxin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Where you can learn more
What you've read here are only the highlights of this groundbreaking research report. You can learn more in the following ways:
Quick 4-minute video overview on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sw2...View the Scorecard page or download the PDF report:
http://www.cornucopia.org/2011/10/n...The quick conclusion from all this is that if you really want to be 100% safe from GMOs in your breakfast cereal, buy
Nature's Path cereals. They are the best of the best, and they don't play games with "natural" labeling that might mislead consumers. Nature's Path is also supporting the mandatory GMO labeling initiative in California.
Some other trusted cereal sources, according to the Cornucopia Scorecard, include Kaia, Laughing Giraffe, Lydia's Organics and Two Moms In the Raw.
Some of the brands that didn't score well on the Cornucopia's Scorecard include Bear Naked, Kashi, Mom's Best, General Mills, Barbara's Bakery, Health Valley, Back to Nature, Arrowhead Mills, Bob's Red Mill and Post Natural.
