6 Common Genetically Modified Foods

Genetically
modified foods are all the hype these days. We are growing more and
more conscious of their existence and an ever increasing number of
people are avoiding them altogether. I guess it kind of makes sense
that most people have an aversion to eating food that’s been
genetically manipulated.

Did
you know, however, that we’re already eating a lot of common foods
that are in fact genetically modified? Let’s take a look! Note:
this is mostly only the case for the United States as the food
regulations are a lot less strict there.

Tomatoes

Yup,
good ol’ tomatoes are genetically modified. They were actually
modified to halt the production of the enzyme that would usually
cause them to rot quickly after leaving the vine. These tomatoes were
quickly pulled out of production however, as there were some
questions regarding their carcinogenic properties that the scientist
who developed them couldn’t quite answer.

Yellow
Zucchini

These
modified zucchinis actually don’t get their color from the genetic
modification as you’d expect. The modification just protects them
against certain viruses. Apart from that, there’s no discernable
difference between the modified or unmodified zucchini.

Corn

A
whopping 85% of the corn grown in the US is considered to be
genetically modified to some degree. The modification doesn’t
really go much further than making them resistant to certain
pesticides or herbicides, but it still counts.

Soy
Beans

Soy
has actually been modified to the point where it now has more Omega 9
fatty acids, which are generally found in olive oil and lower your
cholesterol.

Milk

Cows
are giving a specific growth hormone that increases the amount of
milk they can produce. This is banned in Europe, Australia, Japan,
New Zealand and Canada – so you’re safe if your milk comes from
there.