A Timeline of GMOs in the U.S. Food Supply

1973 Scientists develop genetically engineered e. coli. (started off as not a food thing)

1994 Flavr Savr tomatoes are approved by the FDA. (Wouldn't anyone question a tomato based on two words that are spelled incorrectly?)

1995 FDA approved BT corn (corn that carries the BT toxin (bacillus thuringiensis) in every cell to ward off certain insects with built-in pesticide), glyphosate resistant (Round-up Ready) soy, cotton and potatoes.

2001- Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention reports a Canadian study concluding a statistically relevant increase in the risk of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in men exposed to pesticides.

2003 NIH Study confirms association of pesticide use (including glyphosate) and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma

2007 88,000 tons of glyphosate are used in the United States (as compared to 11,000 in 1992 before the development and widespread use of GMOs)

2009 Toxicology publishes article on glyphosates determining them to be toxic and endocrine disruptors.

2012 Study in Germany finds glyphosate in the urine of every single person in the study of urban non-farm workers.

2012 Journal of Applied Toxicology confirms BT corn's (and BT corn combined with glyphosate's) toxicity to human cells.

2013 In the United States, 85 per cent of corn, 91 per cent of soy beans, and 88 per cent of cotton grown is genetically modified.

2013 Study confirms glyphosate impairs men's reproductive health.

There are over a hundred studies to sift through, many of which suggest problems ranging from endocrine disruption and cancer to problems with gut bacteria, kidney damage and a whole array of health problems including autism, depression, obesity, gastro-intestinal diseases and Alzheimer's. It may never be proven that Round-Up or BT corn are the sole cause of specific diseases but the increase in the number of people with multiple chronic diseases any of which can be caused by those crops is staggering.  Proving the association in a world where people are exposed to environmental toxins, junk food diets, an unreasonable number of vaccines, unprecedented electro-magnetic radiation and unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles everywhere is tough.  But common sense might dictate that it would be wise to play it safe.  Wouldn't now be the time to invoke a very simple Precautionary Principle? GMO labeling is required in most of the developed world (Europe, Japan, Australia, China, Korea, New Zealand) but not here which makes playing it safe challenging.  The easiest thing to do is avoid packaged food unless it is organic and be wary of the obvious pitfalls using caution when purchasing corn, soy and a host of other new GMOs (alfalfa, papaya, cucumbers).  Always look out for produce with a 5 digit number on the sticker. If it begins with 8, it is genetically modified. If it begins with 9, it is organic and, therefore, non-GMO.  The four digit ones are conventional codes beginning with 3 or 4.  This does not address whether they are genetically modified but researching the supplier or asking your grocer or grower would be a smart start.

The FDA did not originally require testing of GMOs because they were considered GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) because producers claimed they were substantially like the original plant.  Since their approval, a few have been researched, some without conclusion, and a lot more information has become available.  In the meantime, not one objective peer-reviewed large scale study has really ever proven them completely safe.