In the ongoing fight of David (the general public) vs Goliath (GMO corporate citizens like Monsanto) the beautiful state of Vermont, the House of Representatives voted 114 to 30 in favor of a bill that calls for mandatory labeling of foods sold in Vermont that contain genetically engineered ingredients. It would also ban GMO-containing foods …
Glyphosate is a systemic herbicide used to kill weeds. It is a post emergent herbicide that is non-selective. Meaning it will kill all green plants that you apply it to including grass, broad leaf weeds and some woody plants. Commercial glyphosate is composed of other chemicals all with the purpose of making the herbicide more …
In North America, we spend almost 90 percent of our food budget on processed food which contains a staggering number of artificial food additives, preservatives, colours and flavour enhancers. The Centre for Science in the Public Interest compiled a list of common food additives. There is a short description for each additive and a safety …
If you ever doubted the power of one consider this. The world’s largest beverage-maker, Coca-Cola, plans to remove a controversial ingredient from some of its US and Canada drink brands by the end of this year, following an online petition. Brominated vegetable oil or BVO is used as a stabiliser in fruit-flavoured drinks to help …
Carbendazim is a fungicide of major concern. It is suspected that the chemical has hormone disrupting effects. It has been highlighted by Friends of the Earth as one of their ‘filthy four’ pesticides as it could be harmful to human health and the environment. Developed by chemical giants, BASF (now part of Bayer) and Dupont, …
The term “genetically modified organism” (GMO) occurs when genetic material has been changed in a way that does not occur naturally. It can also can be referred to as genetically engineered (GE) or transgenic. The genetically engineered seeds that are destined to be in our food, have their DNA artifically altered in the laboratory using …
In polls taken in the U.S. and Canada, over 80% of participants want food containing GMO ingredients labeled. Consumers have a right to know what they are eating, but it’s increasingly evident that we’re not getting any help in that regard from our regulators. So it’s up to us to know what to look for …
For all the empty promises the bioseed corporations have made to try and convince consumers that GMO food is safe, a study from University of Sherbrooke, in Quebec, Canada is perhaps the most telling. Genetically modified crops include genes extracted from bacteria to make them resistant to pest attacks. The toxin is derived from a …
Ractopamine is banned from food production in at least 160 countries around the world, including countries across Europe, Russia, mainland China and Republic of China (Taiwan), due to its suspected health effects. Yet, the majority of North Americans are unaware that the drug is used in meat production. Since 1998, more than 1,700 people have …
Six different additives are used in medicated feed for cattle in Canada. Three of those — lasalocid sodium, salinomycin sodium and monensin sodium — are antimicrobial drugs that fall into the category of drugs that have no therapeutic use for humans, says the Beef Cattle Research Council. Chlortetracycline hydrochloride is antimicrobial closely related to tetracyclines, …