KraftHeinz Defends its Use of GMO Ingredients
My son is committed to eating healthful, nutrient-dense food, which -- unless you are eating at a health food store cafe or Chipotle -- requires cooking with nutrient-dense ingredients.
It definitely requires learning how to avoid GMO foods, both in the produce department and on the inner aisles of the grocery store!
He often calls us from the grocery store for info on a product. Last week, he was in Costco and desiring Worcestershire, made manufactured by Heinz.
There was nothing on the label to indicate GMO status, so I wrote to the company, now known as KraftHeinz, the 3rd largest food manufacturer in the world.
Here's the exchange:
Me to Kraft: "Can you tell me if your products contain GMO ingredients? Would love to see an organic Worcestershire!
Kraft's response:
Hi Sally,
Thank you for visiting http://www.kraftfoods.com/.
Kraft supports the use of genetically modified ingredients (also called GMOs), which are safe and provide many benefits, including helping to keep foods more affordable. Our priority is to provide safe, affordable food to our consumers. Genetically modified ingredients are safe, and have been around for decades. Virtually all global scientific organizations and regulatory agencies have found that genetically modified (GM) ingredients are safe. If they weren’t safe, we wouldn’t use them in our products. GM crops can require less water, fewer pesticides, and can reduce crop prices by 15-30%. Sourcing non-GM ingredients is more costly for the company and, in turn, consumers. Regulatory Perspective / Lobbying Against Labeling Laws. Kraft is aligned with the industry position that opposes local/state initiatives for mandatory "presence" labeling (e.g., "Contains GM ingredients"). We believe state-specific labeling laws could be both costly for food makers as well as confusing for consumers. Instead, Kraft supports federal legislation that would provide a uniform regulatory approach for "absence" labeling (e.g., "No GM ingredients").
If you haven't done so already, please add our site to your favorites and visit us again soon!
Sincerely, Julian Franklin Director, Consumer Relations
My response to Kraft:
Your information on GMOs is outdated. You need to do the research again. Science often gets it wrong and has to reverse itself. That day is quickly approaching with GMOs.
GMOs are banned in over 60 countries so clearly not all scientists agree that they are safe.
It is a myth that GMOs require less water, and that they use fewer pesticides/herbicides. In fact, there are now superweeds overtaking GMO crops requiring MORE pest/herbicides. Do your research.
GMOs are created by inserting a glyphosate (the main ingredient in RoundUp) gene into a seed. Glyphosate is a carcinogen, according to the WHO. It's been found in the umbilical cords of pregnant women [see links below] and, just recently, in the urine of 48 legislators in the UK. The concentration of glyphosate in the urine was higher than is allowed in the water supply.
Frankly, it doesn't matter whether you think it's safe or not. Consumers want GMO-free food. We are buying so much of it that retailers are finding it hard to meet the demand for organic produce and products.
Cheers, Sally
It should also be pointed out that GMOs have been in the food supply for exactly 21 years. That's TWO decades, far less than the phrase "been around for decades" would lead you to believe. In that short two decades, we are beginning to see the effects on our bodies, our health and our planet. That didn't take long.
Thanks, KraftHeinz, for doing your part. Suffice it to say, this household won't be eating anymore of these KraftHeinz manufactured "foods." You?
Are you or your friends learning how to avoid GMO foods? Here's a list of KraftHeinz GMO brands. Please share this post with them -- consumer practices are making a HUGE difference in the marketplace. Even McDonald's is feeling the heat.
Articles of Interest:
PubMed on how Glyphosate formulations induce apoptosis and necrosis in human umbilical, embryonic, and placental cells.
On whether or not GMOs can feed the world.
One year after WHO calls glyphosate a carcinogen, a new study refutes that data... just in time for glyphosate to be approved for sale in the EU. That's not suspicious at all.