July 24, 2003

Shopping List for GMO-Free Foods

The Final Word

"Let's go eat some genetically modified food for lunch." - President Bush, in private remarks at the White House to visiting European leaders, as relayed by White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer.

As a service to Weston A. Price Foundation members, we are providing information on foods to watch that contain Genetically Modified (GM) ingredients. This information was compiled over a three-year period by Mothers for Natural Law, http://www.safe-food.org/-consumer/shop.html.

The information provided below is not complete. It is intended as a starting place for shoppers. If you don't see some of your favorite products on this list, please contact the manufacturers and ask them if the product contains GM ingredients.

There are about 40 varieties of genetically engineered crop approved for marketing in the U.S. As a result, 60-70% of the foods on your grocery shelves contain genetically engineered components.

If you really want to avoid the influence of genetic engineering, buy fresh organic produce. If you want to buy processed foods and avoid genetically engineered ingredients, you will have to read product labels. If the label mentions any of the ingredients listed below without explicitly qualifying it as organic, then the product probably contains genetically engineered ingredients.

Primary GMO Suspects: Ingredients and Products to Check

• Soybeans: Soy flour, soy oil, lecithin, soy protein isolates and concentrates. Products that may contain genetically engineered soy derivatives: vitamin E, tofu dogs, cereals, veggie burgers and sausages, tamari, soy sauce, chips, ice cream, frozen yogurt, infant formula, sauces, protein powder, margarine, soy cheeses, crackers, breads, cookies, chocolates, candies, fried foods, shampoo, bubble bath, cosmetics, enriched flours and pastas.
• Corn: Corn flour, corn starch, corn oil, corn sweeteners, syrups. Products that may contain genetically engineered corn derivatives: vitamin C, tofu dogs, chips, candies, ice cream, infant formula, salad dressings, tomato sauces, breads, cookies, cereals, baking powder, alcohol, vanilla, margarine, soy sauce, tamari, soda, fried foods, powdered sugar, enriched flours and pastas.
• Canola: Oil. Products that may contain genetically engineered canola derivatives: chips, salad dressings, cookies, margarine, soaps, detergents, soy cheeses, fried foods.
• Cotton: Oil, fabric. Products that may contain genetically engineered cotton or its derivatives: clothes, linens, chips, peanut butter, crackers, cookies.
• Potatoes: Right now the only potato that has been genetically engineered is the Burbank Russet, but you still have to look out for potato starch and flour. Products that may contain genetically engineered potatoes or derivatives: unspecified processed or restaurant potato products (fries, mashed, baked, mixes, etc.), chips, Passover products, vegetable pies, soups. Fast-food chains appear to have responded to consumer concerns and requested genetically natural potatoes.
• Dairy Products: Milk, cheese, butter, buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, whey. You have to ask several questions when you are looking at dairy products. Have the cows been treated with rBGH? What kind of feed have they been given? If they are not being fed organic grains, chances are quite likely that they will be eating genetically engineered animal feed. What does this do to their milk products? No one knows.
• Animal Products: Because animal feed often contains genetically engineered organisms, all animal products, or by-products may be affected.
• Papaya

Please note that a food may contain some of these items and yet be free from genetically engineered organisms. There is no way of knowing without tracking down every brand, every product and every ingredient. Even reading labels is no guarantee that you will be able to avoid genetically engineered ingredients, because manufacturers are not required to list every ingredient, enzyme or organism used in the manufacturing process. The following products may also be genetically altered, contain or originate from genetically engineered organisms: candies, cookies, breads, cereals, corn syrups, oils, juices, detergents, dough conditioners, yeast, sugar, animal feed, vitamins and enzymes used in the processing of cheese.

Natural Products that DO NOT Contain GMOs
(according to the producer)

Dairy Products:

The following dairies state that all of their products are made with 100% organic ingredients. Their animals are not treated with rBGH or other hormones and are only fed organically grown feed. There are no bioengineered dairy cultures or enzymes in their products. If, however, a product lists "natural flavors" on the label, that product might contain a genetically engineered ingredient.

• Harmony Hills Dairy
• Horizon Dairy
• Morningland Dairy
• Organic Valley Dairy
• Radiance Dairy
• Straus Family Creamery

Pulses: All Eden pulses, including Organic Black Soy and Organic Seasoned; Beans (garbanzo or chickpea, red kidney, pinto, black turtle, adzuki, mung, great northern or cannellini, lima), Lentils (red, green, brown), Peas (split, split yellow, black-eyed or cow)

Grain: All Eden grains, including Organic Pearled Barley; Amaranth, Barley, Hulled Barley, Buckwheat Groats (Kasha), Cracked Bulgar Wheat, Millet, Kamut Wheat Grain, Quinoa, Rice (short grain brown, wild, white arborico, sweet brown), Spelt Grain, Wheat Berries, Red Wheat Berries, Oats (steel cut, hulled)

Flours: Arrowhead Mills (White Rice, Kamut); All Eden flours, including Organic Golden Amber Durum Wheat; Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Farina, Garbanzo Chickpea, Millet, Oat, Rice, Rye, Spelt, Wheat, Oat Bran, Wheat Bran

Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, Brazils, Cashnews, Hazelnuts, Macdamia, Peanuts, Pecans, Pine Nuts, Pistachio Nuts, Walnuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds

Sweeteners: Eden Organic Malted Grain Sweeteners, Kogee Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cane Sugar (available from Wholesome Foods and Florida Crystals), Pure USA Honey, Sucanat North America

Syrups: Eden Organic Malted Grain Sweeteners, Wholesome Foods Organic Blackstrap Molasses, Andersons Pure Maple Syrup, Cary's Maple Syrup (Premium), Hauke Honey Pure Maple Syrup, Spring Tree Pure Maple Syrup

Olive Oils (Extra Virgin): Alessi Olio, Da Vinci (and Extra Light, 100% Pure), Eden Selected, Filippo Berio (and Extra Light), Gourmet Aritrian, Grey Poupon, L'estornell, Odd Monk, Olitalia, Peloponnese, Spectrum Natural, Tassos

Other Oils: Eden (Organic Sesame, Toasted Sesame, Hot Pepper Toasted Sesame, and Safflower Oils), Sigg Grapeseed Oil, Olitalia Grapeseed Oil, Loriva Sesame Oil, Spectrum Natural (Almond Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Safflower Oil, Walnut Oil), Organic Oils

Vinegars: Da Vinci Balsamic, Eden Apple Cider, L'estornell River Run Hot Pepper, Spectrum Organic (Raspberry Wine, Red Wine, White Wine)

Salad Dressings and Condiments: Cross And Blackwell Capers, Spectrum Zesty Italian Dressing, Jaffa Gold Lemon Juice, Melinda Extra Hot Sauce, Annie's Farmhouse Maple Mustard, Earth Fire Products Chutney, Eden Organic Mustard (and imported condiments), Sandhill Mustard, Santa Barbara Olive Company California Ripe Large or Jumbo Pitted Olives, Muir Glen Organic Tomato Ketchup, Cascadian Farm Organic Sauerkraut, Eden Organic Sauerkraut, Krinos Imported Grape Leaves

Nut and Fruit Butters: Arrowhead Mills (Certified Organic Peanut Butter, Sesame Tahini), Eastwind Nut Butters (Peanut, Cashew, Tahini, Almond), Eden Organic Apple Butter, Joyva Sesame Tahini, Maranata Roasted (Pistachio Butter, Filbert Butter, Sunflower Butter, Almond Butter), Maranata (Sesame Tahini, Cashew Butter, Almond Butter) Once Again Hazelnut Butter, Sahadi Sesame Butter, Santa Cruz Organic (Apple Apricot Sauce, Apple Sauce), Westbrae Natural (Raw Sesame Tahini, Toasted Tahini)

If specific products are not mentioned after the brand name, then the brand name is non-GMO in that particular category:

Breads: French Meadow Bakery, Garden of Eatin' (blue corn and corn tortillas), Lundberg Rice Cakes, Manna, New Pioneer Co-op (farm bread, olive farm, raisin pecan, sourdough, wheat), Big Kitchen

Canned Beans: American Prairie, Bearitos Refried Fat Free, Eden, Shari's, Westbrae Natural Garbanzo

Salsas: Garden Valley Naturals, Muir Glen, New Bounty Organic, Parrot

Pasta Sauces: Eden (Spaghetti Sauce, Pizza-Pasta Sauce), Garden Valley Organic, Millina's Finest Organic, Muir Glen Organic

Pastas/Noodles: Eden, Millina's Finest, Vita Spelt

Tofu/Tempeh/Soy/Miso: American Pride Tofu, Earth Fire Products, Eden products, White Wave (Organic Wild Rice Tempeh, Five Grain Tempeh, Soy Tempeh, Sea Veggie Tempeh, Organic Tofu)

Frozen Foods: Cascadian Farms (organic broccoli, corn, plain vegetables, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries), Sno-Pac (organic vegetables)

Teas: Alvita, Celestial Seasonings (Except for the vitamin enriched ones), Choice organic, Eden Great Eastern Sun, Long Life organic, Maharishi Ayur-Veda (Vata, Pitta and Kapha Churnas and Teas, and Raja's Cup), Traditional Medicinals, Yogi Organic

Juices: Organic with no vitamins added (Check labels carefully): After the Fall (Vermont Harvest Moon, Apple Cider, Grape Juice), Crofters (Guava, Strawberry, Papaya, Raspberry, Apricot, Pink Lemonade), Eden (Organic Apple, Organic Tomato, Organic Cherry), Kedem (100% Pure Grape Juice), Knudsen (Cherry, Grape, Mango, Pear, Strawberry), Mountain Sun (Organic Strawberry, Peach, Blueberry, Cranberry), Santa Cruz (Ginger, Apricot, Cherry, Raspberry, Apple)

Chips/snacks/candies: Bearitos Organic Corn Chips, Eden, Little Bear Lite Organic Popcorn, Manischewitz Passover Matzos (tea matzos and whole wheat tea matzos), Reeds Crystallized Ginger, St. Claire Organic (Winter Mints, Licorice Sweets, Cinnamon Snaps, Cherry Sweets, Lemon Tarts, Peppermints, Cocoa Sweets, Ginger Snaps), dried non-GE fruit (either unsweetened or approved non-GE sweetener), Kettle Organic Potato Chips, Westbrae Organic Potato Chips

Miscellaneous: Duchy Originals, Eden Soymilk, Imagine Organic Original Rice Dream, Kogee Organic Non-Dairy Creamer, Mrs. Denson's Cookies, Walker's Shortbread

Bill Sanda
Director, Public Affairs