Gone are the days of growing your own food or purchasing it from the local farmer.
Today, our society relies heavily on processed foods that are sold at the local grocery store. This has put a huge demand on farmers and food manufacturers to mass distribute large quantities of food to store throughout the country.
To keep up with this demand, scientists have created genetically modified organisms, otherwise known as GMO foods.
These modifications have allowed farmers to grow plants and animals at a faster rate than ever before. However, these changes do not come without consequences. Many people believe there are health risks associated with these GMO foods.
GMO Foods
These alterations have been made to both crops and animals as a way to make them grow faster, stronger and more resistant to herbicides. This has allowed a large supply of foods to be produced and distributed across the country in a shorter period of time.
The debate is still out as to whether the creation of the altered foods are more beneficial or harmful to people and the environment. While the United States government has stood behind GMO foods, there have been bans or otherwise strict restrictions on the use of GMOs in more than 60 other countries in the world, including Japan, Australia and all countries in the European Union.
More Herbicides Used
The one fact known to be true about GMO foods is that they are more resistant to herbicides. This in turn has allowed farmers to use even more herbicides than ever before. In fact, from 1996 to 2008, farmers used 383 million more pounds of herbicides on GMO foods then had previously been used on crops. This has caused an increase of pesticide residue to be found on the foods purchased at the store.
A recent study showed that more than 40% of the produce sold in stores has residue from pesticides on it.
In addition, according to Minowa, a standard box of cereal sold at the grocery store contains residue from at least 32 different types of pesticides.
Health Risks
The major question now is what effect do GMOs and the extra herbicide residue in foods sold across the country have on the health of Americans.
The truth is, it’s hard to tell exactly what effects this has had on humans because it is nearly impossible to tell what foods contain GMOs. In the United States, companies are not required to list whether the products they sell have been genetically modified or not.
However, many scientists have noted that there has been a significant increase in the number of people with cancer, chronic illnesses, food allergies, autism, and digestive problems since GMOs were used in the food supply. These statistics are so startling that the American Academy of Environmental Medicine has urged doctors to encourage their patients maintain a non-GMO diet.
Removal of Dangerous Toxins
The good news is that there are ways to remove many of these toxins from the foods you eat and eliminate the risk associated with them.
Founded in 1883, Alfa Laval, a Swedish company, began the separation of solutions. This has allowed the production of certain foods to be monitored and maintained by separating toxins and unwanted particles through filtration.
In addition, the separation equipment used to filter these products contains a valve system which allows for two liquids to be cleaned and processed at the same time. This helps remove unwanted toxins from foods such as cheese and fruit juice.
Next time you’re shopping for today’s grocery list, be sure to check labels, inform yourself, and feel safe knowing that what is on your plate for the evening has been filtered through for toxins.
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