Did you receive an email from the Environmental Working Group (EWG)? Did it ask you to sign a petition urging the government to require the labeling of GE foods?  Perhaps your initial response was, “Sure. Why NOT put that on the label?”  But wait a minute.  Guess how many supermarket products would need that label.  The answer is about 60-70%! (GE crops are widely found in soybeans, corn, and canola oil.) In most cases, we’re talking about a small amount of GE plant material in a product with many ingredients.  

Perhaps you hadn’t realized that you are probably consuming GE products.   What’s you’re response to this knowledge?  If you’re not certain, read on for information about the labeling issue, alternatives to package labeling, the government’s position on labeling, some benefits and problems related to genetic engineering, and, finally, the all-important question of safety.

Food preservation--in other words, extending shelf life--has been a widely-practiced human endeavor since the days of cave people.  (Forget that sexist term "cave men.")  According to the website PartSelect, cave folk who lived in cold locations froze fish, seal meat, and other small animals by storing them on ice.  In warmer climates, drying was the ancient method of choice for food preservation. Later, to freezing, drying, and fermenting, the Romans added pickling and canning. 

In modern times, science has provided additional ways to extend shelf life, especially techniques, currently widespread, that can keep foods fresh longer in the refrigerator. Now, scientists are working on ways to extend the shelf life of foods that are customarily refrigerated, making them safe and tasty at room temperature for longer periods of time. Read on to discover the "supersandwich" with a shelf life, at room temperature, of 3-5 years!  But let's start with the somewhat high-tech processes that most consumers come in contact with regularly, though they may not realize it.

“Use by,” “best by” and “sell by” dates (commonly referred to as expiration dates) are supposed to help consumers make good decisions about what foods to purchase, consume, and discard.   But many folks find them more confusing than helpful.  Moreover, these food expiration dates create anxiety, causing consumers to throw out a lot of perfectly good food.  

Fearing food poisoning, many consumers follow this familiar advice: “When in doubt, throw it out.”  That’s the most worry-free solution, but it certainly isn’t the thriftiest.

It would be historic—and, some say, the start of a journey down a slippery slope—if genetically engineered (GE) salmon is approved by the FDA. This fish would become the first GE animal permitted in the U.S. food chain.  GE plants are already being used. Since the 1990s, we’ve had GE herbicide-resistant soybeans and GE pest-resistant corn, which is not damaged by insects.  Other foods that have been produced with GE technology are sugar beets, potatoes, papayas, and summer squash, but these are not widely available.