Conscious Choice: Whom Can You Trust?

March 2001

Whom Can You Trust?

by Juli Brussell

When you have questions about food safety, whose voice speaks with the most authority? Not the loudest, which often is simply the one with the most advertising or public relations dollars.

Case in point: remember ABC’s 20/20 episode in which John Stossel, a television journalist, interviewed Dennis Avery from the Hudson Institute about the safety of organic foods? The Hudson Institute is a "think tank" funded by the Fertilizer Institute and other agribusiness interests that rely on chemical sales for their profits. In this episode of 20/20, Avery cited studies supposedly conducted by the Centers for Disease Control which showed that manures used in organic food production caused E. coli contamination, rendering organic foods unsafe. This episode aired despite the fact that Avery had been publicly chastised in the New York Times months prior to the show for citing the same studies, which did not exist.

In addition to citing results from nonexistent studies, this episode of 20/20 neglected to inform the public that conventional agriculture also uses animal manures and that organic agriculture is the only production system with standards that restrict manure use on crops intended for human consumption.

More recently, Monsanto and several other transnational corporations engaged in genetic engineering of agricultural products embarked on a massive public relations campaign costing many millions of dollars to convince the American public of the safety of GMO (which stands for "genetically modified organisms"), or bioengineered, foods. This campaign was fueled by massive consumer protests against these foods in Europe, India, and Asia, protests that are shutting many American crops out of the global market. In fact, the European Union has moved to ban GMO foods.

If you are an American consumer, you may be wondering what the Europeans know that we don’t. You may also wonder about the actions of several transnational food companies such as Nestlés, a Swiss corporation that recently bought Ralston-Purina. Nestlés decided to eliminate GMO ingredients from its products sold in European countries but not from the same foods sold in the U.S.

When asked what advice he had for consumers looking for answers about food safety, Ronnie Cummins, national director of the Organic Consumers Association and co-author of Genetically Engineered Food, A Self-Defense Guide for Consumers, had several suggestions.

One, look for information about your foods and about food safety issues from sources that do not have financial investments in the food you eat. Public watchdog organizations such as Greenpeace, the Union of Concerned Scientists, The Center for Food Safety, or Consumers Union will be more objective in their reports than the food industries being regulated.

Two, be a skeptical consumer. Remember that government endorsements and approvals of new technologies unfortunately are not proof of their safety. When new technologies that affect your food are being hailed as the best invention since sliced bread, take the news with a grain of salt. Ask why the new technology makes your food better than it was. Chances are the true beneficiaries are the companies holding the patents.

Three, avoid processed foods whenever possible. Eating foods laden with chemical preservatives and artificial coloring agents is not the way to improve your health.

Four, if you are concerned about pathogens, buy foods produced by farmers that you know and whose farms you can visit. Be your own inspector. Ask them questions about how they treat their animals or whether they use toxic chemicals on their produce.

Five, avoid ground meat from large-scale packing plants. Most recalls of meat products involve ground meat or poultry products raised by industrial factory farms and processed in huge facilities. (This means you may want to reconsider your menu choices at fast food restaurants.)

Six, trust yourself. Simple precautions can reduce the dangers of some food-borne illnesses more easily than others. Washing produce and avoiding undercooked industrial meats is easy compared to looking for foods produced without toxins or genetically engineered ingredients. And be sure to wash your own produce. Don’t assume that "pre-washed" produce is free of bacteria.

Seven, eat local. Patronize a farmers’ market or join a CSA. (CSA, or community supported agriculture, is a way to buy "shares" of food grown by a participating farm.) Find a farmer who grows food you want to eat and feed to your children. Ask your grocer to carry locally produced foods. Grow a garden — even a pot or two of tomatoes and herbs or lettuces on an apartment balcony or window brings you closer to your food. And once or twice a week, cook for a friend or two.

Most importantly, remember that being inundated with advertising is no substitute for being informed. As a first step, read labels. Some companies are taking steps to ensure that their food products are GMO-free, but in this country, they are the minority. So if the label does not specify "certified organic," assume that the food contains genetically engineered ingredients.

To remain educated, ask questions — and demand answers. Visit Web sites and read publications by food companies and food safety organizations. Remember to read critically to make sure that claims are supported by solid reasoning and reliable facts.

Resources

A few of the best publications, organizations or Web sites include the Shoppers Guide on Genetically Engineered Foods, available from Greenpeace (415-512-1032 or download from their Web site)

Organic Consumers Association (218-226-4164)

Pesticide Action Alert Network of North America (415-981-1771)

Center for Food Safety (202-547-9359)

Consumers Union (202-462-6262)

Friends of the Earth (202-783-7400).

Locally, consumers concerned about food issues can join the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, 217-498-9707.

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