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Apple That Never Browns Has Food Safety Advocates Seeing Red

Genetically engineered (GE) apples that don’t turn brown will soon be hitting store shelves in the Midwest, according to CNN Health. USDA approved them two years ago, but thanks to opaque labeling laws, you won’t know they’re GE unless retailers choose to tell you.

That you won’t know whether you’ve got a bag of GE Golden Delicious apples unless you keep them long enough to figure out they’re not turning brown is disheartening. Consumers have the right to know whether the foods they eat are genetically modified. They also deserve the right to choose to buy — or not buy — GE foods. This isn’t possible if the foods aren’t labeled as such.

Even more disheartening is that, while 64 countries now require labeling of GE foods, that the U.S. continues to stall efforts to require similar labeling, even though more than 90 percent of Americans favor it.

GE foods have a higher potential for causing allergic reactions, thanks to novel proteins never before encountered in the food supply. GE foods are also saturated with pesticides into your diet that can wreck your health. Shockingly, no long-term human trials have been done to evaluate the health effects of GE ingredients, and no one knows what the effects of a lifetime's worth of GE consumption might be. 

If you live in the U.S., the best thing to do is seek out organic foods, preferably grown by local farmers who can attest to their status as organic. It’s time to boycott both GE foods and CAFO meats and dairy. Look for certified organic labels and avoid processed foods of all kinds.