Are there GMOs in your Dairy Alternatives?

This year, approximately 91% of soybeans, 85% of corn, 90% of canola, and 88% of cotton produced in the United States are genetically modified. This means that when you’re eating your supposedly “natural” tofu and soy-protein products, you could be eating GMOs without realizing it. GMO soy could be hiding in non-organic whole soy, or as soy protein isolate, soy lecithin, or other forms in dairy-free milk, ice cream, yogurt, cheese, you name it. So it practically goes without saying that GMO soy is a big concern for consumers of dairy alternatives.

Switching to rice, coconut or almond bases might lessen your risks of ingesting GMOs, but unless the product is non-GMO verified, you can’t count on it to be totally free of other GMO products like oils, sweeteners, emulsifiers and other additives. Even chewing gum is likely to contain GM soy and corn, but you wouldn’t know it is there, hiding behind names like maltodextrin, xylitol, and that ubiquitous term “flavors.”

The bad news continues: sugar is often made from GM sugar beets, and that cornstarch in your self-rising four and baking powder is probably GM too. And high fructose corn syrup seems to be in everything these days! Even dried fruits might be sweetened with the dreaded HFC and coated with GM oils. Reading things like this makes the food sitting in your refrigerator and pantry seem scary, doesn’t it? How are you supposed to remember all the things to avoid when you go grocery shopping? Well, there’s a bit of good news on the horizon. Whole Foods grocery stores are working to be GMO transparent and have a goal to be totally GMO-free by 2018. That’s still a while to wait though! In the mean time, look for the “NON GMO Project” label when in the market for dairy alternatives!

Read the entire article here: Are there GMOs in your Dairy Alternatives?