Organic food no safer than GMOs

Under the assumption that your table is set with genetically modified foods, what does that mean, and should you be concerned for your health? Julie Kelly, a Chicago cooking instructor, has become one of the leading non-scientists raising her voice in the sometimes-contentious debate over the safety of this nation's food system regarding GMOs.

As Kelly described the GMO controversy, it is not a science or an agricultural issue, but more of a political issue as dictated by environmental groups.

These benefits result from farmers using genetically engineered seeds to produce GMO crops: Drought resistant crops; herbicide tolerance crops; disease resistance crops; and increased and enhanced nutritional content, such as genetically modified soybeans with a healthier oil profile that are being used in a new, heart-healthy soybean oil.

A global battle exists over golden rice, which contains beta-carotene, which helps fight Vitamin A deficiency in children and pregnant women. While there is no concern in America about children not getting enough Vitamin A, millions of pre-age school children around the world go blind in countries like Africa for lack of Vitamin A.

An exhaustive report released on May 17, 2016 from the National Academies of Science reports that genetically engineered crops are safe for humans and animals to eat and have not caused increases in cancer or other health problems.

In conclusion, not only is our food system safe, affordable and plentiful, but the application of safe chemicals to crops now requires only 2 percent of our population to be involved in farming.

And to moms, stop worrying, organic food is no safer than GMOs. It just costs more.

Nancy J. Thorner

Lake Bluff