Product Description

Stormy debates about genetically engineered (GE) food have raged throughout the world in recent years, and the issue is now more potent than ever. Seventy to eighty percent of processed foods now sold in supermarkets contain genetically engineered ingredients, and the trend is growing at a startling rate. This second, completely revised edition of Genetically Engineered Food is an all-in-one guide written specifically to help consumers educate themselves about the risks posed by GE foods. Ronnie Cummins and Ben Lilliston, both leading consumer advocates, provide comprehensive, up-to-the-minute, action-inspiring information, including how to identify GE foods, products to avoid, brands that are GE-free, and how to shop and act with a purpose. They discuss all of the ethical, environmental, and health arguments against GE food, how these foods are being regulated in the United States and abroad, and why consumers are right to oppose them. Genetically Engineered Foods is the first and still one of the few consumer-oriented guides addressing this important subject.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #851474 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

From Booklist
The 1995 outbreak of "mad cow" disease in Europe provoked public attention to genetically engineered or modified food, a concern that has spread to the U.S. Cummins and Lilliston, food safety advocates, examine the scientific, political, economic, and health issues. With billions of dollars in profits at stake, the biotech food industry promises that new technology will end world hunger and improve public health and the environment. Cummins and Lilliston weigh those promises against the unpredictability of the new technology, and the fact that much of it hasn't been adequately tested for safety and that its products are being distributed without labeling. Genetically modified organisms are so common that they are part of the average consumer's daily intake in food from breakfast cereals to infant formula to margarine. The authors include information on what consumers can do, from smart shopping to grassroots lobbying, to reduce the threat of genetically engineered food. This is a thorough and well-researched look at an issue of growing public concern. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Being a consumer is not a passive act. It means taking charge. This book tells you how." -- Jim Hightower, author of If the Gods Had Meant Us to Vote They Would Have Given Us Candidates

"Cummins and Lilliston are top investigative writers and activists who spill the beans about what's wrong with genetically engineered food..." -- John Stauber, co-author of Toxic Sludge is Good For You and Mad Cow USA

From the Publisher
"Cummins and Lilliston's self-defense guide is a boon. Their comprehensive reporting on GE food explains the risks and the politics of all this sci-fi farming, along with shopping strategies to help you avoid buying, say, a gene-spliced Twinkie." -Tenaya Darlington, Isthmus

"It is great that Ronnie Cummins and Ben Lilliston have had the courage and the dedication to research the controversial subject of genetically engineered foods so thoroughly. Every aspect is covered-health hazards, effects on the environment, where to shop, what to avoid-allowing us to choose where our interests lie and, from this, check resources and make educated decisions. This guide must surely become the bible for the concerned consumer." -Nora Pouillon, chef/owner of Restaurant Nora, Washington, D.C., the country's first certified-organic restaurant, and Asia Nora

"Consumers have known intuitively that they don't want to eat genetically engineered foods. Now they know why. Ronnie Cummins and Ben Lilliston persuasively outline the case against this mass experiment on our food, and give the public useful tools for ways to avoid genetic contamination when they buy food. Anyone who eats should read Genetically Engineered Food. It is indispensable as a basic primer, a resource guide, and a call to action." -Charles Margulis, Greenpeace genetic engineering specialist

"Cummins and Lilliston are clear, accurate and compelling. If you want to understand the dangers of genetically engineered food, this is the book you need. And if you want to make safe food choices for your family, this is the book you should buy." -Cheryl Long, senior editor of Organic Gardening magazine

"I breathed a sigh of relief as I picked up this book. Finally, there's a reliable source of information for consumers on the confusing subject of genetically engineered foods. In clear language, Cummins and Lilliston guide us to greater knowledge...and greater hopefulness. If you only read one book on GE foods, this should be the one." -Peggy O'Mara, editor and publisher, Mothering Magazine

"A fundamental right of consumers is knowing what kind of foods they are purchasing. Genetically engineered foods are taking this right away from consumers. This book helps make the marketplace more democratic, giving consumers the information they need to make choices in buying food for their families. I look forward to seeing this book on every coffee table in America." -Renske van Staveren, national coordinator, Genetic Engineering Action Network, USA

Customer Reviews

A Book that Needed to be Written
I knew instinctively that I was against GE foods, and absolutely in favor of mandatory labeling of GE foods, but I did not know the actual facts behind the argument against GE foods. This book lays out those facts clearly. The authors make no attempt to hide the fact that they are against GE foods, but they do not let their bias get in the way of their reporting of the facts. There's no ranting and raving or kook-talk going on here. True, there are not enough facts to go around on this issue, but what few *independent* studies have been done have produced alarming results. The book also does an excellent job of illustrating how so many other countries around the world have absolutely rejected GE foods. The costs paid by the American farmer are also discussed. And there is a ton of consumer-related info. If you eat food, you need this book.

I wish there was more information......
As far as it goes, GENTICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS is an excellent book. My only complaint is that the research to date on this topic is pathetic. Of course this is exactly what Ronnie Cummings says. For whatever reason, the Clinton administration and the current administration don't seem to be overly concerned about what is happening to our food supply. The amazing thing is that most GMOs hit the market in the past 10 years. If you weren't paying attention in the 1990s, you need to know that you probably were not alone. The bottom line is that the food you are eating today is not what we ate as recently as 15 years ago.

We all heard about the Monarch butterflies and the bovine growth hormone, but most of us had no idea just how many organisms--plants and animals--had been altered and were now part of the food chain. Cummins book describes just what we missed and although he writes somewhat provocatively, much of what he has to say is being said by others. In fact, the Monsanto potato has been discussed in many books and articles. Fortunately, big businesses like McDonald's are beginning to pay attention.

Since the government can't or won't act, bringing about a difference will be up to the public. You can vote with your food dollars. Although you may not be ready to go completely organic (you really should for your health's sake) you can at least avoid the worst kinds of foods. The bottom line is that we really don't know what GMOs will do to the human body. I for one am not ready to be an experimental subject and I certainly don't want children to become subjects either. Read this book and act.

A Resourceful Book
This is a wonderful, resourceful book that captured my attention as I read all about genetically engineered food and the companies that deal with them.

I particularly liked the resources found in the back, ranging from the CSA's to listings of Organic Seed Companies. I also appreciated reading about the names of companies that do not produce genetically engineered food. Excellent!