GMO’s and Kids: Why Our Non-GMO Snack is a Healthy Alternative
As parents, it’s only natural to want the very best for your kids, and this includes what you feed them. In fact, we don’t blame you for being especially worried about the quality of foods you give them, since small developing bodies can be more susceptible to negative health outcomes from the things they eat.
With that being said, the Baked Smart Cookie team will take a closer look at the lists of ingredients of your child’s favorite foods and spot the genetically modified organisms, or GMO’s, that may be inside them. Here’s a basic overview of what we mean by GMO foods and how they can potentially affect you and your kids.
What’s a GMO?
First, let’s go over what exactly GMO means. A GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) is the result of a laboratory process that takes genes from one species and inserts them into another in attempts to get a desired trait or characteristic.
Traits Added to GMO Foods
- Foods can be altered to become herbicide tolerant crops, allowing farmers to spray weed killers directly on the crop without killing it.
- They can also be altered to become pesticide-producing crops, where the plant makes its own internal pesticide.
- On top of that, foods can be altered for desirable traits, such as not bruising or turning brown.
The Most Common GMO Foods to Look Out for
- Soy, canola, sugar beets, corn, Hawaiian papaya, milk, zucchini and yellow squash.
- Oils from soy protein, soy lecithin, cornstarch, corn syrup, and high fructose corn syrup.
- At least 80% of all products on supermarket shelves have GMO ingredients. Be sure to inspect the list of ingredients on what you purchase.
Why GMO Foods Are a Potential Risk for Children
The worst part of it all is that when it comes to GMO’s, there’s a lot of ambiguity.
While the U.S. government has deemed GMO Foods as safe to consume, 19 other countries have banned or enabled serious restrictions on GMO’s and the pesticides that coincide with them, and the list of countries that are banning GMO’s continues to grow.
In fact, children are at far greater risk from GMO foods because:
- GMO effects can take place at a rapid pace in fast-growing and developing bodies.
- GMOs may cause children to be more susceptible to allergies and nutritional/digestive issues.
- Kids are prone to problems with milk.
- Risks linked to antibiotic resistant diseases.
A 2002 report from the UK’s Royal Society, stated that genetic modification could result in unforeseen harmful changes in the nutritional state of foods. This means GMO foods might not hold the same nutritional value as their non-GMO counterparts. GM corn is specifically problematic for your little one as they typically tend to eat a higher percentage of corn in their diet.
Another top concern brought to our attention is milk and the recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), which is a genetically engineered hormone used to increase milk production in cows.
Milk and other dairy products from cows treated with rBGH have a higher amount of the hormone IGF-1, one of the greatest risk factors linked with breast cancer and prostate cancer.
As if that isn’t worrisome enough, Sam Epstein, M.D., Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, said, “rBGH and its digested products could be absorbed from milk into blood, particularly in infants, and develop hormonal and allergic effects.”
Additionally, children who are prone to infections may be seriously impacted if antibiotics lose their potency because of antibiotic-resistant genes in GMO foods and the overuse of antibiotics in rbGH treated cows
What Can Concerned Moms and Dads Do?
To help prevent your kids from eating GMOs, you can:
- Read labels and avoid purchasing processed food products that have corn, soy, canola, and vegetable oil.
- Look for the NON-GMO Project Label.
- Buy USDA organic foods whenever possible.
- Snack on our healthy and delicious non-GMO Baked Smart Cookie!
We understand how important it is to know what’s in the foods you give your munchkins, and that’s why we came up with this tasty, chocolatey, nutrient-rich cookie. Not only are our cookies satisfying, but they’re also certified USDA organic and completely free of GMO’s!
Treat your kid to a fun, healthy, and yummy snack free of GMO’s: Baked Smart Cookie!
