As more and more of us focus on healthy lifestyles and locally sourced ingredients, the public outcry for non GMO foods gets louder. Of course, we’d all love to have a great garden planted with heirloom seeds, but that’s not always possible. Fortunately, the resources for shopping and avoiding GMO products are growing. Check out our new favorite site: www.nongmoshoppingguide.com. If you’re out at the market and need an easy method for checking the items in your cart, consider downloading one of the phone apps that allow you to scan the bar code of each item.

The need for organic food and resources has become urgent as the number of GMO tainted foods grows. According to The Non GMO Project the list of questionable produce and processed items now includes:

High-Risk Crops (in commercial production; ingredients derived from these must be tested every time prior to use in Non-GMO Project Verified products (as of December 2011):

• Alfalfa (first planting 2011)
• Canola (approx. 90% of U.S. crop)
• Corn (approx. 88% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Cotton (approx. 90% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Papaya (most of Hawaiian crop; approximately 988 acres)
• Soy (approx. 94% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Sugar Beets (approx. 95% of U.S. crop in 2010)
• Zucchini/Yellow Squash (approx. 25,000 acres)

Also high-risk: animal products (milk, meat, eggs, honey, etc.) because of contamination in feed.

Monitored Crops (those for which suspected or known incidents of contamination have occurred, and those crops which have genetically modified relatives in commercial production with which cross-pollination is possible; we test regularly to assess risk, and move to “High-Risk” category for ongoing testing if we see contamination):

Beta vulgaris (e.g., chard, table beets) Brassica napa (e.g., rutabaga, Siberian kale) Brassica rapa (e.g., bok choy, mizuna, Chinese cabbage, turnip, rapini, tatsoi) Curcubita (acorn squash, delicata squash, patty pan) Flax Rice Wheat

On the Non GMO Shopping Guide you’ll find tips for buying organic goods, a downloadable guide, and a link for the phone app. Check out the website and take a moment to look at the sponsors, all organic companies. Supporting organic companies is the best way to say, “Thank You,” and keep the good food available.