October has been “Non-GMO Month” at Ellwoods and the store has had various activities to increase customers’ awareness about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and their impact on our food supply. A highlight of the month was a panel discussion on “The Pros & Cons of GMO Labellng” in our popular community room. It was a passionate and intense evening as representatives from both viewpoints argued their case FOR labeling food products with GMOs and AGAINST such labeling.
As its Food Advocate, I worked closely with the management of Ellwood Thompon’s to create a policy to eliminate products and produce containing GMO from our shelves, as part of Ellwood Thompson’s standards for its customers. Take a moment to review our standards. We always welcome customer input.
In my opinion, the best concise summary of both sides of the GMO issue was done by Bill Nye “The Science Guy” in November of last year. If you have less than 30 minutes, Bill does a great job in explaining the major arguments on both sides, as well as his conclusions on the subject. You can see his video piece on the GMO controversy on YouTube.
Finally, are you uncertain if you are buying products containing GMO or supporting GMO manufacturers with your product purchases? There is a smartphone app for the iPhone and Android phones call Buycott. Among its many social causes, Buycott has an app that will let you scan products to determine if it contains GMO or is owned by a GMO manufacturer.
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Your comments and suggestions are always welcomed. KS
Kirk Schroder / Food Advocate / foodadvocate@ellwoodthompsons.com