A Complete Part of a Genetically Modified Breakfast
While I'm on the topic of companies not fully disclosing to consumers the contents of their products, here's a little item about my favorite breakfast cereal.

After we moved to Brooklyn, my husband and I joined the Park Slope Food Co-Op. In order to get the fabulous deals on their organically grown produce (and much more!) you have to work a four-hour shift every four weeks and put up with a few members who are still hoping communism, or at least a hearty form of socialism, will make a comeback. Most everything in the store has been vetted by a committee to make sure it's free-range enough, or minimally-treated, and that working wages have been paid to the manufacturers' employees and whatnot. But there are still some items in dispute. You should have seen the recent newsletter flap over the sale of foie gras.

Anyhow, there is a genetic foods committee which has been working to try to find out which foods contain genetically modified ingredients so that they can at least label the shelves in the store so shoppers know what they're buying. One of the first items tagged was Cheerios, my standby cereal for the past three decades.

So I fired off an e-mail in September to General Mills, the maker of the morning O's.

Me: Are Cheerios genetically modified?


Them: Thank you for recent inquiry regarding General Mills' position on the use of ingredients that have been modified through biotechnology.

First and foremost, all food must be safe. It is not only the law, but also an issue of ultimate importance to all food manufacturers. Second, the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency have all concluded that food using ingredients from biotechnologically-improved crops is completely safe and no different in any meaningful way from other food. For that reason, the FDA does not require special labeling for it. However, if food has been significantly altered in composition or nutrient content, or if biotechnology introduces allergens into food, special labeling is required. None of our products requires special labeling. Accordingly, we do not test them for the presence of this material.

Because of the growing use of biotechnology by farmers and the way that grain gets commingled in storage and shipment, it's certainly possible that some of our products may contain ingredients that have been improved through biotechnology. We can assure you, though, that every major regulatory agency, as well as independent scientific groups like the American Medical Association, has concluded that these ingredients are safe. For more information, you may wish to visit The Alliance for Better Foods website at www.betterfoods.org.

General Mills also believes in providing consumers with a variety of food options. Toward that end, we do offer organic products that, by definition, do not use ingredients that have been improved through biotechnology. Please look for organic Gold Medal flour and a wide range of products from our Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen brands. To get more information about our organic products, please visit us at www.smallplanetfoods.com.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact us.

So my question is, if they're so certain that genetically modified foods are safe, what's wrong with saying: Yes, they are modified to some extent, but we think that's OK.
- posted by Amy @ 7/08/2003 12:14:00 PM