GMO and soy?

anmllwyr

Hi all.

I am a vegetarian...have been for about 15 years.  So naturally, I eat quite a bit of soy.  However, my husband and I watched Food, Inc. last night, and now I'm concerned about GMO and Monsanto with regard to soy bean production.  I was hoping some of you might be able to answer a few questions for me.

First, is it safe to say that organic soy is not from Monsanto and is not GMO?  Or is that an incorrect assumption.

Second, if it's not safe to say that, how the heck to I find soy products that are not supporting this horrible company or the GMO process?  I'm trying really hard to eat as organically and naturally as possible, but there's no way I can give up soy milk.  I eat tofu as well, although not terribly often.  I also eat edamame, and I'm sure there is soy in a lot of my other mock meat products.  Any help or info would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!  and happy new year!

kass11

I am not well seasoned in the soy department however the organic tofu I bought last week said right on the package that it was non-GMO.

mandapanda18

organic just measn that it isn't grown with pesticides or chemicals of any kind, it has nothing to do with items that may have been genetically modified to withstand the elements without the use of chemicals.  Your best bet is to look for items that have been labeled non-gmo, you can find these items at local farmers markets, whole foods, trader joes, etc, and sometime in the specialty foods isle of you regular super market.

azcatsfan

mandapanda18:

organic just measn that it isn't grown with pesticides or chemicals of any kind, it has nothing to do with items that may have been genetically modified to withstand the elements without the use of chemicals.  Your best bet is to look for items that have been labeled non-gmo, you can find these items at local farmers markets, whole foods, trader joes, etc, and sometime in the specialty foods isle of you regular super market.

Current organic regulations (including through the USDA) require that all ingredients be non-GMO. "100% organic" means that all ingredients are organic and non-GMO. "Organic" means that 95% are organic, but all ingredients are still non-GMO. "Made with organic ____" means that at least 70% is organic and the remaining 30% are still non-GMO.

anmllwyr

Azcatsfan, that was extremely helpful!  Thank you!!  I know that the soy bean seeds that Monsanto sells to farmers are genetically modified to resist certain pesticides, so I figure that organic would basically mean not from Monsanto.  It's great to know that it also means non-GMO generally.  Thanks again!

SuperGreen

mandapanda18:

organic just measn that it isn't grown with pesticides or chemicals of any kind, it has nothing to do with items that may have been genetically modified to withstand the elements without the use of chemicals.

This is not correct.  If it's certified organic, meaning it has the USDA Organic seal, then it is not GMO.  Even products that say "made with organic ingredients" are not GMO. For example, "made with organic ingredients" means 70% of the product must be organic, but 100% are non-GMO.  I carry a non-GMO guide in my purse, e-mail me at elaine dot dubin at gmail dot com if you'd like one.

JewelsEF

I watched Food Inc.  a few weeks ago. ( I was relieved I was a vegetarian when I watched them clean the meat filler with Ammonia..ewww).   I think the biggest thing is trying to eat mostly organic and non-processed foods. If you look at vegetarian options in the store that are processed and that are not organic, that is where you will see the soy fillers. Soy is in many non organic processed snack foods too.  

Dh and I try to focus our diet on whole grains, fresh vegetables and non-processed foods, and organic of course.