What’s Being Done to Our Food?
If you’ve watched Food INC., you’ll know that it is mentioned that lettuce and tomatoes last, virtually forever, on grocery store shelves. Seeds of these plants have been genetically modified to produce a product that pleases the consumer: one that won’t go rotten. I recently complained about my organic potatoes sprouting just one day after bringing them home, until I remembered this video and stopped complaining. It also reinforced my efforts in the October Unprocessed Challenge going on with eatingRules.
If you don’t know too much about GMO’s (genetically modified organisms), I encourage you to read up on the facts at Non GMO Project, “a non-profit organization, [that] offers North America’s only third party verification and labeling for non-GMO food and products.” Another great resource is Just Label It , which is an informative site and “legal petition calling for the mandatory labeling of GE foods.”
Why should we care so much? Think about it like this: we humans are part of a big food chain. What we eat affects us, affects our offspring, and affects our environment. If the food that is grown has been transformed from its original state, how can insects, bees, other plants and other animals (including humans!) recognize it as something natural? How will our bodies know what to do with a tomato that’s not-really-a-tomato?
After participating in a Twitter party where Non GMO Project was hangin’ out too, I learned more scary facts on GMO’s and our food. Coincidentally, that night I was cleaning out my refrigerator and realized I’ve had an head of (non-organic) iceberg lettuce in my fridge for MONTHS. I felt compelled to share it with you:
Since I can’t prove when I bought the lettuce, I’m just going to document it from here on out. I’m amazed and frightened by what’s being done to food.
Do you have anything sitting in your fridge that’s been there too long? Do you buy only organic?
I too am very concerned about this issue. We buy organic to avoid issues like this, but of course occasionally eat out or at a friend’s house with non-organic foods. It’s frightening that our produce is undergoing science experiments. When it comes to the safety and health of my family, I don’t want them to be the guinea pig! PS Your too cute! 🙂
Thanks, Sarah! My first vlog post and I could have done my hair and makeup! However, I was so shocked to find that lettuce in such a preserved state, so to speak, that I wanted to talk about it right away!
I have to admit that I love iceberg lettuce with spicier foods. 🙂 Scary that it lasts so long though. Great post & experiment!
i try to buy what I can organic, but not everything is available. kind of scary, but hard to avoid at times.
It is hard to avoid sometimes. Although, not all non-organics contain GMO’s; this is why the push for labeling is important. We have a right to know!
Totally agree, as always! I don’t think I’ve even had iceberg in my fridge that long but I know if have pulled something out and said the same thing. WTF? How on Earth is this still good?? yikes!
I realized I had gotten to the point that I just expected things to last forever and actually got made when that darn homemade ranch only lasted… hmm a week? Shame on me 🙂
That’s the thing, isn’t it? We get used to things lasting forever, when that is exactly the OPPOSITE of how the world works!
Wow, that’s scary. You think you are eating healthy by buying fruits and vegetables but then they have been modified! We can’t afford to buy organic (it is 3-4 times as much money here and the store has a very small selection). I do try to grow my own food in the summer as much as possible though.
Growing your own is definitely the best option, even if it isn’t “certified organic!”