It's not always easy to tell if your popcorn contains modified corn.
Corn is modified for a number of reasons. Genetically modified corn grows faster, lasts longer and is more resistant to disease. Although genetically modified food has not been shown to have any adverse effects, many people would rather play it safe. Unmodified or organic popcorn sometimes costs more but does not contain any modified food strains. If you follow a few simple steps, you can ensure that the popcorn you and your family are eating was not made from modified corn. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Visit a website with a comprehensive listing of genetically modified food brands such as the one at True Food Network (http://www.truefoodnow.files.wordpress.com). Check the listing to see which companies use genetically modified corn and which don't.
2. Check the packaging of the popcorn. Most organic and unmodified food will advertise the fact with labels such as "100% Organic." Avoid unclear labels such as "All Natural" that do not necessarily indicate the food is free from genetically modified food strains. Laws in North America prevent deceptive advertising. Ambiguous terms such as "All Natural" do not tell you anything about the content of the food.
3. Visit online retailers that sell organic popcorn, such as Eden Organic, Passion Popcorn or Neal Brothers Foods (see Resources).
4. Buy food at local farmer's markets. These markets are a great place to find organic food, although not all food found at farmer's markets is unmodified. You can sometimes find popcorn sold in bulk at these markets.
5. Shop at health food stores or grocery stores that sell only organic food. Many stores have a policy of selling unmodified food and advertise this policy. If you're not sure, ask the manager. Green People (http://www.greenpeople.org) has a comprehensive listing of almost 3,500 organic food stores across the United States and Canada.
Tags: modified corn, modified food, genetically modified, genetically modified food, organic food, comprehensive listing, farmer markets