Avoiding GMO Apples, Potatoes & Tomatoes?

Hi everyone,
I'm looking to avoid feeding my family GMO apples, potatoes, tomatoes, & sweet potatoes (if there are GMO varieties of the latter on the market). I've visited the FDA, EPA, & USDA websites. They list the names & manufacturers of the various GMO foods. However, they provide neither scientific names nor pictures of the foods. So, when I go to the grocery store I can't tell whether a given potato, etc. is GMO or not..  Does anyone know where or how I might find pictures of the GMOs so I can avoid them when shopping?

Have you got any growing space? potatoes non organic are questionable anyway....

Angelika Maier wrote:potatoes non organic are questionable anyway....

I was aware of the occasional use of roundup to kill potato tops for easier mechanical harvest.  Are there other issues with non-organic potatoes?

N Thomas wrote:Hi everyone,
I'm looking to avoid feeding my family GMO apples, potatoes, tomatoes, & sweet potatoes (if there are GMO varieties of the latter on the market). I've visited the FDA, EPA, & USDA websites. They list the names & manufacturers of the various GMO foods. However, they provide neither scientific names nor pictures of the foods. So, when I go to the grocery store I can't tell whether a given potato, etc. is GMO or not..  Does anyone know where or how I might find pictures of the GMOs so I can avoid them when shopping?

So, first of all, it's my understanding that there are currently no GMO potatoes or tomatoes on the market and the first GMO apple is coming out soon, though.  There were experiments with GMO tomatoes and they did not taste very great so consumers were not buying them...  With the first experiments with GMO potatoes I think they turned out to be poisonous or for industrial use only.  The apples that are coming out are engineered to resist browning after they are cut and are called "Arctic" or something like that.  

I am currently writing a book called, "How to Eat More Organically, Sustainably and non-GMO (on a budget)," and just wrote the rough draft of the chapter that talks about how to make wise choices if you can't source or afford everything organic (or grow it.)  

The MOST IMPORTANT factor to us is the pesticide loads in commercially grown foods.  Based on this info (yearly tests are made) we definitely never eat conventionally grown apples or potatoes or tomatoes.  We just do without if none are available.  

Pound for pound, conventionally grown potatoes contain the heaviest pesticide loads, overall of any fruit or vegetable. “According to the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program, 37 different pesticides have been found on conventional potatoes: 7  carcinogens, 12 hormone disruptors, 9 neurotoxins,  6 reproductive toxins.”  

 http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=PO

Here's the list of common produce by pesticide load and they have recently updated to indicate GMO items too: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list.php

Sometimes we DO buy conventional pineapple, asparagus, avocados, mangoes, kiwi and eggplant.  But aLL foods like rice, beans and corn masa (that we use to make tortillas) that we eat in larger quantities we always source organically.

Angelika Maier wrote:Have you got any growing space? potatoes non organic are questionable anyway....

We're in a city so our space is limited. What we do manage to grow is often stolen by passers by

dawn shears wrote:

N Thomas wrote:Hi everyone,
I'm looking to avoid feeding my family GMO apples, potatoes, tomatoes, & sweet potatoes (if there are GMO varieties of the latter on the market). I've visited the FDA, EPA, & USDA websites. They list the names & manufacturers of the various GMO foods. However, they provide neither scientific names nor pictures of the foods. So, when I go to the grocery store I can't tell whether a given potato, etc. is GMO or not..  Does anyone know where or how I might find pictures of the GMOs so I can avoid them when shopping?

So, first of all, it's my understanding that there are currently no GMO potatoes or tomatoes on the market and the first GMO apple is coming out soon, though.  There were experiments with GMO tomatoes and they did not taste very great so consumers were not buying them...  With the first experiments with GMO potatoes I think they turned out to be poisonous or for industrial use only.  The apples that are coming out are engineered to resist browning after they are cut and are called "Arctic" or something like that.  

I am currently writing a book called, "How to Eat More Organically, Sustainably and non-GMO (on a budget)," and just wrote the rough draft of the chapter that talks about how to make wise choices if you can't source or afford everything organic (or grow it.)  

The MOST IMPORTANT factor to us is the pesticide loads in commercially grown foods.  Based on this info (yearly tests are made) we definitely never eat conventionally grown apples or potatoes or tomatoes.  We just do without if none are available.  

Pound for pound, conventionally grown potatoes contain the heaviest pesticide loads, overall of any fruit or vegetable. “According to the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program, 37 different pesticides have been found on conventional potatoes: 7  carcinogens, 12 hormone disruptors, 9 neurotoxins,  6 reproductive toxins.”  

 http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=PO

Here's the list of common produce by pesticide load and they have recently updated to indicate GMO items too: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list.php

Sometimes we DO buy conventional pineapple, asparagus, avocados, mangoes, kiwi and eggplant.  But aLL foods like rice, beans and corn masa (that we use to make tortillas) that we eat in larger quantities we always source organically.

Hi Dawn,
Thanks for a detailed & thoughtful response. According to the 2014 Environmental Working Group list, nothing on my list is a GMO. However, there may be serious issues with pesticides, herbicides, etc.

@N Thomas:  "We're in a city so our space is limited. "

Does your grocer or city have vendors that supply certified organic produce?  This will by default be as GMO-free as anything at the grocer can be:  https://gmo-awareness.com/2011/05/05/is-organic-always-gmo-free/

I don't have too much to add to this discussion but I can confirm what Dawn said about the apples. There are several varieties of "Artic" apple. They will most likely be sold presliced since they don't brown when exposed to the air.

https://www.google.ca/amp/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2017/1/19/14321944/gmo-non-browning-apples-on-sale-us-arctic

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Apples

N Thomas wrote:Hi everyone,
I'm looking to avoid feeding my family GMO apples, potatoes, tomatoes, & sweet potatoes (if there are GMO varieties of the latter on the market). I've visited the FDA, EPA, & USDA websites. They list the names & manufacturers of the various GMO foods. However, they provide neither scientific names nor pictures of the foods. So, when I go to the grocery store I can't tell whether a given potato, etc. is GMO or not..  Does anyone know where or how I might find pictures of the GMOs so I can avoid them when shopping?

SO far none of the produce mentioned has been genetically engineered. The apple has been undergoing some hybridization for the flesh to not brown but mostly these trials are proving to be less appetizing than other varieties so may be scrapped soon.

As far as I can determine, the easiest way to not get any GMO produce is any health food store. Keep in mind that only the "sweet corns" are in this healthy category, soy products will not be in the non-gmo category along with most rice.

Fruits, so far are clear and free as are most all vegetables.   I have not found any potatoes that would be in the corn/ soybean/ rice arena.

Redhawk

My first mantra when it comes to food is..grow your own. Second...know thy farmer, fisherman, hunter, forager. Third....eat organic or better. But even organic foods can contain assorted chemicals I personally don't wish to eat.

If your interested about how contaminated your food might be, be it conventional or organic, check this website. I cannot vouch for their accuracy, but it gets one thinking, for sure.    www.whatsonmyfood.org

If you buy organic, they aren't GMO.  Sometimes, Roundup is put on non-GMO products to dry them out quickly.
There are GMO Arctic apples, but currently only that variety.
Many papayas are GMO, and should be considered so unless specifically labeled non-GMO or organic.  The Maradol Papaya from Mexico is not GMO, but it may not be organic.  Most papaya from Hawaii is GMO.
Many zuchinnis are GMO.  
In the US, produce doesn't require a label if it's GMO.  
GMO means a gene was artificially spliced into the plant, such as putting a fish gene into a peach.  THis would never occur in nature.

That is not the same as natural hybridization, which does occur between species, and breeding, which consists of intentionally mixing pollen of the same species by humans.
John S
PDX OR

We left this thread open as the emphasis was supposed to be on how to avoid GMO products, but it's gradually deteriorating into discussion of GMO itself, and pesticides, and stuff that either belongs in the cider press or on another forum completely.  I've removed several posts since this thread was started, and I seem to be having to remove them more frequently, so I'm locking it now.