When I told a friend recently that my next post was going to be on avoiding genetically modified organisms (GMOs) at restaurants, he responded “good f*&*ing luck!”…It’s nearly impossible to avoid GMOs if you are eating out and the reaction from my friend illustrates exactly how dire the situation has become here in America.
Considering I only found two restaurants in my hometown of Charlotte, NC that are 100% GMO free, I thought it would be prudent to share the best tips to minimize your exposure to GMOs when eating out, especially until the government listens to the overwhelming majority of us and puts labels on GMOs.
How to avoid consuming GMO’s when eating out:
- Unless labeled or listed organic (or from a reputable local farm the restaurant can verify doesn’t use GMO seeds or feed), I suggest avoiding these 8 genetically modified (GM) foods when dining out:
- Corn
- Soy
- Sugar (beet sugar – i.e. refined sugar)
- Papayas (from Hawaii)
- Canola
- Cotton (cottonseed oil)
- Dairy (conventional American cow’s milk and cheese)
- Zucchini/Yellow Squash
- Conventional Meat (They are fed GM corn & soy)
- GM corn, soy and canola oil are the cheapest for restaurants to purchase. Ask your server about the oils they use to make your food – this is where GMOs are hidden in almost everything from salad dressings to soups to pan or deep fried items.
- Know the exceptions: Ask if the cheese is imported. A cheese from France means you are safe from rbGH – genetically engineered growth hormone and genetically modified ingredients, as this country has banned GMOs all together.
- Look out for these hidden GM ingredients: Amino Acids, Aspartame, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbate, Vitamin C, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Flavorings (“natural” and “artificial”), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrins, Molasses, Monosodium Glutamate, Sucrose, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Xanthan Gum, Vitamins, Yeast Products.
- Unless the sugar they use to make desserts is 100% pure cane, it’s likely from GM sugar beets
- Consider having the Non-GMO Shopping Guide in your purse or pocket that has a list of GM ingredients that you want to avoid and give it to your waiter or even call ahead. If more people did this, maybe restaurants would start to pay more attention to the products they buy.
Since it’s a serious feat to avoid genetically modified foods, I investigated all of my favorite restaurants here in Charlotte and of course I found GMOs being used at almost every single one. There were only two eateries that were 100% clean of GMO’s – Luna’s Living Kitchen, and Viva Raw.
As I was echoed in the NY Times this week – Luna’s Living Kitchen is one of my favorite restaurants – it’s the most truly organic place in Charlotte and if you are visiting in town this week for the Democratic National Convention (DNC), having breakfast there is a must. My favorite option is the organic coconut milk iced coffee (the ice cubes are handily made from coffee, so your caffeine buzz doesn’t get watered down) and the raw bagel with cashew cream cheese pictured below. They also have a coconut yogurt parfait that is to die for if you are looking for something sweet to start your day.
Viva Raw which is located in 7th Street Public Market is not an actual restaurant, however they do have an awesome bar you can sit at and sip their fresh local and organic pressed juice. They also sell some pretty incredible raw snacks that are free of genetically modified ingredients. You can definitely get your fill of nutrients here and it’s a place I’ve been frequenting a lot lately. For me the “Pure Green” juice and their Goji Berry Granola make a really terrific meal on the go. This week they are running a special menu item in honor of the DNC that I am dying to try – it’s called the “Barackly” named after President Obama. It’s got broccoli, cucumber, apple, green pepper, celery, onion, lemon, rosemary, garlic, and jalapeño. What a combo of ingredients, right?!
There are two places, also in 7th Street Public Market that deserve an honorable mention, as they are ALMOST GMO free.
The local and mostly organic Pure Pizza is INCREDIBLE. I usually make my own pizza on their sprouted grain crust (they have a gluten free one too), leave off the cheese, add all their fresh farm veggies, then add lots of their green palermo sauce and arugula on top. After I wrote about them using a soy based oil on the bottom of their dough – they changed it to pure olive oil! It was the only ingredient on their vegetarian menu that wasn’t GMO free. Now I can go there on #GMOfreeFriday in pure bliss!
Not Just Coffee is hands down the cleanest place to get a cup of organic coffee in Charlotte. They use homeland creamery for their milk which I wasn’t able to verify if the soy/corn feed they mix with the hay & grass to feed the cows was GM or not. They also have almond milk available which I LOVE. Their coffee presentation is so beautiful – you don’t want to drink it right away – but stare in awe instead!
In the meantime, I’ve got a busy week ahead here in Charlotte. As I mentioned, the DNC is in town and I’m not just partying. I am an elected delegate to the convention representing the 12th Congressional District of North Carolina. I plan on spending every waking moment talking to the political leaders who influence food policy here in America – especially Secretary Tom Vilsack, the head of the USDA. I’ll be tweeting real time updates all week and reporting back here when the week is over.
I thought it would be fun to share the menu and pics from the biggest party in town last night below. The DNC welcomed the media (and special guests like me) with a ridiculous amount of choices from several restaurants in Charlotte…which I didn’t even have time to taste, because I was incredibly pre-occupied with one goal in mind: Labeling GMOs.
Cheers!
Food Babe
9/20 Update: To find out what happened at the DNC (protesting in front of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack) – check this post for a play by play.
Earlier this week, I asked CNN on Twitter if they were serving GM corn at the mexican restaurant turned “CNN Grill”…they sadly didn’t respond.
I caught up with the Mayor of Charlotte – Anthony Foxx. I’ve known him since 2006, and served with him as a delegate in 2008 in Denver. What he has brought to Charlotte in just 3 years of being Mayor has been incredible.
great post! I’ve started doing my own research on local restaurants in my area that serve organic food. Its been tough!
How do you do that? Just call them and ask for ingredients? Or ask if there are any GMO foods? I wouldn’t know where to start.
I wouldn’t know where to start either!
While on vacation to visit my husband’s brother in the Wilmington, NC area next week, 2 of our favorite places to eat are The Bridge Tender & The Oceanic. We also are thinking about making a treat stop at Boombalatti’s, which is supposed to be an ORGANIC homemade ice cream place.
So, how do we find out if the food at these places is really “REAL FOOD” & SAFE to eat? (We like to enjoy the local sea food when we’re in the area, btw.)
I am worried about you as you serve a long duty of a ‘DNC Dalegate’ at the DNC convention next week. How are you going to keep up with your eating habits inside the stadium? You are not allowed to take any food cooked, or raw inside.
Love
Mom
This is so cute 🙂
This definitely made me smile! But thank you once again , Vani, for the useful information!
http://www.infowars.com/blatant-corruption-exposed-as-eu-blocks-frances-ban-on-monsantos-gmo-maize/
Thanks for fighting the fight. I am sickened by what I read including the article I included here. Seems like the EU wants to force France to lift the GMO ban on Maize. Words cannot describe how all of this makes me feel!
As a foodie in Austria I am not concerned about this! People in Europe are more serious about their food… not as much as I wish! But more serious. Petitions to stop Monstanto from invading are going wild all over Europe and we will protest and do whatever we have to do to not let this happen. I have been a part of protests before and if enough people gather- they always work. The politicians work for us after all!
You should questioned why Obama appointed Michael R. Taylor to the FDA…….
Exactly. I was going to ask why a raw, non-GMO food establishment would name a juice after a man who appointed Michael R. Taylor to one of the highest positions in the FDA.
Nice job, keep it up. We use safflower, sesame, and EV olive oils at the Inn Season Cafe.
I noticed you listed zucchini and squash….Would that also apply to any fresh produce not listed as organic at the grocery store? We eat tons of asparagus and zucchini and I definitely want to avoid GMOs any way possible
Yes – if it’s not organic, it could be GM. You can also look for the number “9” at the beginning of the UPC label to indicate it is organic. Good Luck!
Why did Obama promise to label GMO food in 2007 and to date, has not acted on his campaign promise? Why has Obama appointed Michael Taylor (a former Monsanto VP) to be our food czar ???? Why is Obama in bed with Monsanto and Dow ??????
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqaaB6NE1TI
exactly! I kept thinking as I am reading all Food Babe’s blogs, “Why is she so passionate about a political figure who lies?” Do you honestly think he is going to help your (our) cause? He chooses to lie and not keep this important promise for his own political purposes. I admire Food Babe’s tenacity and hope it gets labeling laws changed, but it just bewilders me how she can be 100 percent behind a president who lies. If he were someone I admired, I could not in good conscience vote for the guy!!!
I am wondering that too. He just signed a bill that allowed Monsato not to label their foods? Isn’t that what just happened?
I agree. I just found this out recently and am so disgusted that no one seems to care. They must not want to admit their mistake since they voted for him.
Please address this issue foodbabe.
Wondering the same thing…
I live in Pa. And eat a lot of veggies and fruits that the Amish farmers bring to town every weekend. Dodo you think they are GMO free?.
9 is fine
4’s a bore
8 i hate
a way to remember your codes on produce:)
AND/OR 5 numbers is Organic and 4 numbers Is NOT (produce)
Actually the phrase “yes if it’s not organic, it could be gm” is not ture, the only commercially available gm fruits and vegetables are papaya and a few squash varieties. However it wouldn’t matter even if there were more, since study after study shows that gm foods are perfectly safe. There are over 600 studies, you can peruse them yourself at biofortified.org in the Genera database.
Beth,
Those ‘600 studies’ are a random collection on the general topic. They don’t demonstrate GM food safety whatsoever. You need to get in there and read what they actually say – I’m writing a brief summary on each of them, beginning with this intro… http://madeleinelove.newsvine.com/_news/2013/09/18/20568345-my-great-big-list-of-studies-intro
Thanks for the great post! We stopped eating out over a year ago. We do not have anything close to organic or gmo free in our area 🙁
I live in Charlotte, and was wondering what you knew about the restaurant Harvest Moon. I always figured this to be a very healthy restaurant…. do you know if they use GMOs? Thanks!
Yes – they certainly do.
You need to answer everyone’s responses not just the warm and fuzzy ones. I hope you challenge your peers and ask them them the questions regarding Gmos. You realize you look like a big hypocrite with the current Obama stance on GMOs. Please speak up since you are in a den of wolves…
I can vouch for the anti-fertility effects of GMO laden foods. I struggled with difficulties trying to conceive and then had an extremely complicated pregnancy that resulted in near death on my part and my baby’s. Despite appearing exceptionally healthy on the outside and exercising regularly, the pregnancy was rough from the get go with extreme illness, inability to function or get off the couch, foaming at the mouth and ultimately liver failure and kidney failure! Hey those are my filter organs and I was just 34 – why did they fail me? Why indeed?
After 3 years of recurring miscarriages after my 1st born, I found a health practitioner who was tuned in to real foods and coached me to better health. My health improved and I went from the heartbreak of miscarriages and secondary infertility to fertile myrtle! I’ll never forget being perplexed in the beginning. “It’s just Chick-fila” I explained as I detailed my extreme illness after eating it. As in what could possibly be wrong with that?! GMO canola oils for sure, and probably MSG, etc too. Awakening to the restorative and healing powers of real food is a slow journey for most myself included. Very grateful to have 3 healthy kids today. There was a time when I felt certain that was very unlikely. No assisted reproductive technologies used either. Primarily diet changes & accupuncture.
Wow… thank you for sharing this story with us Beth. Happy to hear you are well and healed yourself naturally.
Thank YOU so much for sharing that with us. This is the kind of stories, personal experances we need to show the big GMO companies proof what they are doing IS Harmful and not only do they need to stop what they are doing But they need to be HELD ACCOUNTABLE !!!
Dare I say “weapons of mass destruction”
Wow! I wonder if that’s what’s wrong with me? I live in W. PA, have had an ectopic pregnancy & a miscarriage, & early stage breast cancer (which we caught early & got rid of). I’m afraid to even try to get pregnant again (don’t want the hormones to create another “problem”), & being mid-30’s & an only child, that’s very depressing.
I try to eat healthy, but know nothing about the hidden GMO’s in our usual food. I’ve been trying to buy more organic stuff over the last year, but it can be very difficult to find at times…. Plus, it’s so much more expensive & my husband makes fun of me & complains about our budget…. (Of course, we also now have to deal with dr. bills every month to pay off appointments, etc….) He’s over-weight (around the gut), though I’m not, but I’ve had the previously mentioned medical problems…. He’s tried to lose weight, but can’t seem to make it budge, even though he’s tried to cut back on “junk food” & goes to the gym at work almost every day for over a year….
I really have to wonder how much pesticide & other harmful chemicals are in our food, whether we buy it at a grocery store or we buy it at some sort of a restaurant…. My husband quit packing his lunches & has been eating out for lunch for at least 3 years, possibly longer, because he has gotten tired of what he might pack (sandwiches of different types, plus a piece of fruit or veggies not as a salad)…. Places he eats might be at Subway or Wendy’s, or at a local place that has sushi; sometimes he gets salads, & sometimes he gets sandwiches. He loves sushi. Once a week at work they also order Chinese food (I cringe at that one because of the sauces, even though he often orders chicken & broccoli rather than General Tso’s).
Sorry this comment has gotten a bit long-winded. I guess this post triggered a lot of thoughts….
This a great article Food Babe! We’ll post on our Facebook page (43,000 Fans)…
We’d appreciate if you help us promote this 2 minute video about Monsanto and GMO foods. We vote on GMO labeling on Nov 6 in California and we need to get as much awareness out as possible. The GMO companies have over $25 Million to spend to defeat us. We have a small window of opportunity to educate people before the GMO companies start their spin ads…
Here’s our video, please SHARE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qMh9jJk4fQ
Absolutely – Going to share this now! Awesome informative video. Thank you!
Thanks for posting this! Re: cane sugar, bad news is that I’ve heard Brazil now has GMO cane, but it is primarly being used for biofuel feedstock. Just hope it stays that way! For now, as long as a packet of sugar says, “pure cane sugar” I know I’m safe.
Oh, and molasses! Really?
And finally… very sadly… even the so-called natural food coops seem to have given up the fight. Our local one essentially says it’s up to the consumer to know what has GMOs and what doesn’t. 🙁
This is Phoenix, Arizona; USA Corporate Based Company. We are Raw, Live Whole Foods, supplements and personal 100% Certfied Organic. With the Seal and Most Prestigious designation from the ” Toxic Free Foundation”. Essante Organics contains NO, Wheat, Soy, Gluten, Dairy, Sugars and NON GMO Products. Please get a hold of me and we can speak to the CEO and or President. [email protected] or 7028125344 Cell# Thank You, Van
I have been wary of genetically modified foods from the outset. I think it’s ironic that this article has tied the democratic national convention to GMO’s since it was our very own former VP Al Gore who championed genetically altering our foods in the first place. I remember watching a televised program where he lead the view through all of the “advances” in the food industry and how it would help solve the world’s food problems. I was shocked at the time, because I really liked Al Gore. For a time you could find articles that talked about AG’s involvement with GMO’s but not any more…I guess that’s not surprising.
Yes unfortunately this goes across all party lines, as both parties appear to be lining their pockets with big corporations….food industry…and the oil industry for that matter!!
I am just wondering about whether candidates frome either parties would be discussing and/or debating the issue of GMOs in the food supply along with concrete things to be doing about it. Unfortunately i believe that Vilsek is right in the pocket of Monsanto as i read somewhere that his private jet used in his own campaign in IOWA was subsidized by Monsanto. He is not one to trust on this issue at all!! Most politicians are easily paid off by these huge companies wlling to foot the bills for their individual campaigns…an unfortunate but often true fact. Love that the European countries have virtually all banned GMOs and/or other chemicals prevalent in the American food chain. I am living overseas at the moment and am a bit nervous to be returning to the US within a few years!!
This is why I protested right in front of this man at the DNC. Did you catch this article in the Washington Times yet?
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/5/delegates-front-row-seat-a-bully-pulpit-on-what-we/
No, not the black bean soup at Panera! Say it isn’t so!!
I believe it has hidden MSG too. Sad.
To have an organic juice named after obama is funny. Obama and his Government ARE GMOs.
I believe in organic food, but I was shown this article and I would like to know your view on this it:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-03/organic-food-adds-no-vitamins-for-extra-cost.html
I am not the one asked, but I would like to give an answer anyway. The majority of the comparative studies organic versus conventional food have shown the same result, nutritionally there is no difference between them. Which is actually not surprising at all if you think about plant physiology. Major ingredients (e.g. protein, fat, carbohydrates) are hard to change by growing conditions, and minor ingredients (e.g. vitamins) are much more dependent on the variety, sunshine, temperature, etc. The study is very nice and shows us that some common misconceptions about both organic and conventional food are not true. Conventional food is not loaded with pesticide residues, and organic food is not loaded with harmful microorganisms.
So, if nutritionally, there is no difference between organic and conventional food, is it still worthwhile buying organic? Yes, it is, because of the way the food is produced. The middle-west of the United States is one monoculture of maize with all its associated problems. Tons of pesticides and fertilizers are needed to grow over and over again the same crop. Even worse, we are feeding our cattle with corn instead of grass and high-fructose corn syrup is found in a wide variety of products. Not to mention, hormones and antibiotics used in meat production. The only way to stop this craziness is to stop buying certain foods.
Western Europe is a good example of how powerful consumers can be. I used to work for a larger food company and western Europeans won’t buy food if it is loaded with food additives. Therefore you find food additives only if they are absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, the consumer/general public is so powerful, that often decisions like banning certain GMOs are made on a political and not on a scientific base. Having said that, I am pro-GMO. I am a Food Scientist, plant geneticists, and avid cook. I disagree with most of the articles posted by Foodbabe and would really like to encourage Foodbabe to study her references more properly and look into real scientific literature instead of second-hand pseudo-scientif references. However, I appreciate the effect the “organic food movement” might have on food production in general.
Critical Reader -You are both a completely brainwashed idiot and corporate shill. How about some 3rd party independent studies. You’re no David Suzuki. It’s people like you that should hop in a rocket into the sun for recycling.
I am not a food scientist but had read both the pros and cons (scientific research, not just news articles) and have come to the conclusion that it is not in our best interest of my or my families health, nor is in our environment’s best interest. It’s really just short term profits. But I ask you, why would entire countries ban GMOs if they are as safe as you say? Other countries which are outside the control of our education and political system, their tests are not done or funded by the companies that produce GMO foods and they have concluded opposite of you. Do you think that may be of concern for anyone who is pro-GMO?
A – I just recently answered this on Facebook, did you see it?
You go girl!!! Awesome post! Kick ass at the DNC!
Another awesome post!! Love Lunas!! This is a tad off the GMO topic, but did you happen to see the 60 mins. that aired Sunday night? It was about natural flavors! I have to admit I was kind of on the fence about ” natural flavors”. Well not anymore after seeing this ! If you get a chance look it up and watch it, it totally changed my mind and “natural flavorings” couldn’t be further from the way nature intended!!!
Yes – I saw it when it originally aired last year. Check out this post I wrote about it here – https://foodbabe.com/2011/12/01/chemical-warfare-with-natural-flavor/
Really Great piece on gmo’s and restaurants. Sadly, it is basically impossible to eat out and not be exposed to gmo’s in the oils, the seasonings, the preservatives, the pre-processed ingredients the chefs buy. Everyone should ask your local restaurant owners for non-gmo menu items, if they began to see $$$ in non-gmo menu items, they will carry more. We need to create the market and demand! In the mean time eat at home if you want to be sure!
Excellent post. I’ve been traveling quite a bit and it’s impossible to avoid GMO foods on the road. I always have a headache after the second day for the rest of the trip and this time I came home with cold sores on my tongue. Been a long time since I’ve had those… ugh. At least I know where to eat next time I’m in Charlotte!!! Going to do this for my town of Lexington, KY. Chipotle might be the one place… don’t know where they get their corn for the chips! I’ll report back. Thanks again!
Btw, you can still watch Genetic Roulette for free online for the next couple of days: geneticroutettemovie.com!
WE DEMAND REAL FOOD NOW!!!!
When baking/cooking at home what are your thoughts on Organic canola oil? I also use coconut and olive oils but can you recommend an alternate more neutral oil? Thank you.
Food Babe – Helpful tips – However considering TRANSGENIC BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION HAS REACHED THE EARTH’S WATER SUPPLY, it has become unknown how difficult it is to actually avoid GMOS.
A new study has found antibiotic resistance from GMO plasmids in the microbes from 6 Chinese rivers and have shown resistance to the first-through the fourth-generation of cephalosporin drugs, indicating both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria have been affected by the artificial plasmid vectors (the GMO DNA) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalosporin). Antibiotic resistance in free-living bacteria will have a tremendous effect on the future effectiveness of vaccines.
In short, this is an indication that GMOS have permeated the globe to a unknown extent and the risks are even more unknown. I don’t think there’s any going back from this.
“The antibiotic resistance is not at all the most important point of this paper (even when the authors themselves seem to think it is). Looking for antibiotic resistance was the easiest feasible way to do this work and it also has the obvious medical implications, but this is only a fraction of the many other sequences of transgenic DNA which must be expected out there in the environment, from all kinds of origins, with all kinds of possible functions. This paper is the equivalent of the proverbial sighting of the iceberg’s tip. A polaroid photo of a small part of what must be a very large and relevant phenomenon.” -UC Berkeley microbiologist Dr Ignacio Chapela
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23215020#
http://www.gmwatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14571%3Anew-study-finds-antibiotic-resistance-from-gmos-in-microbes-in-rivers
I was aghast to learn about all this! Is there any way to filter this contamination from one’s home drinking water from a well into the aquafer, say reverse osmosis?
Thx for sharing your knowledge
Do you know if there are any 100% non-GMO restaurants in the Seattle area?
I live in a small town that doesn’t have a whole foods. We have two grocery stores, but they don’t carry a whole lot of organic produce. Any suggestions on how to get fresh organic produce (where to find it)?
You could always grow your own produce 🙂
I’m so excited to find out that you’re from Charlotte! I had no idea until now. I really enjoy your blog and hope you post more hyper local tips and reviews.
Any NON GMO restaurants up by Lake Norman?
Hey Vani!
Just curious what you think on Obama appointing the head of Monsanto to the FDA.. A few other people have asked and I am really interested in hearing your point of view on that.
Thanks!!
TY Vani for all you do to help us navigate through this mess called “food”!
Your Momma did a great job raising you for sure! Will be praying you are somehow able to find healthy food options this week while busy representing the people’s “right” to healthy foods!
Great article, but you should put eggs on your list. Those chickens are fed GMOs too.
What about the organic cage-free chickens/eggs?
If I buy my zucchini and yellow squash from a grocery store, wouldn’t it have to have the GMO code (8) in the PLU Code??
Hi Greg – from what I have read, the PLU code is not reliable, so I would buy organic zucchini and squash to be sure.
The “8” in the PLU is optional. Generally a five digit code beginning with a “9” indicates “organic”, a five digit code beginning with an “8” indicates GE, GMO, etc, and a four-digit code (beginning with any digit at all) doesn’t indicate anything specific. The prefix codes are apparently optional.
Where I live (Vancouver, BC), I do see five digit 9xxxx PLU stickers but no 8xxxx ones on any fruit (including Hawaiian papayas, which are likely GMO). I never see PLU stickers on corn of any kind, so I have started buying only organic, or at least GMO-free corn, since hearing that there was GMO “sweet corn” on the market as of last summer.
Vani, if you see this, and know of any GMO-free restaurants in the Vancouver, BC area, please let us know! For other Vancouverites, I have found good prices on organic beef at Famous Foods (Kingsway, near E. King Edward Ave).
I just bought some zucchini & yellow squash at our local grocery store that was labeled as local produce. Do you think we need to worry about it being GMO? I’m having a difficult time finding real food that is SAFE to eat! 🙁
They have the capability of giving the foot firm arc support.
Glucosamine Sulfate assists in the remodelling and repair of cartilage and soft tissues including
ligaments and tendons. However, you should really take the time to understand the cause of your
chronic back pain before you simply write it off as something
that’s not important to worry about or assume that it is caused by one thing when in fact it is caused by something completely different.
How can someone that is so anti GMO support Obama?
Please keep your political ideas and your love for Obama to yourself. There are a lot of
people out here who cannot stand the man who makes promises he never keeps and
has gotten our nation in so much debt people cannot even afford to buy food let alone organic
food!!
Agreed! Well said.
Yep! What she said^
yep! what she said ^
Sources of food supplies vary greatly, particularly when a restaurant runs out and they send someone to a store to pick up supplies. This happens more than you think. Also, my son worked for a major chain as a part-time waiter. He said they were told to lie about the food. He quit because of that.
Lie about the food, someone gets sick, it gets traced back to the restaurant, the people try to sue, but the restaurant is too powerful for the people to win their case….? But then as word gets around, no one wants to eat there anymore, so the place eventually goes out of business….?
Nope, lies don’t pay off in the end….
I have an allergy to soy. I haven’t always had it, but when I first became a vegetarian, I think I ate too many of those gardenburgers and veggie burgers. It turned out they all had 1 main ingredient: soy! Now that I react to soy, I have to be very vigilant in checking to see which foods & which restaurants use soy. The saddest part: if they don’t use soy, they usually still use soybean oil to cook their food. I once ate at Noodles & Company, then got very sick afterward. I called them up later and asked if they used soy, and they replied that they did not. Upon further investigation, they didn’t use soy in the food, but they cooked with it! I contacted the company’s representative for food safety and told her that they really need to have this labeled, but she replied saying that it’s not one of the FDA’s allergens. I replied that it DEFINITELY is! I think I could have sued them and won! It’s more important to me that the general public knows what foods contain GMOs because ultimately that’s why I think I’m allergic to soy now. I think my body is reacting to the altered food, which is not soy. I have to wonder if I ate an organic, non-GMO soy ingredient, if I would still get sick…
O.k., so this might sound a little “off”, but have any of you seen the first couple of seasons of a show called “Degrassi: The Next Generation”? The topic of GMO’s was brought up on there by the character “Emma” & she had a big protest at school about (this was probably around 2005 that this season was made?). I think it’s a Canadian show. Anyhow, I didn’t know anything about GM foods, & didn’t realize that they existed in the U.S. I guess “Emma” had a good point on the show about the GM foods not being safe….? (her character was always into the environmental stuff.)
When did the GM foods begin to circulate around the U.S.? What makes anyone think that it could even remotely be safe?
Oh, & has anyone else seen the news article this week about the cow stem-cell “test tube beef”? UGH! DISGUSTING & DISTURBING! 🙁
While on vacation in the Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA area I had a salad at Elmer’s Restaurant and was pleased to find an Organic Green salad listed on the menu. While the spring mix was indeed organic, the sliced apple and grilled chicken were not. Knowing that apples contain a huge amount of pesticides in the meat of the fruit-not just the skin, I avoided it. I also asked that they not include the blue cheese crumbles and was able to eat a meal out, without too much distress and appreciate this restaurant for making a healthier choice available.
I would not buy anything that was named after Obama. What a turn-off.
Amen! Such a bummer to find out foodbabe is such an Obama lover.
too bad…
Thank you for sharing this vital information!
You’re welcome 🙂
I LOVE your investigative reports Vani. If you haven’t thought of this already, a humble suggestion would be to take your report nationwide – to all the 50 states – and do investigative reports on popular restaurants/food stores/local farmers/clean water access and food history in each of the most inhabited/popular cities in each of the states in the U.S. It’s a big undertaking, but you’d be bringing it home to everyone’s backyard and I pray get people motivated and thinking on healthy living and alternatives if they aren’t already! God Bless You!!
This blows my mind. I remember a former governor on TV saying they were harming the people in the US 3 ways, food water, & medication. Where does someone start to look for the best foods and how can we be sure we are getting the truth. What are some food companies that are natural?
It makes no sense that Food Babe is such a lover of Obama. He has done everything possible to support the big food giants and his news media has even said that organic foods are no better than non-organic. In addition, his policies have made most everyone poorer and less able to afford good food. I like Food Babe’s posts, but I won’t continue to read if she tries to uplift this wicked, lying President.
All the people complaining about Vani’s support for Obama, who was she supposed to support? Romney? As if he would be any better? If you don’t like something the President does, get involve to change it.
I heard that coconuts have been Gm for years…is that true? And what about Phytic acid in grains nuts and tubers?
I have been watching Foodbabe and i think she has done a GREAT job about bringing issues to the public. I do want ALL GMO food labeled so a least I can know what I am eating. I have had several serious conversations with scientists and bovine endocrinologists about GMO’s and GE food. They mostly contend that GMO’s are GRAS and that it is becoming more of a media sensation then a fact that GMO’s are unhealthy. And if you believe something without proof it is a religion, not a fact. I for one will only eat grass fed meats, organic food and raw cow milk (mainly kefir) . But this article really takes a different view — GMO’s are bad for the environment. Take a look — http://www.popsci.com/blog-network/biohackers/why-gmo-debate-misses-point?src=SOC&dom=fb
The problem of course is that not every restaurant is going to answer your questions. We go to kid friendly establishments like Red Robin and I doubt if the servers know how to spell GMO. There are very few places in the Phoenix area that would be open to this kind of inquiry. We only go out once a week, otherwise, I cook – mostly organic and most definitely GMO if possible.
Hey there!
I find this really hard….most of the servers have NO clue what you are even asking – at a conventional restaurant. We recently drove cross country from CA to OH. We stopped for overnights in some pretty remote places – or ones difficult to navigate in the dark once there – and we were tired of driving. To drive around a city you don’t know looking for “safe” restaurants in the night – well, you can land in a part of a town you don’t want to be in…So, in a couple towns, we ate at…..breathe….a Ruby Tuesday’s….I know, I know…..not good. But at least, and while they were probably GMO’d, I had spaghetti squash and zucchini and salad – with salmon. I figured since we eat pretty strictly non-GMO/organic 98% of the time, one night would not kill me – if it does – I’m living proof! At least it was not a fast-food burger and fries, or worse that pink chicken slop some of them use (I don’t consume red meat). A lot of the vegan places are still serving “soy” based veggie burgers as well – which I don’t do soy. Seriously, the servers look “stunned” when you ask them “food questions” about ingredients. Good news, I traveled with my own GF bread loaf (got at a Whole Foods before we took off) and, at breakfast at a Cracker Barrel, I handed our server my 2 slices and asked her to toast them…..I ordered eggs. I’m sure they weren’t organic, but I needed protein!!! Traveling with my own food seems to be the best way.
Martie