Growing up, butter was an absolute staple in my household. We thankfully never got into the margarine craze because my mother believed that butter was good for the brain. Turns out, she was right about that and scientists have now concluded that butter is actually good for you in other areas too. It’s high in a compound call CLA that protects you from tumor growth and cancer, is not inflammatory like man-made oils from corn, canola or soy, and provides a nice dose of Omega 3 fatty acids, if you get it from the right source. But finding the right source can be tricky given all the buzz words and fancy marketing these days. Choosing the wrong type of butter can secretly ruin your health without you even knowing it! Here’s a look at what’s really going on and how to choose the healthiest butter for you and your family.
Beware of Monsanto Butter
***Updated Graphic: Shortly after this blog post was published, Smart Balance announced they would go Non-GMO***
I call conventional butter “Monsanto Butter,” because it comes from cows fed almost entirely genetically engineered or GMO grains and Monsanto is the largest producer of GMOs.
Conventionally raised cows are most commonly fed GMO corn and soy, however, some farmers fatten up their feed with additional sugar from GMO sugar beets and cottonseed. Cotton is the most toxic crop because it isn’t treated as a food crop but as a textile (it has less regulation.) And then conventional dairy cow feed is sometimes fortified with additional protein, Omega 3 fatty acids and CLA from GMO rapeseed (canola) because the cows are not getting these nutrients naturally from the grass. GMO alfalfa hay is also commonly fed to cows. So basically, conventionally raised cows are almost entirely getting their food from GMOs – food that was created in a laboratory, that hasn’t been tested long term, but has produced horrific results in several alarming animals studies.
Over 49% of all GMO corn is fed to animals or livestock. Only 2% of the GMO soybeans grown are actually fed to humans, the other 98% get fed to animals. Those figures are pretty scary once you consider the astronomical amounts of herbicides being sprayed on these GMO crops and what they are doing to the increase cancer rates, harm the environment and ourselves.
Land O’Lakes = Monsanto Butter
Land O’ Lakes was a staple in my household growing up. We’d use the whipped butter like it was nobody’s business – my mom would use it on her infamous parathas (Indian stuffed flat bread), in countless desserts and to make homemade ghee. Once I found out what was really happening at Land O’Lakes, my Mom and I had a little chat. I explained to her that Land O’Lakes is owned by a pro-GMO company called Dean Foods. Land O’Lakes co-developed genetically engineered alfalfa, directly contributing to the GMO animal feed supply. I also explained that Land O’Lakes contributed nearly $100,000 to the “No on I-522 Lobby” – the bill to label GMOs in Washington State. This is all on top of the fact that Land O’Lakes is not organic, raises their cows with growth hormones linked to cancer, antibiotics and harmful pesticide ridden GMO feed. I told my Mom she has to stop buying Land O’Lakes if we are going to change this world!
Knowing all these facts, plus the health risks of consuming GMOs, my Mom finally asked “what butter can I buy?” Well there are many brands out there that are light years ahead of Land O’Lakes. Here’s a Butter Buying Guide that will help you (and my Mama) navigate the butter aisle next time you hit the market:
Updated Graphic: Removed Smart Balance From Chart
How to Choose The Most Nutritious Butter
- Organic – First and foremost, look for organic butter. This will ensure there are no growth hormones, antibiotics, harmful pesticides and GMOs being fed to the cows. Growth hormone or rbGH that is used to raise cows conventionally is linked to cancer and often accumulates in highest concentration in animal fat. One organic brand I’m suspicious of however, is Horizon, they are owned by Dean Foods (the same company that owns Land O’Lakes). The Cornucopia Institute has filed complaints for labeling their product organic while maintaining factory farm production methods. I won’t buy Horizon organic for that reason.
- Grass-fed – Grass-fed or pastured raised cows are going to be more nutritious than cows raised with grains. Remember, the highest amounts of the most beneficial CLA and Omega 3 fatty acids naturally come from grass-fed cows. Also grass-fed cows produce butter with 50 percent more vitamin A and E and 400 percent more beta carotene (which gives the grass-fed butter a deeper yellow color).
- Ghee – Ghee is clarified butter where all the proteins, milk solids and lactose is removed. This makes the butter more digestible, concentrated with nutrients and really great for immunity building. Ghee does not need to be refrigerated, it can stay on the counter for a few months without going bad. People with dairy allergies or sensitives often do ok consuming this type of butter. Pure Indian Foods, Purity Farms and Ancient Organics have the best offerings in that they are both high quality, organic and grass-fed.
- In an ideal world, you would be able to find butter that is both organic, grass-fed and no additives like Organic Valley (in the green foil wrapper) , but sometimes that’s just not the case. In that circumstance, I would go for either an organic butter or grass-fed butter like Kerrygold (please note – Kerrygold uses some grains that could be GMOs a couple of months out of the year because grass doesn’t grow year round in Ireland – they admit that 3% of their feed could contain GMOs). Choosing regular organic butter will lessen your exposure to pesticides but will also provide less nutrition since the cows will mostly be fed organic grains vs. grass. Regardless, these choices are superior choices over conventional butter and both options (in light green on the chart above) will lessen your exposure to GMOs.
- Beware of butter mixes with labels like “with olive oil” – 9 times out of 10, these butters will have one or more GMO ingredients like soybean, corn or canola oil. These mixes may have questionable additives in them too – check the ingredient list just to be sure!
- Don’t Eat Butter? Here are some Vegan Substitutes – If you are vegan, skip all the “butter like” or fake butter spreads like Smart Balance that contain GMO oils, artificial ingredients made from petroleum and unnecessary preservatives. Instead, choose 100% coconut oil, olive oil, red palm oil (that is sustainably harvested from Ecuador and does not hurt the rainforest) or hemp oil instead. Also coconut manna, or butter works well too, when slightly heated it spreads just like butter. (These are also much healthier than organic spreads like Earth Balance that are usually a combo of inflammation causing oils).
Sharing the truth is the first step in changing the food system. If you know someone who is buying Monsanto butter, please share this information with them. Our choices can really change the marketplace, make us healthier and change companies decisions to use these unhealthy ingredients.
Much Love,
Food Babe
I use Cadia-organic butter. What do you think of it?
what about whole foods 365 brand and traderjoes brand?
any info on those options.
thanks.
ardyth
Trader Joe’s: http://www.traderjoes.com/about/customer-updates-responses.asp?i=4
365 brand is very clean. they vet everything they market by making surprise visits to vendors,
Yes if i buy anything dairy related at the grocery store i always buy Organic.If there is a Organic Grass-Fed choice then i would pick that first.
I normally use Supernatural’s grassfed butter. It’s really good. And, all of their products except their sour cream are non homogenized. I justbought the kerrygold butter to try, but I didn’t realize they possibly use GMO feed for their cows. I went to their website after reading this and it said they are 90% grassfed and there is a possiblity the 10% grain could come from gmo’s… so disappointing!! I wouldn’t have bought it! Supernatural’s cottage cheese is also the best ever!! Can’t get enough!
Where can you buy Supernatural? Health food store??
I get it at whole foods. The one in my area doesn’t carry all of their products, but they carry some. You can also check the store locator on their website at http://www.kalonasupernatural.com/
Thank you, Lori. I have a whole foods about 10 mins. from me. Hopefully they will have the cottage cheese also.
Lori, it’s not 10% GM grain fed to cows for Kerrygold butter. The cows are fed on natural grass from healthy soils for most of the year (they say on average about 312 days a year – Ireland has a wonderful climate for grazing cows), but in some of the winter season they get supplemental feed which is about 10% of their diet. 90% of their diet of lush grass which produces much healthier dairy products. The 10% supplemental diet is mostly hay (dried grass) and also some supplemental grain. The grain is about 25% of the 10% of supplemental feed which means it could be about 3% GMO grain fed to some of these cows, but it doesn’t mean all these cows are getting this. Some of the irish farmers may use all hay and some may use supplemental European grain (non-GMO) . So it COULD be up to 3% GMO grain as supplemental feed, but not a rule. Read more on the Kerrygold FAQa section. I still feel good about Kerrygold butter.
From the Kerrygold website:
“Irish cows benefit from the abundance of grass which grows on our farms. The vast majority of an Irish cow’s diet, almost 90%, is from rich, natural grass. This is much higher than in most other countries. It is made possible because of the perfect farming conditions enjoyed on the island of Ireland. The balance, normally about 10%, of the cow’s diet is made up of grain and supplements.
Our ongoing discussions with the grain and dairy industry have established that of this approximately 10% grain/supplements, approximately 20 to 25% may be from GM sources. This means that approximately 3% of a cow’s total typical annual diet MAY be from GM sources.”
I buy the Kirkland brand of butter that Costco sells. The label says ‘all natural’ and the listed ingredients are pasteurized cream and natural flavorings! So I guess it’s safe to assume this is unhealthy butter? Thanks
All natural really doesn’t mean there are no GMO’s in a product.
All natural in fact isn’t a term to trust
Butter should not have “natural flavorings”, it should not have flavorings at all. I buy my butter at a Amish Farmers Market and the ingredients are Pasteurized cream, salt. That is all butter should be made of.
Please look up the defintion of natural flavorings. Almost all of them are synthetic flavorings. “Natural” is a word that doesn’t belong on real food, it has come to mean nothing real. Call Costco 800-774-2678 Pacific Time to ask what the ingredients are in the foods. Tell them you do not want synthetic flavoring.
All natural does not mean anything much anymore. Too many unscrupulous companies go for it, where they cannot legally say organic unless it is.
Land o Lakes is a cooperative owned by the farms who produce milk for the company not Dean foods get your facts straight this article is filled with inaccuracies this is why people shouldn’t have blogs!
http://www.enjoydeans.com/1/index.php
Who is right? Is it or is it not owned by Dean Foods?
They sold their naming right on fluid milk only to Dean Foods all other products are produced by the company Land o’ Lakes
http://www.landolakesinc.com/company/default.aspx
These concepts and GMO in general may be a little bit above the intelligence of most of the people reading these things but all GMO products go through extensive testing by a ton of agencies and nothing has ever been proven to be harmful. In fact they are more beneficial to the environment. Do some real research.
http://www.enjoydeans.com/1/index.php
So, who is right?
Dean Foods licenses the Land O’Lakes brand, selling creamers and fluid dairy products under the name. They have a “strategic alliance”.
Quote from ”Helpful Info”:
“These concepts and GMO in general may be a little bit above the intelligence of most of the people reading these things but all GMO products go through extensive testing by a ton of agencies and nothing has ever been proven to be harmful. In fact they are more beneficial to the environment. Do some real research.”
Your real “research” tells you that dousing Roundup all over our crops and land and food is beneficial for the environment?? And for us? No problem with messing with topsoil with tons of RoundUp/glyphosate, and tons of this weed killer in the water runoff? Daily consumption of Roundup/glyphosate residues on out food, not to mention what altered genes does to us? No problem. And corn producing it’s own pesticide is beneficial for us? Sadly, you’ve believed what the biotech industry is selling you. There has not been EXTENSIVE research on genetically modified products. So, 90 days worth of testing will ensure these products are safe and beneficial long term? And they are not going to bother with any kind of “testing” on the environment. They haven’t allowed any extensive testing on their products actually. They do a 90 day trial and get it approved with the FDA and our govt says all good. Sadly, there has been a huge amount of corruption with GMOs and the biotech industry and our government. Funny that in all of Europe, and I believe Russia, they won’t allow food with GMOs. And some Latin American countries are now banning them. This fact alone should say something. And almost ALL other countries at least have labeling laws to at least tell consumers what they are eating – even China and Russia have labeling laws because of health concerns – but not the US. You are misinformed and have been duped. But enjoy eating all your GMO products and helping the environment while doing it.
Find a more thorough examination of all this “research” or “extensive testing” as you call here: http://www.responsibletechnology.org/
I am guessing Food Babe knows what she is talking about.
GMOs are not safe. Never have been, never will be. Even if you assume they are “safe” they need to be labeled so consumers can make informed choices. Period. End of Story.
I haven’t been involved much in the arguments for no labeling. I can however say that the various government agencies that test GMO’s constantly have deemed them to be safe for human consumption as have many major worldwide health organizations including the AMA and WHO. It depends on the wording of the labels…..if it’s something starting with “caution” or “danger” as some of you here would like, then that’s false labeling because it is neither according to the agencies that monitor GMO food. So to state “Period” “End of Story” is wrong unless you can prove what you say. Nobody here yet has been up to the challenge. How about you?
Actually, there is a lot of testing out there regarding the safety of GMO. I for one do not want cross species pollution in my corn
They sold their naming right on fluid milk only to Dean Foods all other products are produced by the company Land o’ Lakes
http://www.landolakesinc.com/company/default.aspx
These concepts and GMO in general may be a little bit above the intelligence of most of the people reading these things but all GMO products go through extensive testing by a ton of agencies and nothing has ever been proven to be harmful. In fact they are more beneficial to the environment. Do some real research.
The FDA also assures us the drugs that we buy are safe. REALLY! Is taht why so many have been removed and people told not to use them. And who heads up the FDA anyway. Take a good look at their make up.
I totally agree with George…there isn’t one medication that is safe! My cousin gives her kid a med for ADHD but a side effect is terrets so he takes a med for that which gives him blood sugar issues. Other male kids end up with breasts, lactating breasts!!! Statins, used to treat cholesterol cause muscle break down, cardiomyopathy, & diabetes. All these meds are approved by the FDA, & are so expensive patients have to choose their pills over buying food. At the same time herbal medicine that’s been used thousands of years longer than meds is NOT approved by the FDA. I’m not sure i trust the FDA anymore.
Here is answer on Dean/Land O Lakes Both are right.
http://www.deanfoods.com/our-company/news-room/press-release.aspx?StoryID=240494
I personally buy Hope butter from the creamery in Hope, MN. The equal of any European butter for taste. I eat very little butter these days and when I do, I want the best!
I remember when I was in college studying for my bachelors in deitetics. Our professor was telling us that margerines were better than butter. But a few of us couldn’t understand how that could be when we read the ingredients back to her – it ended in a huge debate. The sad part was, when we had to write a diet plan for a “heart patient” on our clinical nutrition exam, we had to “recommend them to avoid or limit butter and to replace it with margerine”. Ugh! Anyhow, I use organic butter but in moderation b/c it is calorie dense!
Hey Food Babe — GREAT investigation. I just love your site.
Was wondering, do you know about Earth Balance — it’s not butter, more of a substitute, but does fall into the “can’t believe it’s not butter” categories and is ‘meant’ to be good for you!
Thanks
Gemini
I too would like your take on Earth Balance. Thanks : )
Hmmm. I don’t know what your food budget is, but mine is just about $0. I am terribly underemployed (temporary job $7.50/hr) at this time (I was laid off from my full time position). I stopped buying margarine over a year ago. I use Laura Lynn (Ingles) butter at this time. It would be nice if I could allocate twice the amount that I already pay for butter and purchase ‘organic’ but it’s just not possible.
I have also lived long enough to see the ‘experts’ change their opinions back and forth about what is healthy and what is not. At 55 years old, that’s quite of few things that scientists have vacillated about.
Our food production systems, all of them, are safe and healthy. Organic and non-GMO advocates want to scare you into thinking otherwise. Make the right choices for you, eat in moderation, stay away from processed foods when you can….just be sensible and you have nothing to worry about
Anyone who has worked in the food industry will, if telling the truth, tell you the food system is neither safe nor healthy. There are many things to stay away from and many things that WILL kill you!
Ted, it’s good to recommend people get away from processed food, but why do you say that people are being “scared” by “organic and non-gmo advocates” who are helping inform people? With everything happening in our food system these days, the public needs information. I don’t have a huge food budget myself, but I am able to find decent prices on organic items and I use the Dirty Dozen lists from the Environmental Working Group to help me prioritize choices about buying organic. I am lucky to have s number of good resources locally where I can often find the organic produce at good prices, often not much more than conventional.
It’s positive to provide information about GMOs and our food supply. We actually have A LOT to worry about. It’s sensible to be informed. I empathize very much with Cindy and concerns about budget for a healthy food, but this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look at what is happening.
Jenna,
I have no problem with organic and non-GMO advocates informing the public as long as you are informing them with objective and good information about the nation’s food supply. However, based on the best scientific evidence out there now that is objective (key word), with all due respect those advocates are misinforming the public. As a farmer who uses pesticides and grows GMO crops it is very disturbing to me the misperception of so many about what it is we are actually doing on our farms. I think we’ve stood idly by for far too long and not been doing a very good job of education and informing people about our industry. I guess I am here in a very small way trying to do just that. As a quick reference to my statement that organic and non-GMO advocates are trying to scare people, check out the post just above yours stating that anyone in the food industry will tell you that our food is not safe and not healthy. That is an emotion based statement and is just not true. There may be a few but anyone whose been in the food industry?? I’m in the food industry and I will say he’s full of crap. There are many other comments just on this thread (and all over this website) about butter saying outlandish things about farmers, the USDA, FDA, some of the crops and byproducts of the crops we grow, the way our animals are treated, etc. It’s so far from the truth that it is time for people like me to stand up and challenge statements that are just flat out lies. You keep mentioning what is happening with our food. What is happening with our food? I am interested to know but only if you can present solid evidence to back it up. Please don’t give me info from EWG’s website. It is not objective.
Food should not only be “safe” it should be nutritious! GMOs, rBGH, artificial ingredients, etc. are neither.
GMO’s in some instances were modified to be more nutritious. They also have potential to become far more nutritious if the technology is allowed to reach it’s full potential. I can say with certainty that the ones people here seem to be so opposed to are not less nutritious than what you are currently eating.
Ted, you asked “What is happening with our food?”
Our food is being genetically changed and produced in industrial laboratories who are solely interested in the highest profit they can achieve, not the safety of these products.
“Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA’s job.”
– Philip Angell, Monsanto’s director of corporate communications
And in the US we don’t even know what we are eating and whether it has GMOs in it or not. Currently there are several major GMO crops, but they won’t be stopping there. Where does it end and what will this mean to our health and our planet? We don’t know and there has not been long-term testing for these products (at least studies made public).
So I think this is a big deal; actually an enormous deal. If this is all just beneficial and good, then why such push back once people become informed? Do your own OBJECTIVE and THOROUGH research about this. These companies are enormously aggressive with their economic goals and have established connections within governments and universities, and they have manipulated us into thinking the world must have GMOs. You know…GMOs will save the world, feed the hungry, help the farmers (look at India), help the planet (sure, just pour more chemicals onto out earth and food) etc, etc…
I think one of the ‘canaries in the coal mine’ for all of this is the current significant die-off of bees and bee colonies. Beehives and entire colonies have been dying in extreme numbers in the last few years. This isn’t a concern just because bees are cute and we don’t want them to die out; they are in integral part of growing and producing many crops. Last year several crops requiring pollination, almonds for example, were seriously threatened. CCD is thought to likely be multi-factorial, but the increased use of insecticides and pesticides, are a significant part of this, and acknowledged by govt agencies.
This quote explains it well:
“The collapse of bee colonies is probably multifactorial, rather than a response to one individual type of toxic assault. That said, certain pesticides called neonicotinoids have been identified as having a particularly devastating impact on bee health and survival. Bee colonies began disappearing in the US shortly after the EPA allowed these new insecticides on the market. Even the EPA itself admits that “pesticide poisoning” is a likely cause of CCD. Two prominent examples, imidacloprid and clothianidin, are used as seed treatments in hundreds of crops, and virtually all of today’s genetically engineered Bt corn is treated with neonicotinoids.”
A quick overview of “what is happening with our food”.
If you can locate a Amish market near you or a place where you can get Amish rolls of butter. They are about the same price as other butters but is so much better for you. I created this way of thinking for my family after I saw the video “Hungry for change” that if a product has more than 5 ingredients I do not buy it. The Amish butter has pasteurized cream and salt. We need to rethink the way we eat and kind of go back to when things were made from scratch. I’m not by all means a health nut but I do want my kids to live a longer live and I want to stick around to see them.
Do not equate Amish-made food with natural/organic product. They use GMO and synthetic herbicides and pesticides like a boss.
Make your own, it is not that hard. If our food industry was completely safe, no one would be getting cancer, food poisoning or have intestinal disorders. Organic is best, but if out of your price range, make sure it is GMO free. How can a product that makes bugs explode after they ingest it be safe for human consumption?
I haven’t seen a bug explode from eating my GMO crops. That would be fun to watch and I wish it were true but you’ve been misinformed. And it isn’t even bugs that are the targeted pest for GMO crops. It is targeted at one of the more damaging worm species. Not all worms, just a couple of those. And the gene that is used for doing away with that worm specie is also approved for use on organic crops. As far as your second sentence goes, I have never heard a doctor say that if our food industry was completely safe there would be no cancer or intestinal disorders. Get a grip on reality girl.
About your cancer comment….
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/news/news/annualreport-rate-of-cancer-deaths-continues-to-fall
I guess you people just like throwing crap against the wall and seeing what will stick
Do not eat any wheat. You will notice you will need less food. I was told this by a nutrition educator at a Whole Foods store lecture. Two slices of whole wheat bread cause blood sugar to rise more than a candy bar.
I buy Earth Balance. Have you researched this product?
What is the name of the 2nd listed butter under the green title “Organic Grass Fed” with the cow laying in the field? The .jpg even when magnified is too low of quality to make out the name…
I have the same question…
i think it’s wild organics.. I’ve seen it at Shaw’s supermarkets up here in the northeast.
It’s ‘Wild Harvest Organics’ ( http://www.wildharvestorganic.com/ ). They sell it at Albertson’s here in the south.
The Wild Harvest Organics brand has natural flavoring and is not grassfed. I don’t understand why Food Babe would call this “the best”
I’ve been using “Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread”… as I want to avoid cow’s milk/dairy as much as possible. Have you done any analysis or research on this product?
CORRECTION: The best butter is made with raw, CULTURED cream, in the early spring or late fall, from Dutch Belted or Jersey cows. Not Holsteins. This butter is dark yellow in appearance.
Why not take it all the way home, Food Babe?
🙂
Liz
You need to investigate more fully. Horizon Organic is no longer owned by Dean Foods.
Horizon is a brand within WhiteWave Foods, a leader in corporate citizenship. WhiteWave is dedicated to manufacturing innovative, authentic and nutritious branded food products through socially and environmentally responsible practices. WhiteWave Foods is an independent, public company (NYSE: WWAV).
Yes. White Wave Foods used to be part of Dean Foods but it isn’t any longer. It is now a separate company.
Also, Dean Foods does NOT own Land O Lakes and has nothing to do with their butter production. Dean Foods only licenses the name to produce fluid products (milk and creamers).
I understand Land O Lakes uses GMO, but in terms of ingredients, this seems like it is literally just cream, olive oil, and salt. I haven’t found any organic option that is as easy to spread and only has 3 ingredients.
Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil
Dear Helpful information, I guess you still think the world is flat? The government squashes all the info on GMO’s so gullible people like you continue to fall for the scam. Studies from France show rats develop tumors after 3 months of ingesting them. Monsanto’s mysteriously stopped their studies at 3 months so they could report their safety. Just like the FDA does with its toxic drugs. GMOs are not beneficial to the environment. Instead of making plants resistant to insects, they have found the need to pump the plants with even more chemicals. They are so toxic that even the people who work at Monsanto DON’T eat them or serve any in their cafeteria. Bill Gates (a big pusher) or any of the past or present Presidents don’t eat them, yet the very same people fight to not label them.
You must be talking about this study?
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/10/french-gm-corn-study-not-scientifically-valid/
I grow GMO’s and have been involved in water quality issues. GMO’s have helped farmers do a remarkable job of reducing soil erosion and resulting runoff into our country’s bodies of water. I am using less pesticides on my farm since I started planting them. If you can prove otherwise please do so. If not, and I bet you can’t, then quit using such emphatic language to state stuff that isn’t true. And how would you know the president’s don’t eat it? I bet you can’t prove that either.
Ted is a Monsanto employee because he is fighting far too hard for GMO’s. You do know they actually hire people to attack sites and try to discredit them.
Gosh. Another untruth on this website. I am not a Monsanto employee, stockholder, etc. And I am a very reluctant customer, not because I don’t like the technology. I do have to pay a technology fee to Monsanto but I actually do almost all of my business with Syngenta. I think at some point soon you are going to find out you are buying organic produce from a Monsanto company though. Won’t you be surprised?
Ted, you must mean the Seralini study:
Please read and learn much more here: http://www.gmoseralini.org/
This was a solid study, supported by hundreds if not thousands of scientists internationally, and I believe the only long term feeding study of GMOs (at least the only one released to the public). It was squashed from sound bites by the biotech industry and supporters, and others who jumped onto their little objections, because they couldn’t allow this research to reveal any health concerns for their extraordinarily profitable GMOs. (my opinion – an educated one). Please, please do some more reading about this. Be open-minded, as I’ve noticed you advise others to do.
And as I said…we’re simply from different planets if you think dousing our environment and food with tons of Roundup/glyphosate, and eating food that has altered genes and residues of Roundup/glyphosate (not to mention Bt corn and other genetic altering ‘methodologies’ and other chemical and herbicides) is only beneficial and not cause for any concern.
And actually though the biotech industry says the amount of pesticides have decreased with their wonderful GMOs and industrial agriculture systems, the amount of pesticides used has increased and continues to. Look into it.
PLEASE READ..Previously I mentioned I buy Amish butter and that it’s great and blah blah blah…Well I was wrong, a friend and I were discussing about a brand we commonly use and I did some digging and found a great post on Amish butter for those that like me thought they were getting the best. http://gnowfglins.com/2012/02/17/amish-butter-really/
Well needless to say after calling both companies I buy butter from thinking is Amish and is great quality and reading the above information from now I will be making my own butter. We have done it before and it is not so hard just time consuming. I guess it has to be homemade down to the butter on the bread.
What about Tillamook butter and cheese?
Just as an FYI…. GMO’s are banned in Ireland, thus the Kerrygold is by default NON-GMO 🙂
Anyway to get a better quality Butter Buying Guide chart & Stay Away from Butter Substitutes. I can’t click on the pictures to save them and when I try to enlarge them they are unreadable.
Your knowledge on food is so great! I enjoy reading about all the research that you have done and found in man made food. What is this world trying to do to us all!
Hi Vani, I am new to your blogging, and my first time I seen you was on MarieTV last year. You made such an impact on me that I quickly emailed the MarieTV episode to my daughter. When I started to make changes in my diet, my daughter was not all there with me. As soon as I emailed her the episode with you and Marie (young females talking about GMO, healthy diet, eating and cooking organic foods) she changed where she shops for food, like going to Whole Foods, and farmers markets around here in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Thank you so much for the information above and thank you always for keeping all of food babe army well informed about these huge corporations that are totally out of truth. I just received a magazine from MIT Technology Review and I was so shocked to see the front page of the Jan/Feb issue. Here is the link of the front cover: http://www.technologyreview.com/magazine/2014/01/.
The front cover read – BUY FRESH – BUY GMO. Not good, not good at all.
Anyway please keep up the good work!!!
Much Mahalo from Hawaii
Gail,
I know you didn’t mean to do this but you have helped proved my point here. GMOs are safe to eat and very good for the environment. That’s why objective sources, like MIT Technology Review, recommend them. I hope others read your post and realize I’m not lying. Thanks! I’ll be in Hawaii in 2 months. Hopefully there will still be some good, fresh GMO foods left there to eat!
To Farmer Ted ,,nuff said Ted we have your number
Well good morning Zoey. There be be “nuff” said when you people stop saying things that aren’t true. Til then I’ll be around to remind you. Sometimes people don’t like hearing the truth but it always best in the long run.
Zoey,
You should check up a couple of posts and see the link Gail from Hawaii posted. It shows that maybe you should have my number afterall and listen to what I’ve been saying. MIT Technology Review is probably a far better source of true information than foodbabe.com.
Hi again Ted, I found another doozie from you that I have to address.
Quote from Ted the farmer: “The animals have to be protected from both weather and predators. A pack of coyotes in a yard full of free ranging chickens can put you out of business ”
HELLO….Ted, have you heard of Joel Salatin? He’s a farmer; check out what he’s doing. Are you really a farmer? Do you really think pasture-based farmers don’t provide protection from weather and predators? Check out Joel’s farm and his chickies, for one example. How on earth would pasture-based farmers be farmers if they did have systems in place for such things. And of course they deal with the manure in a sustainable way.
Ted, you quote these studies from the very people who genetically engineer crops. Definitely biased reporting. Btw, MIT is not responsible in any way for what goes in that report. Read their ethics statement.
No one has perished yet from GE salmon so they must be ok too right?. Fact is that like cigarettes we won’t see the true damage for years if they turn out to be carcinogens. I understand you like your GMO’s and hope for your health your gamble pays off. Me? I’m not one to risk health & wellness on Monsanto’s profit margin. Go Organic/non-GMO!! http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/11/food-documentary.aspx
Steve,
I farm. When I read articles like the one you posted, that says we are destroying soil and the environment, it shows me that the author is speculating and probably hasn’t visited a real farm in this country. We are actually doing much better than advertised protecting the soil and the environment. The soil is the foundation of our production. Business owners don’t build a factory then not grease all the moving parts. We aren’t stupid.
I don’t raise animals but I will say that confinement serves at least two purposes that anti “factory farming” people leave out when demonizing these farms. The animals have to be protected from both weather and predators. A pack of coyotes in a yard full of free ranging chickens can put you out of business in one night as well as a surprise hail storm or lightening strike. The bigger purpose is that livestock producers, regardless of size of operation, are responsible for the waste produced by the animal. You don’t know the issues affecting ag but this is a huge one. Manure is loaded with nitrogen and phosphorus and these animals produce huge amounts of it in a day. Rain events create runoff with all this stuff in it. Nitrogen and phosphorus cause all kinds of problems in lakes and rivers not to mention possible disease. Do a little research into Chesapeake Bay pollution problems. If you have alot of small farms trying to produce just the chickens this country consumes in a year there will be some tremendous problems for this countries bodies of water. Also the smell is terrible. Lots of suburbanites don’t really care for that either. Our food production systems are very complex. There are alot of issues you have no clue about. Simple solutions in your mind might not be so simple.
Steve again,
I forgot to mention that it shouldn’t be lost on you that the website you keep linking me too and this one both want to save you from bad eating decisions by providing information, making recommendations, then selling you those products they recommend. The fine print on this website says that if you click on the links and buy, the foodbabe will get a piece of the action. You say the MIT article was written by those who profit from sales of GMO. I didn’t read it that way but, if so, it’s not limited to just the evil producer’s of GMO.
I’d like to be able to know what foods contain GMO ingredients so I can avoid them. What source can I go to so I can educate myself?
how do you determine the “bad” choices of the real butter brands not shown here?
where I live we dont see much of the big name organic ( which I cant afford anyway) and most of the ones shown here Ive never seen in my life. I buy crystal farms butter quite often, does anyone know about that brand ?
How do the modified genes in the cows’ feed get into the milk?
http://www.undergroundhealth.com/how-gmo-foods-alter-human-dna/
This is about as an objective article as I’ve ever seen written on GMOs. Thanks to Gail, who is against GMOs, for posting the link to the cover.
http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/522596/why-we-will-need-genetically-modified-foods/
If you don’t feel comfortable eating them, then I have absolutely no problem with your decision. However I do have a big problem with the lies and misinformation being told as justification for not eating them.
This is a very thorough site for complete information about GMOs. And it’s objective. Please do some reading; be objective and thorough, Ted.
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/
I, and many others, also have a big problem with lies and misinformation told as justification for the promotion the eating of them, growing them and profiting from them (them = GMOs). Also have a big problem with not having information on the label about food that contains GMOs. Funny that even China and Russia – along with almost all other nations – require labeling of food with GMOs, but not the US.
We’re simply from different planets if you think dousing our environment and food with tons of Roundup/glyphosate, and eating food that has altered genes and residues of Roundup/glyphosate (not to mention Bt corn and other genetic altering ‘methodologies’ and other chemicals and herbicides used) is only beneficial and not cause for any concern. Are you aware of the precautionary principle?
When I am not being lazy I make my own out of raw milk from the creamery down the road, otherwise I get the homemade stuff from Sunny Farms our local health food store. That other stuff is gross!
organic raw butter has changed my health, changed my life. thanks, California!
Food Babe, have you done any investigating into what homogenization [not to even mention pasteurization] is doing to our health? that’s something we all take very much for granted, but I’ve been hearing rumblings of bad news…
Why do you highlight Calcium Disodium EDTA as a problematic ingredient? It is a chelating agent that removes heavy metals from the body. While it is a preservative, it seems to be one with generally positive side effects, and no notable dangers except a few obscure drug contraindications. As far as preservatives go, edetate seems to be of, at most, negligible concern.
Can you clarify your position on this?
Kerrygold is #1 in my book, for pasteurized butters….100% irish grass fed, no grains, no gmo’s, not certified organic, but organic…their cows eat ONLY lush green grasses year round, that are not sprayed.
Just great!! None of those brands are available within a hundred miles of here and cost a lot more than my Great Value Butter.
A few issues with the MIT article… Two words I don’t usually want in the same sentance are ‘technology’ & ‘food’, we can’t eat & survive on technology! Of course MIT is going to support the use of GMOs. MIT is known for the degrees required to conduct GMO research. Also, GMO supporters use the excuse of ‘feeding the population’ but there are STILL a lot of hungry people, even in the US. Not to mention all the waste! Landfills are full of EXCESS food, rotting. The 15% of crops killed by pests & weather is 15% less rotting waste stinking up the air I’m trying to breath. For those not convinced The US has too much food…the solution to lost crops is more organic farms, not scarcer farms with more GMOs. Having GMOs legal in the US doesn’t make poor countries richer or food more accessible to them. Fat pocket Big Food companies are not giving away all the excess food to feed starving people, anywhere. Even if they tried, the genetically modified food wouldnt be accepted since it’s banned in almost all other countries. The only reason GMOs are legal in the US is because all that money makes it easier for rich people to look the other way. Anyone with enough money eats organic; the CEOs of these GMO companies don’t even eat their own products. Last but not least, the actual premise of the article is that severe weather conditions increase the need for GMOs. The problem needing to be solved is the destruction of our planet, causing global warming, altering normal weather conditions. GMOs provide more bad contributions to global warming than good; they increase waste & pollution. Despite the decrease in insecticide needed on GMOs, one of the most common modifications is resistance to more potent herbicide & fungicide. I doubt said herbicides & fungicides include organic clove, rosemary, & cottonseed oil. Or organic baking soda, vinegar & boiling water, which are all affordable, safe, & effective. GMOs allow farmers to use LESS insecticide, not NONE, so what’s the point of the modification!?! Why invest billions of dollars into making food dangerous for consumption & less nutritional? Invest in anything that will lessen our carbon footprint & slow the effects of global warming; effects that are making it harder for crops to survive. Invest in more organic farms & making organic food more accessible to urban and/or low income areas.
I am assuming by your name that you are young. Part of a good education is looking at both sides of issues with a non-biased eye. Then you decide. One can’t decide a position and then educate himself around that position and be objective. You very obviously to me have been “educated” by listening to a steady drone of anti GMO and pro-organic rhetoric. “The CEO’s of these GMO companies don’t even eat their own products.” That’s been said before on this thread and I haven’t seen good evidence that that is true. If you have it please post it rather than just repeating the same old cliches you are reading somewhere on the internet. The world is going to need all food production systems to be successful and safe in the future. Organic systems have pros and cons just like conventional systems. To name a few of the cons, water quality issues and fraud which there is alot of when it comes to imported organic products. I am betting that in the next few years there will be some GMO products approved for use in organic production systems. What will you do then? Keep an open mind. It will serve you well.
Of course we expect that in years to come Big Ag companies will try to buy out the USDA Organic label to add whatever they deem “monsanto-safe” into Organics. If they ever allow GM ingredients in “USDA Organic” food we’ll just look for 3rd party verification from the Non-GMO verification project and other organic certified agencies such as Oregon Tilth. Then Monsanto will sue and make the labels say that there is no proof that GM is unsafe……..and the merry go round will continue. All because we want to know if our food is genuine. Wow! Go Organic! Go non-GMO!
Steve,
I said USDA will probably approve some GMO technology for organic production. I didn’t say organic growers had to use it but I suspect they will if it ever happens.
Right back at ya’, Ted! You very obviously to me have been “educated” by listening to a steady drone of pro-GMO and anti-organic rhetoric!
quote: “The world is going to need all food production systems to be successful and safe in the future. ”
You are very definitely being educated by the pro-GMO rhetoric with that one. We were okay recently with billions of people on the planet without GMOs and biotech’s industrial agriculture systems – it was only 15 – 20 years ago when GMO first came onto the scene. We do not need these genetically altered products to feed the world! Did you know Haiti refused the Monsanto’s little gift of free GMO seeds when they were decimated by the recent earthquake? Wise and strong people, indeed.
quote: “I am betting that in the next few years there will be some GMO products approved for use in organic production systems.”
Maybe, maybe not. I’m most concerned about the heavy use of chemicals and pesticides and herbicides (Roundup/glyphosate, for one) inherent in the GMO industrial agriculture systems anyway, though eating food that has altered genes will always be a concern.
All the talk about GMO in cow’s feed, but I haven’t seen any explanation of the link – if any – between modified genes in the feed and the quality of the milk. How do those modified genes get into the milk?
It’s very unscientific to just assume that there’s something wrong with the milk in GMO fed cows. Can anyone explain the chain?
I only use an organic butter from a small producer at the farmer’s market. The milk comes from grass fed cows. I buy it because it simply tastes better, like real butter ought to.
Awesome website. Wondered how I managed to live under the rock so long. What is your opinion about Costco Butter (Kirkland Signature brand). I hate to say, I was supporting Monsanto until now with Land O’Lakes, I had no idea its Monsanto.
Vani, I have been buying Wild Harvest Organic Butter for a while. I know you did some research about this product. Were you able to find out what the “natural flavoring is made of?”
Also, the back of the box reads “organic cows eating the green goodness of organic pastures.” Were you able to decipher what this means? How much of their diet is grass fed and are they out grazing?
Thanks a lot!
I am new to your site and really dig it.
Food Babe, I don’t know if you actually read or respond to your comments, but I’m very concerned that you recommended Wild Harvest Organics as one if the best options. It has natural flavoring in the ingredients and it doesn’t say that the cows are exclusively pastured. It’s says on the box that the cows are “Eating the green goodness of organic pastures…”
Am I missing something? Seems Kerrygold is a much better option, especially because they don’t use natural flavoring.
I agree
(To Ted)
Check out this free webinar on GMO foods – contributors are biologists, scientists, farmers, etc:
http://www.entheos.com/GMOs-What-You-Need-to-Know/Robyn-OBrien
Thanks for the link. I listened to about half of one of the interviews (by the guy from CU) and it is interesting. We are working in the fields today so maybe later I will catch some more of this. Specifically he mentioned that most of our acreage is getting sprayed with glyphosate. That’s true. He doesn’t mention that if we were not growing glyphosate resistant crops, we’d be using something else, something older, longer lasting and probably more toxic than glyphosate which isn’t that toxic relative to the older chemistries. There may not be enough study for you on GMO but there are plenty of studies on glyphosate and plenty of studies on the older chemistries. He mentioned the possible side effects of GMO traits and said more study is needed to make determinations. I hope those studies are being done. Also since I am short on time, why have a long webinar that only shows one side of an argument? I didn’t see one bio of any speaker there that was going to argue the positives of GMO and there are quite a few positives. An objective look at GMO crops would include those who support them too so people watching would be able to make a decision based on their conclusions of the different viewpoints. We really don’t do that any more, about food safety or any other issue for that matter.
Something for you to read: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/30/glyphosate-toxicity.aspx
Yes, it’s objective.
GMO Free is not Organic
What about Challenge Butter?
it’s funny that K2 isn’t mentioned at all.
to Ted: my cousin is a corn and soybean farmer in Illinois who is incredibly disheartened about Monsanto and GMO seeds. Heartbroken is more like it. He sells his crops for animal feed and ethanol manufacture–and does not eat it himself–he grows organic corn on a small spread in back of his house.
Regarding the cancer study you submitted, the report specifically talked about reduction of breast and colon cancer DEATHS due to screening programs. Actual CASES of colon and breast cancers have increased. Specifically, here’s a line in that report that you may have missed: “The rate of new cases of some cancers, including pancreas, kidney, thyroid, liver, and a type of esophageal cancer, INCREASED from 1999 through 2008. “
About the cancer study, it does say that some cancers have increased (the ones you named) but it was due to excess weight and lack of physical activity, not from eating non-organic, GMO food. In fact, pesticides and GMO are not even mentioned as causes of any increase in cancer.
As far as your cousin goes, I don’t eat the crops I grow either because they aren’t meant to be consumed fresh on the farm. The corn I grow is field corn. If your cousin is selling his for feed and ethanol then that’s what he grows too. I didn’t like it 20 years ago and I don’t like it now. It’s not sweet and there is about a 2 day window when it’s even tender enough to eat. I do eat soybeans when I’m wandering through my fields though. The green ones….kind of like very fresh edamame. I, like your cousin, don’t like Monsanto as a company to do business with very much. Did he give a reason for being disheartened with GMO seed? I would guess that the real value for GMO is not where he lives. It gets cold enough in Illinois that worms in most years aren’t a big problem and weeds might not be that big of a deal either. GMO is very expensive and if you don’t get much bang for the buck I can certainly understand disheartened. I live in the deep south and it is GMO is a valuable tool for me. Weeds and worms love it here. That brings up something else people here don’t really seem to understand. The cost of doing business in farming is very high. The GMO technology is very expensive and one application of Roundup on my farm costs me over $30,000. We use it as little as possible.
GMO alfalfa was thrown out and never approved. It is NOT being fed to any animals. Also you left out the best butters of all! Small local farm made butters, that you would buy at the farmers market direct from the farmer or at small specialty food stores.
Robin,
GMO alfalfa was removed from the market soon after introduction at one time but it has been approved and in use since 2011. It is fed mainly to dairy cows and horses.
Ted, thank you for your presence here on this thread. I buy mostly organic/non-GMO products, but have wondered if this was all necessary (it’s very $$). You brought up a wonderful point to consider both sides before coming to a determination, and often it’s hard to find any information that is truly objective. I will continue reading.
Thank you for your nice comment! You should eat what you feel comfortable eating. Its just time, in my mind, that the other side to the GMO, non-organic story is told. Its not a bad story. Our society seems to be constantly moving to the next big thing all the time. What was hot and hip last year is not only not hot or hip any more but bad. It causes so much confusion and worry and it shouldn’t be that way. Fear is being used to sell products and, although effective, it doesn’t make it right.
Hi everyone, quick question: everyone here in the fam loves Brummel & Brown’s. What’s the scoop on this butter? Anyone know? Thanks!
I looked at the list of butters and I didn’t see ‘Breakstone’. I think that is the correct spelling. Do you know anything about this brand?
This is the most thorough and objective site for complete information about GMOs. Please do some reading; be objective and thorough, Ted. http://www.responsibletechnology.org/
You said the Environmental Working Group is not objective? All they do is refer to studies.
I, and many others, also have a big problem with lies and misinformation told as justification for promoting the eating of them, growing them and profiting from them (them = GMOs). Also have a big problem with not having information on the label about food that contains GMOs. Funny that even China and Russia, along with most other nations, require labeling of food with GMOs, but not the US.
We’re simply from different planets if you think dousing our environment and food with tons of Roundup/glyphosate, and eating food that has altered genes and residues of Roundup/glyphosate (not to mention Bt corn and other genetic altering ‘methodologies’) is only beneficial and not cause for any concern. Are you aware of the precautionary principle?