6/4/2013 Update: The New York Times Publishes Label – read full story here
5/31/2013 Update: In this video filmed on 5/31/2013, Flo who is a Food Babe reader, visited Tesco Extra in Ponders End, Enfield, North London to demonstrate there are boxes of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese that are imported into the United Kingdom from the United States that require these special warning labels to alert consumers of potentially harmful ingredients that Kraft is using in their products. This video further verifies that Kraft’s flagship product “Macaroni & Cheese” sold in the UK requires a warning label stating the product may cause an adverse effect in activity and attention in children and is made with GMO wheat. (Note: GMO wheat is illegal in the US.)
Watch here:
The information I just uncovered about Kraft Mac & Cheese is CRAZY.
It’s been almost 2 months since I hand delivered thousands of signatures to Kraft’s front door requesting the removal of artificial dyes from their Mac & Cheese. The people inside that I met with said they’d keep the conversation open and research my questions that went unanswered… but I haven’t heard a peep from them – not a word. Of course I’ve followed up via email and voicemail and baring an impromptu visit to their headquarters again – I’m not sure if they’ll ever willingly want to talk to me in the near future or any of the rest of the 288,000 people who signed the petition.
Kraft’s refusal to keep a conversation open doesn’t surprise me, considering their tone and the nature of my initial meeting at their headquarters. (You can read the full inside story of that visit here). They didn’t send out the people who make decisions to speak with me (like the head of Mac & Cheese) – instead Kraft sent their corporate spokespeople to discuss what I believe is a very serious issue. An issue that has been broadcast all over the World including countries like Mexico, Brazil, Canada, U.K., Finland, Japan, and in almost every city in the United States. This is an issue that has brought out the truth, thanks to several different media agencies who asked for a medical opinion about the harmful effects of artificial food dyes and who agreed there are risks associated with consuming them.
Their refusal to listen and change their products is all about money. Kraft cares more about their bottom line than the health of millions of children everywhere who they are selling the boxes of Mac & Cheese to.
It was just announced that Kraft’s CEO Tony Vernon made 49% more this year than he did last year. This fact kicked me right in the face. These are millions of dollars that could be used to stop the production of artificial food dyes. These are millions of dollars that could be used to improve Kraft’s product line for the safety of Americans. These are millions of dollars that could send a statement to us that Kraft really does care about the safety of their consumers (like they’ve said in their canned written statement already).
While Kraft has reformulated their Mac & Cheese for other countries using safer ingredients and natural dyes – they continue to exploit and feed Americans dyes made with petroleum linked to a myriad of diseases and GMOs.
But wait – you must be thinking – what?! There are GMOs in Mac & Cheese? And it’s not just any old GMO.
Kraft Mac & Cheese is made with Genetically Modified Wheat.
Below is a picture of the warning label that is placed on a box of Macaroni and Cheese (the same one we buy here) imported into the UK from the United States. The UK and other European countries require a warning label if a product contains artificial food dyes and/or GMOs. This label has a warning for both! You must be wondering how the heck did I get this box of Mac & Cheese… this is where having so many wonderful readers across the globe is quite amazing. Someone actually sent this to me after I saw them post a picture of it on Kraft’s facebook page (Thank you Flo!!!). This box of Mac & Cheese is available and sold in a special imported “international food” section in a grocery store called Tesco. The box clearly states that it is from the US – specifically “Northfield, Illinois.”
On the label of Kraft Mac & Cheese there are 2 different warnings:
Warning #1: This Product May Cause Adverse Effects On Activity And Attention In Children (This warning label is required because The US version of Kraft Mac & Cheese has artificial food dyes yellow #5 and yellow #6 which are proven to be linked to hyperactivity in children.)
Warning #2: GMO Declaration: Made from genetically modified wheat. (May contain GMO) (This warning label is required because the US version of Kraft Mac & Cheese contains GMOs.)
Please note: It is uncertain at this time who places these warning labels on products once they are imported into the UK and this is something I am still investigating. I know it is not the grocery store themselves and not Kraft, but likely the importer/distribution company.
2 New Pictures Above added on May 31, 2013
If Kraft is using genetically modified (GMO) wheat in their Mac & Cheese, it is SERIOUSLY ALARMING for a number of reasons.
- GMO Wheat is not approved by the USDA for U.S. Farming. So where the heck is Kraft getting this wheat to put in their Mac & Cheese?
- Last night in breaking news, it was discovered that GMO wheat had been illegally growing in Oregon. So this begs the question – is there illegal GMO wheat in Kraft Mac & Cheese?
- The USDA is investigating the illegal crop in Oregon – Don’t you think they should investigate companies that are using GM wheat like Kraft too? (Contact the USDA here).
- If Kraft is not using GMO wheat grown in the United States, they could be getting genetically engineered wheat from other countries that allow the production, and are importing it into the US. It is crazy to think that a company could be importing a crop that is not approved for use in the US and putting it our products without labeling!
- There is only one other likely scenario for the GMO Declaration on Kraft’s Mac & Cheese. The farm land that wheat is grown on in the US is so contaminated from GMO crops like corn and soy, they have no choice but to declare our wheat genetically modified on the warning label when exported to other countries. This fact is very concerning if true and has dire implications for the entire farmland here in America.
- The labeler could have mistaken GMO corn for GMO wheat, but if that is the case, Kraft needs to confirm either way.
If Kraft is using illegal GMO wheat in Mac & Cheese – are they using it in the rest of their products too? This alone is reason enough to boycott this company – As if we didn’t have enough reasons before.
How To Vote With Your Dollars And Hit Kraft’s Bottom Line
Kraft is a food giant which used to be even larger before they split with Mondelez late last fall. Here is a list of major brands that Kraft produces now that you need to know to avoid. I’ve included some alternatives to check out instead…
- Study This List & Share It With Your Friends and Family
- Don’t Buy Any of These Products In The Future
- Search Your Pantry and Fridge For These Products
- Take Them Back To The Store and Get a Refund
| Kraft Brands To Avoid | Brands to Choose Instead |
| A1 | Annies BBQ Sauce or make your own |
| Back To Nature | Annie’s Branded Snacks and Mac & Cheese |
| Bakers | Organic Baking Chocolate by Sunspire |
| Boca | Sunshine Burgers or make your own |
| Bulls Eye | Annies BBQ Sauce or make your own |
| Café Collection (Coffee Mate) | Use real organic milk or almond milk, dried non fat organic milk powder works too |
| Capri Sun | Squeeze Your Own Fresh Juice or Choose Whole Food’s or Trader Joe’s (FYI – they recently found mold growing in Capri Sun packages) |
| Cheez Whiz | Just eat real cheese |
| Corn Nuts | Stick to real nuts |
| Country Time | Make homemade lemonade or choose Lakewood Juice |
| Crystal Light | Ban this altogether – this stuff is not good for your health, try infusing water with fruits instead |
| Dream Whip | Make real whip cream instead or go with Tru whip |
| General Food International | Recipe for homemade creamer from Deliciously Organic |
| Gevalia | Larry’s Beans or another organic coffee brand you like |
| Good Seasons | Simply Organic has dressing mixes that don’t have harmful ingredients |
| Gravy Master | Here is a recipe for homemade gravy |
| Grey Poupon | Annie’s Mustard |
| Handi Snacks | Mary’s Gone Crackers and Cheese |
| Jell-O | Mama Natural shows you how to make healthy jello |
| Jet Puffed Marshmallows | Vegan Marshmallows without artificial food dyes and corn syrup are available at Natural Food Stores |
| Kraft Macaroni & Cheese | Make your own or choose Annie’s Mac & Cheese |
| Kraft Cheese | Organic Valley or local |
| Kool-Aid | Just don’t do it. |
| Lunchables | Make your own! Check 100 Days of Real Food for Lunch Ideas |
| Maxwell House | Larry’s Beans or another organic coffee brand you like |
| Miracle Whip | Spectrum or Veganaise |
| Open Pit | Annies BBQ Sauce or make your own |
| Oscar Mayer | Applegate Farms |
| Philadelphia | Organic Valley, Trader Joes has organic cream cheese |
| Planters | Woodstock Farms |
| Sanka | Choose organic coffee always |
| Tang | Don’t do it! Consider adding some fresh OJ to your water instead |
| Tapatio | Choose an organic hot sauce |
| Tassimo Professional | Do not buy this coffee machine – choose breville or cusinart instead |
| Twist | Lakewood Juice |
| Velveeta | This stuff is gross, just don’t do it. Stick to real cheese – try Organic Valley |
| Yuban | Larry’s Beans or another organic coffee brand you like |
Please take the time to share this crucial information with your family and friends. We must keep the social media pressure on Kraft – they need to know that we are not going away or letting them off the hook for this madness.
Thank you for your continued support and good energy!
Food Babe
If you’d like to call and inquire about this – here’s the UPC code on the box of Kraft Mac & Cheese sent to me with the warning label.
It is so sad to me that this country is run by money hungry capitalists who care not about the health risks associated with their cheap decisions all for a lousy buck. My question is when will the FDA step in and take action against theses giants? It breaks my heart for these kids who know nothing about what they are eating and the parents who are also in the dark. We put too much trust into these large corporations and for what? So they can poison our bodies with GMO’s and dyes and who knows what else. I wonder how people that run these companies sleep at night knowing that they are a large cause of why Americans spend millions of dollars more on health care because of our wrecked food system. The kids suffer here more than anything, because of naïveté about the gravity of what these additives do and because of lack of information. It’s not fair. It makes me positively sad and sick. As for my family, we have boycotted Kraft products and stick to organic products as much as possible. I pray one day Americans will wake up and notice the severity of the situation. Thanks to you food babe, we are beginning to see the light. Thank you for all you do and all you fight for.
Brittany, the FDA is behind this or at Least most own stock in these companies and could care less about our health. The FDA will never step in. They were the ones who banned the import of stevia even though it had zero adverse effects for years and years in china so people would buy products with aspartame in them. Which cause seizures, brain tumors
And death. The FDA are crooks!!!!,
You have to watch the movie, “Thrive.” This is bigger than just some corporate money mongers. And I agree that the FDA is behind this.
Or watch Food Inc also FDA and Supreme Court has Monsanto affiliates
To bad posters like katie can’t be held to standards of accountability or responsibility.
The FDA people owning stock has to be the most childest made up allegation I have read in quite a while, and I see many.
Gee John, why so defensive? Do you work for the FDA? It is NO SECRET that Corporations such as Monsanto, and the Pharmaceutical Industry have the FDA in their back pocket and have for years. The FDA do NOT have the public’s best interest at heart, maybe they did when they were first conceived, but they sure don’t anymore, and haven’t for a very long time
Some other great movies to view: The Botany of Desire (also by Michael Pollon) Food Matters, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, Burzynski, Dying to Have Known, The Gerson Miracle. Vegucated.
I am not a vegetarian or activist of any kind. I am just 1 person trying to share info so that the massed may make INFORMED choices about what they put into their bodies.
Peace to all.
No, don’t work for the FDA…do you think everyone that disagrees is involved with a conspriacy.
The source of this issue …is such garabage, and contrary to logic, I am amazed at that people would not feel embarrased even posting, or defending it. To be clear….if true, you have legal basis to sue the snot out of Kraft…and that you don’t says.
it all.
The FDA definately doesn’t have your best interest in mind, and it screws up for sure…but the thought of corporate food and pharma having the FDA in their pocket is silly.
As a side bar, I know people in the corp pharma business, and the FDA has hammered several I know almost out of existence…jeepers, the entire pharma industry treats the FDA like they are an invading army when they come in for inspections..in their pocket, please 🙂
Google FDA pharma enforcement…click on the warning letters and enforcments for 2013 (I saw 13 pages listed)…and think how many pages there would be if they weren’t “in their pocket”
OK….issue update. Geez, how obvious was it people ??? Yep, Kraft is going to use prohibited substances in their products, and post it on the label. People just wan to believe the worst…just read the posts on this topic. In most cases…I see hate.
“Lynne Galia, a spokesperson for Kraft Foods, released this statement to MSN News: “Genetically engineered (GE) wheat is not available for commercial use. We do not use genetically engineered wheat in KRAFT Mac & Cheese or any other Kraft product. So anyone who is saying or implying there is GE wheat in KRAFT Mac & Cheese or any other Kraft product is wrong.
“In addition, we don’t export Mac & Cheese to the UK and have no authorized distributor there,” Galia continues. “The company that has applied this sticker is not authorized by Kraft to sell our products. They are not a customer of Kraft. They are getting the product from someone else and reselling our product in the UK. We’re continuing to investigate, but because we are not dealing with authorized distributors of our products, we may not get to the bottom of this issue anytime soon.”
Forgot to mention, federal employees have to disclosure investments in any company if they are involved in regulatory actions. That would be called insider trading for stocks.
“It should be reiterated that stevia has been designated as a safe product. The research that formed that final verdict was based upon ingestion of 1500 mg of stevia per day for two years. The long-term side effects are debatable and vary depending upon which research studies you read. Some studies indicate that there are no lasting side effects. Others have indicated that steviol, one of the chemicals in stevia, has been successfully converted into a mutagenic compound, which can cause cancer. However, even that study has come under fire from other groups that state that the trials were poorly performed and the results manipulated. Obviously, more reliable long-term study is needed to find a definite answer.
For many people, stevia is the best way to go: it’s all-natural and since it’s 300 times sweeter than sugar, you only need to use a tiny bit to get the same effect. However, since it is a product that is relatively new to the US, if you have any questions about its safety and impact on your health, you may want to consult with your healthcare provider. She will be able to advise you on which sweeteners are best for your particular situation”
Web MD… “Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of stevia during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Allergy to ragweed and related plants: Stevia might cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to the Asteraceae/Compositae family of plants. This family includes ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies, and many other plants.
Diabetes: Some developing research suggests that some of the chemicals contained in stevia might lower blood sugar levels and could interfere with blood sugar control. However, other research disagrees. If you have diabetes and take stevia or any of the sweeteners it contains, monitor your blood sugar closely and report your findings to your healthcare provider.
Low blood pressure: There is some evidence, though not conclusive, that some of the chemicals in stevia can lower blood pressure. There is a concern that these chemicals might cause blood pressure to drop too low in people who have low blood pressure. Get your healthcare provider’s advice before taking stevia or the sweeteners it contains, if you have low blood pressure.
just saying….
Michael Taylor was put in place as director of the FDA by Obama.
Taylor’s last job? LEAD LEGAL EXECUTIVE AT MONSANTO.
To say the FDA doesn’t cater to corporations is LUDICROUS. Of course it does. It has the man who ran the legal dept of the multi-billion dollar, global conglomerate that told us DDT, Agent Orange and RoundUp are safe to use. Now he is in charge of FOOD SAFETY? With all his corporate ties? Well, I feel safe. Anytime the FDA “approves” something, I know to ban it from my household.
OK bunny, I get it. Obviously you think everyone in the FDA has to bend to the directors lead, and anyone that once worked at monsanto is of suspect moral character. In fact, I think their should be a law saying no person who has ever worked for a FDA regulated industry should be involved with the FDA. What value could they possibly have ???
The posts here started with a bogus video on facebook, and you all sit and defend it from 10 different perspectives. Then launch into how an industry head of the FDA means 100000 staffers will do anything he says. I suspect lots of good, competent people work there.
I see environmental McCarthyism is alive and posting on this board.
Don’t forget to ban the FDA approved Organic label next time you shop
Classic response. Instead of acknowledging the issue, go into an “all or nothing” mode.
The buck stops with the leadership at the FDA. If you cannot see a conflict of interest here, you are not using logic.
(P.S. 100,000+ people die every year from correctly prescribed, correctly used drugs that the FDA approves by reviewing the studies the pharma companies submit. Where is your outrage? The FDA knows these deaths occur, EVERY YEAR, yet does NOTHING to stop them. Do I trust the FDA? HECK no.)
Why do you trust the corporation with feeding your children in the first place?!?!
Gah I wish I could educate people how to interpret the foreign language of the processed food list. Oh yea cause its not english….
why do you trust corporations to feed your kids?
learn how to read ingredients in all that processed crap. oh wait..its not english….
I am guessing this will be a surprise to you, but the the current senior advisor of the FDA is Monsanto’s LAWYER and chief lobbyist Michael Taylor. Here is a direct cut and paste from an article written here: http://alignlife.com/articles/food/why-you-must-say-no-to-genetically-modified-foods/ :”With Michael Taylor in the White House as the senior advisor to the commissioner of the FDA (“Food Safety Czar”), the proverbial fox is guarding the hen house. Before becoming Czar, Taylor was a lead attorney, VP, and chief lobbyist for Monsanto. In the 1990s, he manipulated the FDA and the legal system to make sure genetically modified bovine growth hormones (rbGH) made it to market, while financially destroying small dairy farmers who dared to label their milk rbGH free.” So you see, WE are the one’s who must clean house (and Senate), by making sure that special interests DO NOT gain key government positions against our wishes. And remember that the media, IN ALL FORMS, is also owned by many of the SAME PEOPLE, so you must look beyond the sound bite to get the truth. PAY ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEYOND THE CURTAIN!
Isn’t this a conflict of interest,at the very least?
(Smirk!) Ya think!? LOLz
google FDA MONSANTO http://rense.com/general33/fd.htm
NO help from the FDA coming! Top executive from Monsanto made head of the FDA by this president!
Can’t blame the “capitalists” for wanting to make money. It’s the idiot consumer who votes with their dollars that willingly make them as powerful as they are. Sheeple are as sheeple do.
When a person only has $5 to spend on a weeks worth of groceries, the 49¢ box of mac n’ cheese and the 20¢ packets of ramen are pretty much the only things in the corner store they can afford. I went through that myself when I was working 2 jobs and barely making rent. Medical bills ruin people.
Leeda, they are in English, you just passed up science in your education.
And this “news” is based on a facebook posting of a home made video…you think Kraft is marking products as to be non compliant with rules ? What people will believe amazes me.
How many people have posted here believing it. Just last week I saw a guy post that in Canada GMO pickles were being recalled because the cause baldness (yep, obviously another web based “fact”…of course you can find it is not true…just another case of web posting passing as “fact”)
I’m with John on this one. Of course there’s no thumbs up or like on this site so I have to go to all the trouble of commenting.
Did you know that it is illegal to say your product is GMO-free? That’s because the FDA says it is impossible for processed foods to be GMO free due to pollen contamination, therefore any GMO-free labels are considered fraudulent advertising. They have intentions to start cracking down on those companies that do use the GMO-free label. You can only say that a food was *manufactured* without the use of genetic engineering.
That doesn’t surprise me at all. They jumped on the chance to ban ephedra which had adverse effects on only a few people when they want u to buy pseudo fed when adoring alone has caused thousands of deaths. I don’t trust the FDA
this is just not true. What proof do you have of this statement? http://www.nongmoproject.org/ is a campaign to label GMO free foods. Many major food corps do, including kettle brand potato chips.
Actually, it is true:
http://www.non-gmoreport.com/articles/millenium/fdadisallowsgmo-freelabel.php
Actually, it is true:
http://www.non-gmoreport.com/articles/millenium/fdadisallowsgmo-freelabel.php
F*** people. Do your own research. It’s not true just because 1, yep 1, website says it’s true. Reading the law so it supports your way of thinking is just dumb. Don’t be a sheep people. It’s not only the big guys that lie, these people do it too.
if you read this, you’d see that this was referencing a first draft PROPOSED legislation from 2001. If you read the revised dockets referenced, you will find no mention of non-GMO labeling being illegal. In fact, it specifically says;
“FDA announced that it intended to issue for public comment draft labeling guidance to aid manufacturers who wish to voluntarily label their products as made with or without the use of bioengineering or bioengineered ingredients (Ref. 7). The development of that draft guidance is outside the scope of this document.”
you might consider reading :
http://nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/articles/rumleys_nongmo.pdf
orgs use the non-GMO label instead of GMO-free because it’s difficult to prove (and it may not be) something is 100% GMO free. The non-gmo project requires less than .9% GMO to achieve the non-gmo status.
the last answer here explains it succinctly:
http://politics.stackexchange.com/questions/795/in-the-us-is-it-forbidden-to-label-food-as-gmo-free
It appears like it may be in their proposal on GMO labeling, but I bet it will land on some language like non GMO.
While it can’t be guaranteed to be totally free. There are other FDA precidents.For example, Organic labels (FDA regulations them) requires pesticide free production (among other things). Chemical detection limits is the threshold for deciding that. A pesticide molecule might land on a piece of produce…but that doesn’t mean it cannot be labled as Organic. Even though it can’t be 100 % guaranteed to be pesticide free.
Let’s not forget the Phillip-Morris connection, they go by the name Altria today.
I have a great deal of respect for this site but have to wonder about this particular story. The word “macaroni” is spelled wrong on the label, repeatedly. If the label producers can’t even get that right, who’s to say that the GMO wheat disclaimer is correct either. Who printed this darn thing?
Good catch Danna…!
I don’t believe the UK spells their English word Macaroni any dif then that of our American version, so why is that spelled dif on the box; Macroni?
If their quality control can’t even catch these things, or don’t give a hoot. How much more are they doing that is on a bigger scale?
You have to wonder. How much of Rat crap/piss or other in these foods are we eating, drinking, etc.? How much do these blokes allow, or basically turn a blind eye? For I know that the FDA allows companies for a certain % of that in foods, but I can assure you, it exceeds this by far, but that’s for another story on all on its self…
The FDA has and will always be a joke! Ran by the Washington Bureau-Rats such as Katie’s post on the Ephedra, to which banning that product help to close my Supplement manufacture and retail company. They are a joke and should be ran out of town. For in as much as we should blame the companies for doing these wrongs to us, we should also point the finger, and point it hard In their Face, To that FDA!!!
This may sound like a personal vendeta, but I promise that it was not nor is, my intentions when in writing this….
If we could get someone working for these companies take a video of such things going on; Buying GMO products and incorporating it in their foods, or Rats crapping in their products, or being crushed and mixed within the product and then boxed up, caned, etc. then present that video to a Washington Sen. while their kids are eating that product at the same time. Then you will get justice, such as the Ephedra scandal….. It takes one of those Bozo’s to be personally involved before anything is done….
I questioned the “macroni” spelling as well. I also note that serving size is “about 3”. Never have I seen that. It’s always serving size = 1 oz. or whatever, contains 6 servings.
I lived in the UK for 8 years. It was not unusual to see misspellings on these import labels.
I’m glad we got an opinion from someone with actual experience with these labels. American perspectives on foreign activities can be so skewed sometimes that it’s hard to tell reality from supposition. TY.
No problem! It’s also worth noting that the serving size, as mentioned in a comment above (questioning the 3) is indeed what is on Kraft’s current label.
Yes, I have a box in my pantry. It’s a rare occurance, but my kids don’t react to artificial colors very much.
In the UK, artificial colorings and whatnot are referred to by a number preceded by an ‘E’. Collectively they are referred to as E Numbers and like here in the US, are attributed to hyperactivity, though I’m not sure what the science is to back that up. Hence the warning on the label.
I’m new to this site but figured I could at least clarify what I had direct experience with. 🙂
macaroni is mis-spelled and it also calls macroni a pasta shell and it is not a shell it’s a noodle
Notice they changed the spelling on the stickers in all the “Updated” pictures.
Spreading lies and fear mongering ISN’T going to help our cause!!! 🙁
I was also noticing, besides the spelling mistake, the Best Before date on the original one is 4/9/2013, meaning it had to be either well past its due date when discovered, they have been using GMO wheat and labeling it for more than 6-7 months longer than that posted date, or there is some funny business going on with this story.
4/9/2013 – in England is the 4th September, we have it the other way round. It is not the 9th April.
This is a interesting site, I’d like to learn more ? !
i’ve worked at safeway for about 9mos. So i began to research whats on these shelves and over the course of these months it has brought me here, one the hardest but most enlightening experiences. Its hard to totally fix my ways of eating cause i’m so fucking broke but i think about it every day. thanks food babe <3
Hi Vani,
When my husband forwarded this article to me a few days ago, I knew I had to send it to you to read. Since this is such a related post, I thought maybe your readers would enjoy it as well. In fact, one of the comments even mentioned the Phillip Morris connection already. This article is about Don Barrett, who successfully sued the tobacco companies, and brought on such change in the cigarette industry. This time he’s taking on corporate food!!!
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/Magazine/Features/article1262161.ece
Thanks for all the hard work and passion you put into your work and this website! I look forward to every post.
For your list of Kraft foods: isn’t Green and Black’s organic chocolate owned by Kraft now?
Actually – technically it is owned by Mondelez since they own Cadbury now… but there is no way I would buy that brand ever again – just because of the close association with Kraft and the fact that both companies spent millions against labeling GMOs and our right to know in California last fall.
Ran across this site while on another. Great reporting on the gmo food. I did Haz-Mat work. And while doing this I worked in many many food processing facilities. At the time the USDA allowed 33% of “foreign matter” into the foods processed. Now these were canneries (corn green beans carrots etc.) and soups. My company cleaned out the giant “vats” these were cooked in. We found band-aids glasses false teeth watches hair nets fingernails etc. in the screens we cleaned out. Not to mention bugs of all sorts. This was disgusting to me. Still is. I also worked at a corn syrup facility and that story alone will make you NOT want to eat anything with corn syrup or drink a soda ever again! I have some very interesting stories I could tell you food babe about Monsanto. I worked in their factory as well but I won’t speak of it in public or on a web site such as this. Maybe a mailed letter!? I grow all my own food because of this and use seed my great grandmother had. Every year. I understand food processing places can’t keep out every thing but I’m telling you it’s not as it seems by no means. These foods parents are pumping their kids full of now days isn’t healthy. Diabetes obesity allergies and other health issues I believe in my own opinion are a cause of these foods. Parents, take the time to feed your children healthy and you will see the allergies and other issues start to decline. It’s up to us as parents to do the very best we can to keep our children healthy.
GMO corn and soy could not possibly contaminate a wheat product…that is not the way plants pollinate. I am against GMOs as much as all of you, but I just wanted to point out that plants do not breed this way – corn breeds with corn, soy with soy, wheat with wheat.
But bees pollinate every where and everything.
Really, that is the logic we are working with here. Did anyone notice the label stuck over the original label, its a sticker and they didn’t even take the time to make it fit the box. Lets not mention the fact that commercially grown genetically modified wheat doesn’t exist. Oh ya and bee’s don’t pollinate corn, soybeans, or wheat. Try to do a little research next time you decide to type or say something and maybe we could have a constructive discussion about food.
I REALLY think most of the people on here dont even know how corn or beans or wheat grows. So to shun any product (GMO) without a proper education, and it shows, is immoral and ignorant! Dont rely on what an article tells you or you as just as bad as the people for which you claim to crusify! You want to know more, talk to the nations key university leaders in modern crop production or talk to an agronomist, dont assume or guess! These GMO crops are in all you eat, and your still here, they are deemed safe by the people that eat them too! The truth is we have to find safe and effective ways to feed more people on less farm ground due to larger cities and suburbs, cities can grow verticle, crops cant! Take a minute and realize without Corn, beans, and wheat. We dont have food, with non-GMO crops we cant grow the bushels needed to feed ourselves! Not saying everything is hunky dory just saying stop and think and get educated first!
UMMMMMM. Not everybody needs corn, wheat, or beans. I never eat these products cause I am a Diabetic. The beef chicken and pork I eat is fed those grains.
That is totally incorrect.In almost all cases gmo does not outperform non gmo crops.Reports and studies have found them not only to yield the same(some cases less) ,at the cost of more herbicide,more pesticides,and more synthetic fertilizer then normal.The farmers also cannot reuse the seed because they are “terminator”seeds which are rendered genetically sterile.This makes the farmer totally dependent on the gmo seed manufacturer.Russia has a 25 million square mile organic farm that is run by 35 million families and it is working great.Stop drinking the kool-aid ,and please do not use mass media information.Your world saving gmo’s have been banned by over 20 modern,industrialized nations.I repeat BANNED.You really think that’s because they do not want an American company to profit?It’s because they know how awful,and health destroying these products are.Monsanto and gmo companies just want a monopoly on nature.Food has become the next weapon of choice apparently.For the sake of all,please do more actual research. Thank you,an Organic farmer.
How about the fact that Monsato’s own scientists refused to eat their own GMO creations in the Monsanto cafeteria where they worked??
The idea that GMO ‘have to be made’ to feed the world is ridiculous. They are pushing this stuff on everyone under the guise of overpopulation (which is a myth anyway). You need to watch “The World According to Monsanto” before you defend GMO on any message board.
Our tax dollars in the U.S. are subsidizing sending GMO to developing nations. We don’t ‘have’ to send them this. Back in 1974 Henry Kissinger wrote Memorandum 200 advocating using food as a weapon. The idea is depopulation of third world countries whose burgeoning population is a ‘threat’ to our ‘national security’. Look it up. Now we’re sending them GMO. Why? Because in every independent study, long-term effects (the LONG-TERM, the ones these companies are not required to report and don’t when getting approval to release their GMO because long-term studies are not required by the USDA/FDA) include organ damage, infertility, cancer, you name it.
In further research, it becomes pretty obvious they are studying overpopulation in the U.S. too, but they know this country will never overtly accept a population policy the other countries like China does. Hence? GMO and a host of other horrible stuff they know causes rampant illness without any serious labels. Someone’s making money off it anyway, lots of someones. I think Monsanto lobbied what, $6 mil last year? The USDA has already “released” 431 new GMOs into our country in JUST THIS YEAR.
Other countries do not allow all this crap in our food. Check this out: http://www.allergykids.com/uncategorized/bring-back-the-fun-the-mac-and-cheese-served-to-uk-kids/
Mega companies have different (healthier) versions of food for other countries whose corrupt governments aren’t bought and paid for by corporations and lobbyists. As Americans, all we get is a Venn diagram showing how much of a revolving door Monsanto is with our government: http://geke.us/MonsantoVenn.html
If it says GMO wheat is in the product and that label is true, that means ILLEGAL GMO wheat that has likely been growing here for years anyway. Period. There has never been GMO wheat legally approved for sale, here in the U.S. or abroad. In fact, Monsanto stopped field testing (supposedly) in 2005 because there was a GLOBAL OUTCRY of major wheat buying countries that refused to import it and farmers who refused to grow it because of the potential for contamination.
Justin, when calling people ignorant and telling them to “get educated”, please check your grammar and spelling. Otherwise you’ll continue to look ridiculous.
Organic farmer….you are posting selective studies. I quickly found many that show the advantages of GMO crops in the area of stress resistance, pesticide tolerance, yield etc. And by global organizations (peer review).
I am a big fan of organic food, but not of posting disinformation.
The contaminated wheat is the result of open field testing on GMO wheat.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57586713/nonapproved-strain-of-genetically-modified-wheat-discovered-in-oregon/
You’re wrong. Have you not heard of a “self pollinating plant”? These occur naturally in nature and even on the discovery channel they ran a program on corn and wheat alone that was capable of “self pollination”. Do the research on this and I think you will be shocked at what you find.
Every time I see a new email from Food Babe I am so excited because I always learn amazing information. If not for this blog I would still blindly be trusting food corporations to supply the public and my family with safe food to consume. Sadly, that is not the case. Thank you for all of your research and informative information. You are so inspiring!
That is not how you spell MACARONI—–Kraft can probably spell macaroni. COME ON PEOPLE- I just went and bought a box and guess what- this label does not exist! STOP the disinformation with you proper research, you do more harm to your cause!!!
This is a UK labeled box of mac n cheese. Where did you buy yours from Jamie?
Jamie – this was a box that was imported into the UK from the US. They are required by law to put these warnings on if the products contain artificial food dyes and/or GMOs.
Breaking news – I just received another more recent photo of the box and warning label. Macaroni is spelled correctly this time. From the research conducted to date – this label is created and placed on by the importing company (not Tesco, and likely not Kraft). I will be updating this blog post with video from the store where 2 boxes were purchased today and these additional photos of the warning label. Stay tuned.
So… Since people started mentioning that another English speaking country spelled Macaroni “Macroni”, the new labels are all of a sudden “fixed” and spelled correctly…. What gives???
Two different boxes, two different stickers (also notice a different expiration date.) Spelling could have easily been corrected after noticing the mistake for the newer set of warning stickers.
And it could also be a big hoax that is NOT helping the cause!!! 🙁
Not sure why this is alarming. GMO wheat is not illegal, it is unapproved in the U.S. because of what it would do to the market for U.S. wheat abroad. USDA does not object to you eating GMO wheat from another country because they don’t think there is any health risk from eating it. No one who wants to avoid GMOs should be eating any highly processed food (stay out of the center aisles of your grocery store, or just eat whole, unprocessed foods), and this Kraft product is a good example. Virtually all processed foods in the U.S. are made with additives derived from GMO crops. Here’s a handy list: http://nongmoshoppingguide.com/brands/invisible-gm-ingredients.html
This is not good news. But more and more is talked and written about GMO’s, for example here http://blog.pulawy.com/en/are-gmos-the-best-solution/ and that’s a consolation. Our society should be more thoughtful and deliberate.
Thank you Vani for all of your hard work & efforts. You are a huge inspiration to me & so fearless. It is absolutely nightmarish to see how poor our U.S. food system is… I used to eat so many foods that I thought were good for me, but now have discovered are actually loaded with chemicals & GMO ingredients. Slowly over time I’ve been buying organic, eating less meat & dairy and drinking only organic beverages….and I gotta say I FEEL LIKE A BILLION bucks! Going organic and finding your blog has been so rewarding for my life. I thank you to the moon & back!
Are you not aware of the ties between Monsanto and the FDA? There is a revolving door between the giant poison-producing corporation and the FDA, including the top man in charge at the FDA now, Michael Taylor. Disgusting.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/youre-appointing-who-plea_b_243810.html
according to the list of genetically engineered foods, GM wheat is not approved in any country of the world. There are field trials. Farmers rejected GM wheat in the US in 2004, at a cost to Monsanto of $12 million, I heard. Wheat makes its own canopy to crowd out weeds. Like alfalfa, it does not need GM at all. Farmers know it. See http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/database/plants/78.wheat.html
Some scary stuff here…
http://www.monsanto.com/products/Pages/wheat.aspx <——directly taken from Monsanto website themselves. We must put an end to this.
Eugene: what is so scary? Monsanto is breeding wheat? There was no mention in your link about GM wheat. They sell seed, some of it GMO, so it is all bad? Companies and researchers are breeding soybeans too, not necessarily GMO, just to improve yield and environmental stress tolerance. http://thelapine.ca/monsanto-cucumbers-cause-genital-baldness-immediately-banned-nova-scotia
http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/database/plants/78.wheat.html Says that GM wheat is not approved to be grown for consumption anywhere in the world. Just experimental trials. In 2004, Monsanto tried to get it in the US, but farmers did not want it. Wheat makes its own canopy to crowd out weeds.
i thought almost 100% of wheat today grown is GMO ?
this is where most problems stem from.
i heard you needed to seek heirloom sources to insure that it isnt genetically modified.
anyone have any more info on this?
Modern Wheats are Hybrids, they are not GMO. GMO is still in development. lol Its coming. It escaped in Oregon.
I think the problem is that most people do not know the difference between GMO, Hybrid, and Open Pollinated or Heirloom.
Modern wheats are high in gluten and low in protein. Older wheats (generally prior to WWII) are higher in protein and lower in gluten. The chromosomes are also different in different types of wheats.
thanks! so, it is possible that the hybrid wheats may be more harmful than GMO’s (when they come out) even though they are product of guided natural production. the example you show above says it all. People are having problems today with too much gluten consumption.
it you eat wheat products daily, it is likley your body is on a gluten overload.
people are just not “sensitive” to gluten they just cant handle too much without reaction or side effect. so why do the modern wheats have so much gluten when they seem problematic with the public consumption? why dont they just revert and hybrid the benefits of modern/heirloom today? instead, a market of gluten free products was formed.
This image is misleading. It seems to suggest that genetically modified wheat is responsible for the adverse effect on activity and attention in children, when the warning label is actually based on the presence of artificial food dyes. If you are trying to educate the public about these topics (and furthermore encourage a boycott), please give your readers clear, scientifically sound arguments.
It has nothing to do with the dyes – it is about the gluten. Even then, the research into the link between gluten allergies and ADHD symptoms is poor at best.
But you are correct that the GM wheat warning does not apply to the ADHD symptoms. Readers of this article are being misled (maybe not intentionally but misled nonetheless).
Agreed! Notice also the spelling mistakes on the label! 😉
Breaking news – I just received another more recent photo of the box and warning label. Macaroni is spelled correctly this time. From the research conducted to date – this label is created and placed on by the importing company (not Tesco, and likely not Kraft). I will be updating this blog post with video from the store where 2 boxes were purchased today and these additional photos of the warning label. Stay tuned
Vani, I noticed the spelling errors also (I’m a technical writer), but the “best by” dates are different. This means the labels were printed at different times and maybe even set up by different people. As someone who works in a business that deals with imported products, I can tell you that errors do happen and whoever set up the type for the label was probably told to make a correction next time it gets printed. Just because there are errors doesn’t mean it’s fake. It just means no one really cares about the content or the spelling – it’s simply their job to create a label to stick on a product that contains required information. And the size of the label is irrelevant. It’s somewhat expensive to create a label sized especially for a certain box, so the printer is going to use whatever label stock will fit, and the company that orders the label is going to go with the cheapest label stock they can get. It doesn’t matter if it’s “pretty”. Another note, I’ve seen products here in the US whose serving size is listed as “about 2” or “about” some other number. It isn’t that uncommon.
Thank you Jill. I agree! I just hate the fact that a misspelling is leading people to believe this is a fake label. That’s why I had my source go into Tesco again and take video of the boxes with labels. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4igqCeXcyFw
I don’t see what the big deal is here its government labeling? I think we should focus on the supplements industry more than cheap processed food. It’s cheap for a reason and most folks can’t afford organic prices. Would it be news if we imported a box of Cigarettes from Australia and post the discovery that the cigarettes are labeled different? This was wasted time learning about the UKs common importing labeling requirements. This is typical Internet sensationalism. First time reader…last time reader…facts go a lot farther than speculation. The labeling facts can be pulled up if you take the time to visit the UK website for the product. And the comments are hearsay…WOW!
Good grief, people. There is not a crop out there, not a single one, that is not a GMO. Every crop plant that exists has been modified, by picking and choosing among the mature plants that have specific traits that are desirable, then planting seeds from them, then repeating the process for years, you have successfully created a genetically modified plant. It is not the same plant you started with, it is the same kind of plant, but not the same. Farmers have been doing this for centuries, but now that science does it faster, you have a problem? Way to jump on a bandwagon and make noise for no reason.
Science is not making the same kind of modifications that farmers have been doing for centuries. GMO’s of today are combining genes that could have never been combined naturally i.e. arctic fish genes with tomatoes and strawberries, spider genes with goat dna, or hepatitis virus genes with corn. Also there was never any time in history where farmers created crops that produce their own pesticides (bt toxin). There are distinct differences between natural modifications from the past and current modifications and there is serious cause for concern.
Your statement is quite ignorant. What you are talking about is selective breeding. That is completely different than genetic modification. Genetic modification is when you separate a selective gene from one organism’s DNA strand and ARTIFICIALLY insert it into a different organism. That has never been done by humans to food products until the past dozen years or so. Know what you are talking about BEFORE you speak.
It is crazy what they put in our food. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Now following you on FB.
There’s actually a very simply explanation for this. It’s all about differences in crop and food terminology between North America and the United Kingdom. The details are here: http://thefanningmill.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/is-there-illegal-gmo-wheat-in-kraft-mac-cheese-no/
Either way – I want Kraft to come out and confirm something. If this “GMO Wheat” is actually “GMO Corn” – this is just as alarming and would be of course a valid reason to not buy Kraft Mac & Cheese. Thanks for your interest in this – I am almost positive that Kraft is investigating this label and I can’t wait to find out what happens!
How about we all stop eating processed food! If you don’t make it from scratch…don’t eat it!
Has anyone ever thought about calling the distributer to confirm this information? See at the bottom, they’re called Innovative Bites ltd.. Just in case anyone is interested – https://plus.google.com/114429319384015150079/about?gl=ca&hl=en
I believe what you have here is a crappy box of macaroni and cheese with a crappy label slapped on my some middleman and nothing more.
Comercial wheat thus so far is non GMO in the USA. Let’s pray it stays that way.
From Wikipedia:
“Currently no transgenic wheat is used commercially in the United States.”
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_wheat
nice call in the face of all the lemmings who posted, but didn’t do any basic due dilligence to know the label is not from Kraft.
sadly, their food products should bear a label saying it has the potential impact of reducing critical thinking and an inhance ability to be easily influenced.
And no, not a GMO fan…just annoyed at the witch burning that passes for food politics.
Since when is Kraft Macaroni and Cheese a health food in the first place? Dairy, saturated fat, high sodium, cholesterol and food coloring has always been in there. It’s not even a real food with or without GMO’s.
You are wrong! Bees DO pollinate corn.I see them every year in my garden.And not just honeybees either. I have counted at least 6 different bees, some insects too.
Sorry, you are not 100% correct. You may see bees in the garden gathering pollen from your sweet corn but they do not have a major influence on pollinating field corn. I am a farmer! Corn is wind pollinated. This is why a multiple rows planting does better than a single row. Furthermore, for the kernels of corn to form, pollen falls from the tassels at the top onto the silks of the newly forming ears, thus “impregnating” the kernels.
I would guess the labeling of the wheat as GMO is that the easier test for GM is just looking for the genetics around “round-up ready” which exist in GM corn, soy, canola. The systems for the transportation of grain have lots of crossover so if you are using that test on wheat it will “fail” because of the co-mingling of GM corn or soy or some other GMO. There is no way today for a manufacturer in the US to knowingly put a GM Wheat variety in a product.
If gmo wheat is illegal in the USA (and I believe it) where is Kraft getting their wheat/macaroni? King Arthur’s Flour says no wheat in the USA is gmo and until I read about the incident in Oregon I believed it to be true. That article said it had been some 12 years since any was planted in trials and I have read that gmo crops are a one season crop only and then you must buy more seed. So that leaves me with many questions? ? ? Comments?
Me too! That’s why I wrote this article and why I contacted Kraft. They still haven’t responded to me.
I would guess the labeling of the wheat as GMO is that the easier test for GM is just looking for the genetics around “round-up ready” which exist in GM corn, soy, canola. The systems for the transportation of grain have lots of crossover so if you are using that test on wheat it will “fail” because of the co-mingling of GM corn or soy or some other GMO. There is no way today for a manufacturer in the US to knowingly put a GM Wheat variety in a product.
“Monsanto Resumed Field Trials of Roundup Ready Wheat”
By Jack Kaskey – May 31, 2013 4:12 PM ET Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-31/monsanto-resumed-field-trials-of-roundup-ready-wheat.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-31/monsanto-resumed-field-trials-of-roundup-ready-wheat.html
Obama gave Monsanto protection from suits .
99% of the human body is genetically corn molecule from all food stuffs .
If in 7 yrs your body is replaced by the molecules consumed then your GMO .
We now consume190 lbs annually for GMO corn and soy. Min.
Even animals are fed GMO ,. Wild animals eat from thousands of hunter feeders.
Your cloned in your shoes by a company that seems to be the shadow gov.
Monsanto takes over BlackWater . Billions to be made by contractor jackboots.
Reptilains are butchering a million people annually for food stuffs. .?
Where did they get the genetic coding for GMO ? Reptilains ?
The Drakos don’t want to consume Alien genetic food stuffs as they will lose essence of who they are !? Are you know alien to your world ? Becoming sick as you can no longer resonate with this home sphere ? Why are you still asleep ?
Hi Vani,
I have been reading everything you have written along with your bloggers and you have significantly changed my way of thinking of foods and THINK about what I’m putting in my shopping cart before just tossing it in and checking out. I have continued to do some more research and found a great smartphone APP called ‘Buycott’ which allows you to join a campaign such as ‘Say no to GMO’s and Monsanto’. This app will allow you to scan the items you normally buy in stores and notify you if the brand you’re buying supports GMO or Monsanto or has GMO’s in it. Although it doesn’t beat having labels right on the product you’re purchasing, this is one step further and we could start buycotting anything and everything that supports Monsanto.
Start spreading the word!!
Everyone download Buycott !! It’s FREE!
Vani, I just googled Kraft GMO Wheat to see if anyone is running this story and snopes.com came up. They seem to be somewhat misguided on why this is concerning.
I’m against GMO’s as much as most of you are but this doesn’t make sense. I want to know who it is that puts the warning labels on the boxes before passing judgement. GMO wheat is not an approved GMO in the US. They just announced that they found some GMO wheat growing wild in a farm in Oregon. So if GMO wheat is not approved in this country then why would there be a GMO label? If Monsanto snuck the gene in the food supply, which they obviously did in at least Oregon, then they sure as hell wouldn’t want to advertise their illegal activity with a GMO warning label and they sure as hell wouldn’t be advertising that they did that so how would the label people know there’s GMO wheat in Kraft products. With the information i have the only thing that makes sense is if the labels were put on the boxes by mistake or on purpose to attack Kraft. I am in no way defending Kraft, just stating the only conclusion I can see with the available information I have.
I totally agree. There are even templates all over for making these types of labels yourself – heres one:
http://labelityourself.org/gmo/
People please learn to think for yourselves!. And fear mongering, lies, and misinformation is NOT helping the gmo cause!!!
Have you called Tesco to verify? Well – I have. This is in fact a label that is put on the by importer.
+1000 Foodbabe!
Avoid all convenient food. Kraft and other companies might not even use milk to create cheese! Most oven ready pizzas f. e. come with so called analog cheese, means it is made from oil products.
This is a very informative site – thanks, Fod Babe! You are furthering the cause with admirable patience . . . I would have utterly lost my rag with some of the cretins that have posted here – if these people are real, the the US has a very large population of congenital idiots who have access to the internet!
O tempora! O mores!
Macaroni isn’t even spelled right in the one picture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8ixjPNR6qBQ
Don’t act so surprised. Nobody with any sense should expect anything but poison and deception from a giant food corp like Kraft.
For anyone who is questioning this information or wants a different account of the whole issue – Please watch this and share it with anyone who is trying to discredit this information. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8ixjPNR6qBQ
I am all for GMO labeling, however, I am confused about the availability of GMO wheat. I recently read a book Wheat Belly, it stated nearly all our wheat is GMO thus Wheat Belly the book.
this book changes the definition of GMO. According to what they define as GMO, ALL of the food we eat would be GMO these days. I have no problem with people cutting out wheat, but I think this book makes you ignorant for the reason you are doing it.
Drives me NUTS
Dont forget your cock flavored soup mix right next to the mac n cheese at 1:55 LMFAO @ UK
down with gmos!
It was my understanding that GMO wheat, has not been approved in any country..Obviously there is some conflicting information circulating around.
Hi Vani–I just called Kraft’s phone #, which you posted in your blog. The woman who answered was very receptive and polite and heard me out about my concerns with yellow dyes, which are known to cause hyperactivity and other frightening conditions in children. I brought up the possible presence of GMOs in the wheat in the pasta, and my question as to why the same product of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese sold in the UK is free of the yellow dyes but isn’t free of dyes in the USA, and how this raises serious health issues for all of us who choose to select processed foods from this corporation. The lady did bring up that they were legally within the regulations of the FDA, but I countered that the UK and other countries are much more strict about what is allowed in their food and I emphasized the health concerns that have been cropping up in this country. I added that there are other companies in this country that use healthier ingredients. I gave her my name and phone # and she told me that they would review my concerns. I think that this indicates that Kraft is receiving more than a few calls about this matter. I truly believe that if a greater number of folks relay their public concerns to this corporation, it will make a HUGE difference in how Kraft responds to this issue. Thank you Vani for releasing that phone #! (800-847-1997)
Great job! Thanks for calling.
Some comments on your expose: I don’t think you understand the magnitude of this catasprophe.
First of all, I dout Kraft introduced GMO wheat specifically for the current growing season. It has been there SINCE THE FIRST introduction of the GMO wheat. years ago. Wheat is wind pollinated, as are all small grains, including corn. Any GMO crop sends its contaminated pollen downwind to all similar crops, which then become contaminated, in turn. (GMO corn pollen has been found 6-miles from its point of origin.) So, GMO wheat has been in Oregon since it was first introduced. Any downwind farmer that saved or sold seed, only contributed to the situation.
Second, Since GMO wheat was open-field planted in 16 different states and some foreign countries years ago, the contamination potential is astronomical. Why pick on just Kraft? I imagine all USA wheat is contaminated. Gluten-free anyone?
Third, Keeping #2 in mind, maybe we should be investigating not individual companies, but the USDA and the FDA for being so stupid as to allow the open- field planting of a wind-pollinated experimental crop.
Fourth, Imports of wheat to the USA are rare, but we export a lot. Australia allowed test plots of open-field GMO wheat and they discovered that a substance in the GMO turned off certain critical mammalian genes–permanently, in future generations of test animals. Australia does more food testing than in the USA, where we just accept the companies word for it that it is safe. ( I don’t know if the Australian GMO wheat is the same strain as the Oregon strain, but I imagine that after the Monsanto wheat was kicked out of the USA, they just moved to Australia. This makes sense from a money-making corporation point of view, but again, I cannot verify that info.)
Fifth, the farmland on which GMOs have been grown is not contaminated by the GMO plant (need more research here, especially in soil organisms remaining after GMO harvest), but by the glyphosate (Roundup), which definately affects soil organisms, that has been applied to the plants. A recent agricultural practice is to apply glyphosate to a maturing grain crop, so all the plants die at the same time, thereby insuring that all the grain seeds have the same moisture level. The dead plants support their grain heads and when all plants are dead, harvest can begin. I imagine the farmer on whose land the GMO wheat was found began the glyphosate-killing procedure and discovered, to his consternation, that the plants didn’t die. Pesticide contaminated grain anyone?
Sixth, This problem is so much bigger than a person applying the wrong label.
So what can we do? Maybe we should apply glyphosate to all wheat crops destined to be saved for seed on a rotating state by state basis. If the wheat dies, then the seed was non GMO and the area can be planted next year with safe seed probably from another country. If the plants do not die, then the wheat was GMO and the crop can be destroyed by other means than herbicide.
Interested is hearing from others with ideas on this situation.
This label has been shown by Snopes to be a hoax yet no updates from this site. Such irresponsibility.
Maybe you should check to see who funds sites like Snopes – before referencing them here as fact.
I am not interested in who funds Snopes. They initially equivocated on your story. I wrote them and told them there is no GM wheat commercially grown and they should investigate further. Later they published the comment from Kraft Foods confirming they don’t use GM wheat and indicating further that they don’t export Mac and cheese to the UK and they don’t have a distributor there.
The New York Times seems to have done more research than Snopes.
Irresponsible is right. The entire thing is based on an article run in the NY Times. A day before this “story” was run, they ran another story: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/06/business/gmo-label-on-kraft-mac-cheese-box-raises-alarm.html
Even references this very site but I suppose we’ll be told that it’s a vast corporate conspiracy.
The current issue Kraft using modified wheat is not the big issue. The big issue does not develop from one major company or in one macaroni. This problem did not occur over night for Kraft has been making macaroni for years. I think if you want something to talk about talk about everything don’t just attack one source. Kraft macaroni and cheese is delicious and kids and people will continue to eat it no matter how much people blog about wheat. If you want to make a difference don’t change one company change them all so that everyone can change and people can still eat their favorite food.
We have to start somewhere… one company at a time.
I have read only a few of the comments on this page. but have to reply to a couple of points. Okay, we’ve all heard about the situation in Oregon where some GMO contamination was found in a wheat field. Irregardless, people need to know that GMO wheat is NOT grown on a commercial scale in the United States. What has occurred in Oregon is a very small scale contamination. Furthermore, macaroni products are made from durum wheat. Durum wheat is produced in the USA primarily in North Dakota, Montana, and Arizona. Very little, perhaps none, of the durum production in the United States occurs in Oregon.
Furthermore, one of the commenters mentioned the book “Wheat Belly” and stated the Dr Davis has called all wheat as GMO. Other commenters pointed out the error by Dr Davis. There is NO GMO wheat grown commercially in the United States or anywhere else in the world. Dr Davis calls all wheat as GMO because he changes the definition of GMO.
Reader would be wise to look at the statement by Kraft that was posted by one of the commenters.
This is a drummed-up controversy.
The only thing worth knowing in the GMO debate is that
the guy who leads the party you seem to belong to is Monsanto’s best friend
There is law now helped along by him that you cannot sue Monsanto
Talk about crony capitalism
BTW anyone eating processed food whether labelled or not is a nut bar