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MUST-READ: A New Class of GMOs that Doesn’t Need Government Approval

Just when you thought that GMOs, as we know them today, were bad enough, get ready for something potentially worse to deal with.

In a recent New York Times article, it was reported that biotech companies have discovered and exploited a loophole in government regulation that allows them to create a different breed of GMOs and market them to the public without needing approval from the USDA.

They are doing this by inserting genetic material from a plant, instead of genetic material from a plant pest (GMOs are often inserted via a bacterium, which contains a genetic “on” switch from a plant virus). So, if it is material from a plant but not a plant pest, companies can circumvent the laws and avoid regulation, something which the USDA has confirmed.

As a result, there are several new crops using this methodology that are now in development and can go directly to market.

They include:

– A new herbicide-resistant canola

– A corn that would create less pollution from livestock waste

– Switch grass tailored for biofuel production

– An ornamental plant that glows in the dark.

Another example of this was something that I shared on Facebook the other day – a genetically-engineered grass by Scotts that does not need USDA approval.

While the EPA and FDA could potentially intervene and require this method to come under government regulation, don’t hold your breath. After all, the EPA just approved new GM-corn and soy crops resistant to the super-toxic 2,4-D.

The bottom line is that this new methodology is still genetic engineering and must be regulated by our government. Let’s hope Congress gets involved and does its best to make sure regulations keep pace with technology.

The potential environmental and health risks are too great to ignore.

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Living Maxwell

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What You Can’t See May Be Greatly Impacting Your Family’s Health

(This is a sponsored post from my partners at Intellipure. I have been using the company’s air filtration machines for well over a decade — many years before I started Living Maxwell.)

After having eaten close to 100% organic since 2001, I have come to realize one thing — food is only one part of the equation.

While I maintain that it is still a very important piece of the puzzle, it is certainly not the only one when it comes to good health. I would put your emotional well-being, the quality of water that you drink, the EMFs that you are exposed to and the air that you breathe all in the same conversation when it comes to optimizing personal wellness.

Yet, arguably, clean air may be the most important thing to address when it comes to your health. Why?

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Organic Insider

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GMO Impossible Burger Tests Positive for Glyphosate

As Beyond Meat’s very successful IPO is bringing a lot of attention to the alt-protein category, it is important to take a look at what exactly are in these food products.

One popular name in this space is the Impossible Burger, a product we first wrote about in 2017 when Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documents uncovered that the FDA disagreed with the company’s safety assessments of the burger’s main ingredient — soy leghemoglobin. However, the company continued selling it to the public anyhow without informing consumers about the FDA’s very serious concerns.

The issue this time around with the Impossible Burger is the amount of glyphosate that it contains.

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