Thread: 'Natural' breakfast cereals loaded with pesticides and GMOs

'Natural' breakfast cereals loaded with pesticides and GMOs - explosive new scorecard from Cornucopia reveals all

Tuesday, October 11, 2011
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com (See all articles...)

(NaturalNews) For far too long, breakfast cereal makers have carried out highly deceptive product labeling and positioning campaigns through the use of the term "natural." Consumers are easily misled by this term, believing it to mean the product is free from pesticide chemicals and genetically engineered ingredients. But an explosive new investigation by the Cornucopia Institute (www.Cornucopia.org) -- the same group that exposed the widespread use of hexane solvents in soy protein -- is set to send shockwaves through the "natural" products industry by revealing which so-called "natural" brands actually contain high levels GMOs and toxic chemical pesticides.

NaturalNews is helping the Cornucopia Institute break this story with exclusive articles and email alerts going out to hundreds of thousands of subscribers. This story is being shared on Facebook and Twitter, and on the NaturalNews Radio Network (www.NaturalNewsRadio.com). This story will also be covered this Thursday on the Alex Jones Show (www.InfoWars.com), when a representative from the Cornucopia Institute will be interviewed on live national radio. You can help spread the word about this important story by sharing this article.

Three facts you need to know about GMOs before you read the explosive test results below
Before you view the Cornucopia's test results below, there are three important things you need to know about GMOs:

#1) There is GE contamination in almost everything. Even "non-GMO" food products almost always contain trace levels of GMOs (often between .01% and 0.5%). A test for the mere presence of GMOs is not considered conclusive. What's important is the level of GMOs in a particular food item. Some of the "natural" items tested by the Cornucopia Institute showed GMO contamination levels between 28 and 100 %, which means the key ingredients in those cereals are most definitely genetically engineered from the source (and it's not just a chance contamination from some other nearby field).

#2) All GMO tests are merely a "snapshot" that can change over time. Foods that test free of GMOs today may contain higher levels tomorrow due to supply line errors, contamination, supply source changes, and so on. At the same time, foods that test at high levels of GMOs today may test at lower levels in the future or even for different batches from the same manufacturer. Sometimes manufacturers are lied to by their suppliers. Some manufacturers test for GMOs in every batch, but others take a "don't ask don't tell" approach where they don't test because they'd rather not know.

#3) Products may be "enrolled" in the Non-GMO Project and still contain GMOs before they are "verified." The Non-GMO Project has two designations for products. There are products which are "enrolled" which means they are "on the path" to becoming free of GMOs but may not have achieved it yet. Thus, it is true that products "enrolled" in the Non-GMO Project may still contain substantial levels of GMOs. Products that meet far more stringent supply line audits and GE testing requirements are granted the label "Verified" by the Non-GMO Project.

You got all that? It's a lot to keep in mind. GMOs are a complicated issue. But one thing is certain: Most "natural" breakfast cereals contain surprisingly high levels of genetically engineered ingredients. This is why it's crucial to shop for certified organic breakfast cereals from companies like Nature's Path, whose products are 100% certified organic and free from GMOs.

All these concerns about GMOs don't even cover residues of toxic and carcinogenic pesticides in the grains used to produce "natural" breakfast cereals. The Cornucopia report cites extensive USDA testing and research revealing which "natural" grains and ingredients may be routinely contaminated with chemical pesticides. Synthetic pesticides are banned in organic production with oversight by independent certifiers and USDA accreditation, so organic is once again the way to go if you wish to avoid pesticide residues.

Keep reading to see some of the shocking test results uncovered by the Cornucopia Institute...

Here's what the test results reveal
The Cornucopia Institute's "Cereal Scorecard" (http://www.cornucopia.org/2011/10/n...) reveals some truly astonishing facts about what's in our breakfast cereal:

• Kashi brand cereals (Kellogg's) contains "high levels" of GMOs. Not just a trace of GMOs, in other words, but a high level meaning the key ingredients are genetically engineered from the get-go. In fact, NaturalNews has learned that test results reveal 100% of the soy used in tested boxes of Kashi cereal was genetically engineered soy.

• Mother's brand cereals (PepsiCo) contains "high levels" of GMOs. Test results revealed 28% of the corn to be genetically engineered.

• Whole Foods' 365 brand Corn Flakes contains "high levels" of GMOs (more than 50% GE corn).

• Barbara's Bakery Puffins cereal was also shown to contain more than 50% genetically engineered corn.

• Both Barbara’s Bakery Puffins and Whole Foods 365 Corn Flakes are "enrolled" in the Non-GMO Project, says Cornucopia (see below). Note that this does not mean "verified" by the Non-GMO Project, which is a different designation. Still, the term "enrolled" in the Non-GMO Project may imply to many shoppers that the products are free from GMOs. This is something NaturalNews will address later, as it is a concern for both us and many readers who have long believed that any affiliation with the Non-GMO Project meant the same thing as "GMO free," which it does not.

• One of the shining examples honest organic cereal is Nature's Path, whose products are all certified organic, contained no significant GMO contamination and are clearly made with entirely non-GMO ingredients.

• As the report states: Numerous “naturalâ€

Which cereal brands are truly committed to producing clean, organic food?

Friday, October 21, 2011 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer



(NaturalNews) The non-profit family farm advocacy group Cornucopia Institute (CI) recently released its Organic Cereal Scorecard, a comprehensive analysis of many popular "natural" and organic breakfast cereal brands that highlight both the best and worst players in the industry.

In the report, CI provides not only a detailed listing of the many companies producing phony "natural" products, but it also outlines those that are committed to producing and selling only clean, organic food to their customers.

You can view our first announcement about the report here: (http://www.naturalnews.com/033838_b...).

Some health food stores and even conventional grocery stores continue to sell "natural" cereal brands that secretly contain chemical pesticide and herbicide residues, genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), and various other deadly toxins. These products are often marketed as being more "natural" than conventional brands, and are even priced at a premium -- but in reality, they are often no different than less expensive conventional brands (http://www.naturalnews.com/033838_b...).

In order to better assist NaturalNews readers in making smart food choices and help them to avoid the "natural" product trap, we have provided a detailed listing of some of the best cereal brands available. These brands are considered to be fully trustworthy and committed to organics, and tests of their products have revealed that their labels truly do match their content. As a result, CI has awarded them top scores in each category, and they all have a full "Wheat Rating."

Brands that are fully committed to producing organic, GMO-free cereal and granola
• Ambrosial (Ambrosial Organic Inc. / Independent Company)

• Country Choice Organic (Country Choice Organic / Independent Company)

• Farm to Table (Farm to Table Foods, Inc. / Independent Company)

• Go Raw (Freeland Foods / Independent Company)

• Grandy Oats (Grandy Oats / Independent Company)

• Great River Organic Milling (Great River Organic Milling / Independent Company)

• Kaia (Kaia Foods / Independent Company)

• Laughing Giraffe (Laughing Giraffe Inc. / Independent Company)

• Lydia's Organics (Lydia's Organics / Independent Company)

• Nature's Path (Nature's Path / Independent Company)

• Tierra Farm (Tierra Farm / Independent Company)

• Two Moms in the Raw (Two Moms in the Raw / Independent Company)

Each one of these brands scored full points in all seven rating categories, including the organic status of their products; commitment by their corporate owner(s) to organics; policies against GMOs as a brand; policies against GMOs by corporate owner; level of hexane found in products; stance over use of agrichemicals by brand and product; and stance over use of agrichemicals by owner(s).

Some of the largest and most well-known brands in this category include Country Choice Organic, Kaia Foods, and Nature's Path.

Other companies that scored slightly less than perfect, but that deserve a mention for their commitment to organics, include Eco-Planet, Grawnola, Green Barn Organics, Food for Life, and Erewhon. Each one of these brands sells only 100 percent organic cereal and granola products (except for Grawnola and Erewhon).

To view the entire CI Cereal Scorecard and learn more about the criteria used to rate each brand, visit:
http://cornucopia.org/cereal-scorecard/


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