In reality, much of what we eat every day comes from genetically modified organisms.

Whether these foods are healthy or not is still a matter for debate, but…  Do you know which are the 7 most common transgenic foods?

Labelled

Until 2018 it was not necessary to label food as genetically modified in the US  However, there are restrictions and even outright bans in many other countries.

In the European Union, any product whose “genetic material has been modified in a way that does not occur in natural mating and / or recombination” must be labeled.

The data you’ll find below is based on the United States.

1) Corn

Almost 85 percent of the corn grown in the US is transgenic. Many growers modify corn to make it resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, used against weeds.

2) Soy

Soy is the most genetically modified food in the United States.

In fact, the largest American producer of hybrid seeds, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, created a genetically modified soybean approved in 2010. It was modified to have a high level of oleic acid (found in olive oil). This monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol.

3) Pumpkin and zucchini

The production of these genetically modified products is relatively small. However, they can be found in the USA.

They contain protein genes that protect them against viruses.

4) Alfalfa

The cultivation of transgenic alfalfa was approved in 2011.

It consists of a gene that makes it resistant to the herbicide Roundup. In this way, farmers can spray the chemical without damaging the alfalfa.

5) Canola

Canola has been genetically modified since its approval in 1996, and as of 2006, about 90 percent of canola crops in the United States are genetically modified .

6) Sugar beet

The US approved GMO sugar beets in 2005, banned it in 2010, and then approved it again in 2012.

Genetically modified sugar beet constitutes half of the sugar production in the US  It is also 95 percent of the sugar beet market in the country.

7) Milk

To increase the amount of milk they produce, cows are fed rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone).

This hormone is banned in the European Union, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.