Got The Blues About GMO Corn? Two Varieties Remain Uncontaminated
In case you’re wondering, YES
Your suspicion that the bucket of “cleaning fluid” used to sanitize the elementary music class recorders smelled a little funny was spot on. After one very shocking junior high truth or dare session with a group of boys from several elementary schools (and other girls), it became crystal clear why a few of them rarely asked to be excused to the restroom. [cringe]
Most of us can look back and laugh about those kinds of things – especially if we played the triangle and not the recorder! However, there’s a giant company that’s doing the equivalent of peeing in the bucket, only it’s our food supply and the “pee” is poison. Yesterday Kristen of Food Renegade posted a quote from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, which found that based on the seeds they’ve tested about half of America’s heirloom corn varieties are now contaminated with GMO strains. I’m not laughing, you?
Fortunately, if you want avoid GMO’s but can’t give up your chips, here are some options:
Blue Corn
According to the Institute For Responsible Technology, blue corn does not cross-pollinate with GMO varieties. You can buy the seeds to make your own cornmeal and corn chips or just buy some at the store.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind, though:
- Conventional corn is a heavily sprayed crop. Even if GMO’s are not a concern organic is still the way to go for this one. (See this post for times it’s not a huge deal to skip the organic label)
- Blue corn chips prepared with non-organic canola are likely to be GMO. Even if the canola is organic it may be contaminated. Safflower or sunflower are okay. Coconut oil is even better.
Popcorn
Here’s what blogger Elizabeth Yarnell has to say:
At the Seeds of Doubt conference recently, Jeffery Smith, executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and GMO expert, assured us that even though almost 90% of the corn grown and eaten in this country is GMO corn, popcorn comes from a different seed and has not been genetically modified.
So, while you should assume that your Doritos brand corn chips and those sweet corn cobs on sale at the grocery store are Genetically Modified even though they are not labeled as such, you’ll never have to worry about your popcorn being GMO. Makes you feel a little bit better about ordering that large tub at the movie theater!
Is this good news or WHAT!?!? I confess I’ll still be sneaking popcorn into the movie theater with real butter and salt, but it’s still great news. I double checked with the Institute For Responsible Technology website and was able to confirm that popcorn does not cross-pollinate with GMO varieties of yellow and white corn, leaving it’s status as one of the healthiest snacks you can eat intact.
Want one more reason to celebrate? Then check back this Friday, because I’m sharing a popcorn ball recipe you former Rice Krispy treat junkies do not want to miss!
Photo Credit: Asbestos, Abrahami cc
Taylor
Is there a kind of corn you can eat off the cob that is GMO free? Also, is it possible to find organic, GMO-free oil, blue tortilla/corn chips anywhere?
Heather
I think there’s a risk of cross-contamination with all sweet corn now, so you can never know for sure. Regarding the blue tortilla chips, I’d say if they were 100% blue corn fried in sunflower/safflower or coconut oil you’d be pretty safe. I’m not a huge fan of sunflower/safflower oil, but it’s definitely not GMO and sometimes I think that’s good enough
AmandaLP
One thing to watch for with Popcorn is that GMO crops require that 20% of the farmers plants have to be a “refuge” plant, aka not GMO. Many conventional GMO corn farmers use Popcorn as their refuge plant, so they are exposed to many of the same chemicals. So, go organic Popcorn for the pesticides, not the GMOs.
In other news, I saw a popped popcorn snack that proudly said “NON GMO POPCORN,” yet popped with conventional GMO canola oil.
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Heather
Definitely agree on going organic for all corn products. And wow, that’s really sad.
Sara
Whoa… My family (except for me) eats TONS of corn chips and other corn products, including pop corn. Personally, I find that the blue corn tastes better that yellow or white, which is the main reason I can say “no.” My brother loves his pop corn, though, so even though he nukes it in the microwave and it’s loaded with artificial flavors, at least it’s not GMO. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing!
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LeAnn
YAY!! Popcorn is literally my all-time favorite food! I prefer white popcorn, but haven’t found organic white where I live so I’ve settled for organic yellow. It’s great to know I can enjoy white without worry of GMO!
Heather
HI LeAnn! From what I understand some white corn varieties are GMO, but the variety specifically used for popcorn isn’t.
Lorina
Great post! Thanks for the info….so glad to hear about pop corn kernals…it had been heavy on my mind for a while now….but no more! Yeah!
Erin
Is it possible to obtain seeds for blue corn and grow them at home? Just curious – since it seems that all other fresh corn is likely tainted with GMOs.
Evette
I miss corn tortillas!!!! =(
Jessica
oh the madness!!! GMO and pesticides are in almost EVERYTHING. this is very scary. ahhh!
Prudence Baxter
Boy, do I wish I knew this a week ago! My husband and I just purchased our seeds for this years garden and had worked very hard trying to find some heirloom corn seeds so we would not have to worry about GMO’s. We did buy Japanese White Hull-less popcorn seeds, but the rest were either Golden Bantam Sweet Corn or Country Gentleman. So…do you cut out all corn products from your diet or what?
Heather
I’m not sure. Daniel and I are thinking we’ll try blue corn if we decide to plant any next year.
Jennifer
What is a non-gmo popcorn I can buy?
Heather
Hi Jennifer! According to the Institute For Responsible Technology, all popcorn is non-GMO. I personally would still get an organic brand though, because conventional corn is heavily sprayed with pesticides.
Kumquaty
yay!!!!!!! thank you for the good news…and so easy to remember
Jessica
My husband and I were JUST talking about this! He is going to be gardening on an acre this spring and selling to a local farmer. He said he wanted to do Blue Corn for fun and the first thing I said was, “is it non GMO??” (he already knew) what good timing!! Can you make tortillas and cornbread out of the cornmeal? I’m going to have to do some research!
Katie
So happy to see I can still get some good ‘ol corn without GMO’s..I want to try to make tortilla chips one of these days!
Thanks for doing the research on this,
Katie
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Susan
Great post. Can you share any of your favorite brands that are Non-GMO and Organic?
Sam Cobb
I find it hard to believe that popcorn is non-GMO when Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn is trademarked. A generic bag of popcorn at the grocery lists the ingredient as “popcorn” and the Orville (or other) brands say something like, “Orville Redenbacher popcorm (TM)”
Paula
I have to comment on the popcorn. I have a funny suspicion about it. If I eat non organic, I get the SAME reaction I do if I eat GMO corn. But I can eat organic no problem.
Kenneth
Your reaction to non-organic popcorn may be from the pesticides. As I understand from a previous poster, the same pesticides are used for non-organic popcorn as regular corn. Also, I’ve read that cottonseed oil is gmo. So, avoid anything soy, cottonseed, canola (rapeseed) and corn.
cutaway5
PLEASE UPDATE THIS INCORRECT INFO! I called Orville reddenbacher sevarl months ago, and they confirmed that ALL the POPCORN IS GMO!! Or, “genetically enhanced,” as they like to say.
You MUST buy organic if you want to avoid GMO popcorn. Newmans Own and Trader Joes are the only I know of.
E. Gasçon
Yes, you’re absolutely right, popcorn comes from a different seed that’s not genetically modified. We don’t have to worry about popcorn being GMO! Visit: Genetically Modified Foods in America | Health Documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd_X1-moZkc
47.08/57.06 (at this point in the video)
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