So you are looking at two tomatoes. Both are nice and red, and appear plump and juicy. You're thinking lycopene and randomly go for the one on the left. But wait. Is this a genetically engineered food (GEF)? How can you tell? Does it have a special marking on it if it is GEF?

The problem, of course, is that the answer is no. You can't tell, just by looking, if a food is genetically engineered.

If you could, would you be willing to buy it? In other words, if the tomato in front of you MOSTLY looks like a tomato, but is a little odd looking, are you going to buy it? Not likely. So GEF needs to look like non-GEF in order to compete in the marketplace.

Which brings us to another issue: competition. The fact is that GEF does not need to compete in the marketplace. Most of what we buy is GEF. This is why most of what we buy is nutritionally supplemented. Most of the vegetables we buy come from genetically modified hybrid seeds. How can you know this? Try planting a tomato plant from a seed you got from the Beefsteak tomato you bought the other day. It won't work. The seed is inert and useless.

So now we start to wonder. Is is true that GEF is not very good for you? Are those studies that show that immune systems may weaken due to GEF intake true? Unfortunately, yes, it appears to be the case. GEF does not have what normal organic food has. It is not in its natural state and it appears that despite our best efforts, humans simply cannot copy creation.

So now you need to try to tell if one tomato is organic and the other is, by simple extension, GEF. Check the label on the bin. Choose the one that is organic. Better yet, grow your own vegetables organically. Use Heritage Seeds, so that the seeds of your veggies will breed true.

In the end, how can you recognize GEF at your grocery store? Simply assume that unless it says otherwise, it is. Then buy non-GEF and start writing letters to your representatives, pressuring them to get after the issue of useless GEF. Oh, and growing tomatoes is easy. Drop me a line and I will give you some tips.

Learn more about this author, Jared Garrett.
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