Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are plants which have been developed through bio-technology which may include insertion of DNA from other species into the plant to promote characteristics desired by the developer. An increasing number of commercial commodity crops are dominated by GMO varieties. Many consumers are wary of purchasing and consuming GMO food products. With guidance from governmental and non-profit certification programs, consumers can determine which grains and other foods are not GMO.
Organic Grains
The Agricultural Marketing Service of the United States Department of Agriculture administers the National Organic Program, a system of regulations which certifies American food products as organic if they meet the required government standards. Among those standards is a mandate that certified organic food products and all their ingredients may not contain GMOs. Any grains or grain products that have the USDA Certified Organic seal or are found in prepared foods such as breads, cereals and cookies labeled as either USDA Certified Organic or 100% Organic will be free from GMOs. Read labels carefully, however. Products labeled as containing or made from organic ingredients may have other non-organic and GMO ingredients, and label terms like "all natural" have no legal meaning and may be applied to products that contain GMOs.
Non-GMO Companies
Products from companies who have signed the pledge to remain GMO-free and received the endorsement of the Non-GMO Project, a non-profit collective of food producers, retailers, distributors and consumers, are free from GMO grains. Non-GMO Project publishes lists of the companies which have taken the non-GMO pledge and the brand names of their GMO-free products. Non-GMO Project certified companies selling grains and grain-based prepared foods include 356, Eden, Field Day, Grain Place Foods, Hodgson Mill, Lotus Foods, Lundberg Family Farms, Meijer Naturals, Nutiva, Pacific Northwest Farmers Cooperative, Salba, Stahlbush Island Farm, Stone Buhr Flour Company, Woodstock Farms and Gogo.
Types of Grains
There are over 60 GMO crops on the market, but of these, corn and soybeans are the only GMO grains being marketed as of December 2009, according to FoodConsumer.org, a non-profit news and information resource providing consumers with information about the food industry. Purchasing 100 percent whole grains other than soybeans or corn--such as oats, wheat, rice, quinoa, sorghum, spelt or barley--as single-ingredient items will avoid GMOs at present. However, some plant development companies have proposed genetically modified wheat and oats, so these grains may not be GMO-free in the near future. Prepared food products containing wheat, rice or other non-GMO grains may not be entirely GMO free, as other ingredients in the product may contain GMOs.
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