Those antibiotics worked quickly and I was happy to be healthy again, but imagine if you were given medicine, specifically antibiotics, and they didn’t work. What if the doctor had to try multiple doses of different and increasingly potent drugs before they could get your infection under control? What if they couldn’t get it under control at all?  I swear my mother’s doctor will give her antibiotics “just in case” even if she only has a cold, or maybe she asks for them? Medical overuse is the main reason for antibiotic resistance in humans, but the other major reason is agriculture.

Antibiotics and agriculture? A strange combination, right? The use of antibiotics to treat illness in humans seems totally unrelated to agriculture – until you realize that about 70 percent of all antibiotics used in the United States is routinely fed to farm animals – and not animals that are sick either.

What are antibiotics and antibiotic resistance?

Antibiotics are natural, semi-synthetic or synthetic agents that are classified by whether they kill bacteria or inhibit its growth. One critical point is that antibiotics only attack bacteria, such as those that cause strep; they don’t work on viruses, such as those that cause a cold or flu.  While antibiotics are attacking bacteria that make you ill they also harm bacteria in your digestive tract that is necessary to keep you healthy, potentially causing other health problems. Penicillin was the first antibiotic to effectively treat previously deadly diseases such as syphilis, but many people are allergic to penicillin. There are now as many as 150 different types of antibiotics, which can attack bacteria that cause everything from earaches to life threatening cardiac infections.

Antibiotic resistance means that a specific bacterium has become resistant to a particular antibiotic that was previously effective in attacking it and results from an evolutionary “survival of the fittest.”. When an antibiotic does not kill all of the harmful bacteria, those that survive can mutate and reproduce, creating new, more resistant colonies. The result is a multi-resistant strain, sometimes called a superbug. In addition to the over-prescribing and inappropriate use of antibiotics in humans, the enormous insertion of antibiotics into our food supply at factory farms contributes to the development of resistant bacteria and their transfer to humans through food, workers and soil and water contamination.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an example of an infection that in the past was effectively treated with antibiotics but has become resistant to many of these drugs, making it difficult to treat. MRSA is often spread in hospitals (my grandfather contracted MRSA in a nursing home), and is also found outside of hospitals, not only in humans, but also in animals on factory farms. It has been estimated that at least 18,000 Americans die every year from drug-resistant infections.  In addition, the National Academy of Sciences calculates that increased health care costs associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria exceed $4 billion each year in the United States alone – a figure that reflects the price of pharmaceuticals and longer hospital stays, but does not account for lost workdays, lost productivity or human suffering.

Antibiotics in agriculture

In agriculture, antibiotics are found on most factory farms, where they are routinely fed to healthy animals including poultry, swine, cattle and sheep (and farmed fish) for non-therapeutic reasons – to ward off potential infections due to overcrowding and unsanitary conditions and also to promote rapid growth. Many of the millions of pounds of antibiotics fed to healthy animals each year are the same drugs used to fight infections in humans – Tetracycline, penicillin, erythromycin and others.

The antibiotics given to the animals on factory farms are excreted in their manure, which then contaminates the surrounding soil and water, often by being sprayed onto food crops as fertilizer. Studies have found trace amounts of antibiotics in plants grown with this manure. Not only are the crops contaminated, but the meat and dairy from these non-organic animals is also contaminated. There is a possibility that this also applies to organic produce as there is no regulation of the manure used on organic crops. A study done at Johns Hopkins University showed that workers at the factory farms are also exposed to airborne bacteria, which can provide a pathway to transfer antibiotic-resistant bacteria from animals to humans. The soil is contaminated, the water is contaminated, our food is contaminated and we are being steadily dosed with antibiotics without our permission, contributing to the antibiotic resistant bacteria that threaten our health.

The medical community has become so alarmed by this fact that the American Medical Association has joined hundreds of other health and environmental groups in lobbying Congress to outlaw the practice of routinely feeding antibiotics to healthy animals on factory farms – a practice that is also banned in Europe and elsewhere.

In 2003, the World Health Organization recommended countries phase out the use of antibiotic growth promoters in animal feed. “Basing its recommendation on a study conducted following a 1998 voluntary ban of such growth promoters in Denmark, WHO said the phase-out would help preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for therapeutic use. According to the report, the cost of producing pigs in Denmark rose about 1 percent and antibiotic use to treat sick animals increased after the ban, but the overall amount of antibiotics used on Danish farms fell by about 50 percent. More important, the amount of resistant bacteria in pork and chicken declined substantially. For instance, before the ban, 60 to 80 percent of chickens had bacteria resistant to three widely used antibiotics. After the ban, that number had dropped to 5 to 35 percent of the birds.”

What does this mean to agriculture?

As Tom Philpott points out in Grist, industrial animal farming may be impossible without routine antibiotic use. “Stuffing animals together over their own sh*t essentially ruins their immune systems; antibiotics keep them alive long enough to reach slaughter weight. The industry’s very business model may be the root of the problem—fixing it might mean slaughtering the meat industry itself, and returning to smaller scale, pastured-based meat-production models. That would mean significantly less meat in our diets. No doubt, though, H.R. 1549 represents a step forward.”

What is the future of agriculture without antibiotics? Organic certification takes does not allow the use of antimicrobials. An animal can be treated for an illness with antibiotics, but then that animal cannot be sold as organic. This is a very important distinction between organic and industrial animal production.

How can we avoid these unnecessary antibiotics?

• Use the Eat Well Guide to find stores and restaurants that offer sustainable meat and dairy products. Stay away from factory farmed meat and dairy.

• Watch The Meatrix and share it with friends and family. It is a great introduction to the problems with industrial agriculture, including the overuse of antibiotics.

• Support small farms by purchasing meat from local producers. Ask questions about their practices to find out if and how they use antibiotics. Many small farmers employ sustainable practices, even if they aren’t certified organic. If you are buying meat from a store, read the labels! If you need more help deciphering confusing labels, check out our Glossary of Meat Production Methods.

• As with so many issues – our collective buying power is an important tool. Buying antibiotic-free meat sends a strong message to the industrial farming giants – if enough consumers change their buying habits, they will have to change their practices.

• Avoid processed foods. Cooking at home with meat, dairy and produce bought from known sustainable sources (Farmers, CSAs, Farmers Markets, Coops, Independent Grocery Stores) is an important way to control what goes into our bodies.

• Eat less meat and dairy. It’s good for you and good for the planet too. Check out the Meatless Monday campaign for more information.

I stopped eating meat when I was about 16 (not because I was smart enough to know about antibiotic resistance!), which has limited my intake of these agricultural antibiotics, but I’ve unknowingly ingested them through water, vegetables, and dairy products – the run off from our industrial food system. Antibiotic resistance will continue to be a concern for our families and communities, not just in the United States, but globally. The cost of health care increases with the resistant bacterial infections, and we know our health care system is already stressed! Please be responsible with your use of antibiotics and be cautious when purchasing food. Local, sustainable, whole foods are the key to a healthy body and to maintaining the Earth for future generations!

Please continue reading about this very important subject.  Here are some interesting links to get you started.

Keep Antibiotics Working

Chairwoman Slaughter’s Statement On Agriculture Subcommittee Hearing on Animal Health, Antibiotics Thursday, September 25, 2008

Antibiotics in Agriculture

Antibiotics: Use them wisely

Hogging It!: Estimates of Antimicrobial Abuse in Livestock

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Blog

Superbug Blog

While the investigation did lead to increased regulation, we are still dealing with unnecessary pesticide use today. New stories pop up frequently about the possible connection between pesticides and Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, autism, cancer, poisonings, infertility and more. The problems seemed clear 40 years ago: why is it that we are just learning that new studies on atrazine, a commonly used weedkiller, may be more harmful to humans that previously thought, being “associated with birth defects, low birth weights and reproductive problems among humans, even at concentrations that meet current federal standards.” (Regulators Plan to Study Risks of Atrazine New York Times, Oct. 7, 2009)

What are pesticides?

Natural pesticides do exist, like planting garlic with tomatoes to keep red spider mites away.  But we are talking about chemical pesticides, which I will refer to as “pesticides” throughout this post. Pesticides are used to kill or discourage pests which can take the form of bugs, weeds, germs, animals like mice, birds, gophers, and more. Their use is nothing new; by the 15^th century people were using toxic substances such as arsenic on crops to kill pests and arsenic-based pesticides were dominant up until the 1950s. But it was in the 1940s when synthetic pesticides began to be produced, and the 1960s when the associated problems were brought to the attention of the public. Pesticides can be used directly to poison whatever they are applied on, or in a systemic way, poisoning the pollen and nectar of a plant. This type of poisoning will kill insects, but can be problematic, also killing needed pollinators. Pesticides have many categories (such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and repellents), and various ways of working; you can find more detailed information here.

Where do you find pesticides?

Today we use pesticides in our homes to kill ants, mice, cockroaches, and other annoying creatures. We use them on our pets to repel fleas, and if they get fleas, we “bomb” the house with pesticides to get rid of them. There are signs posted in the subway and in the park next to my house telling me to be cautious of the poisons recently sprayed or pellets left behind.  We spray them on our bodies to avoid mosquito bites, and DDT (banned for use in the US) is still used to prevent the spread of malaria in many countries. They are used to keep our lawns weed-free, backyard gardens bug-free and on a much larger scale in industrial agriculture. Industrial agriculture is extremely reliant on pesticides. They are an inherent part of growing monoculture crops, either by direct spraying or by embedding pesticides innately within the plants themselves though genetic modification. Further, industrial farms use these crops to feed livestock. The residues of these pesticides end up in the soil and water and are often found in our food.

Why are pesticides a problem?

They are everywhere! When DDT was first used as a pesticide, it was hailed for reasons that we now wisely condemn – toxic to a wide range of pests, didn’t have to be reapplied often, didn’t wash off in rains, cheap and easy.  DDT was banned in the US in 1972, and at the time, in a study conducted by the United States Public Health Service of restaurant and institutional meals, DDT was found in every single meal. Even with the ban on DDT, there are still millions of pounds of EPA approved pesticides produced and used each year. Pesticides can enter the body in many different ways – inhalation, ingestion, and direct contact with eyes or skin. Some pesticides accumulate in fatty tissue (bioaccumulation) and are endocrine disruptors. Repeated contact with even small doses of pesticides can cause build up in the body, possibly causing immune and nervous system disorders years after exposure. Because children have a habit of putting things in their mouths and because their bodies are still developing, they are at great risk of pesticide poisoning. With recent reports that some pesticides (such as atrazine) are not considered as safe as was thought in the past, we need to be more diligent to avoid them. Also, pesticides that have recently been banned could still be lurking in products that you have left over from years ago!

How do pesticides relate to sustainable food?

Farmers who employ sustainable practices are by definition addressing the undeniable need for pesticides. They use the very least toxic substances and in the smallest amounts possible to avoid damaging the health of humans and of the planet, thereby making farming truly sustainable for the future. While pesticides might still be used, sustainable farmers also consider options like Integrated Pest Management (IPM). This type of pest control operates by using methods such as rotating between different crops, selecting pest-resistant varieties, and planting pest-free rootstock.

Industrial use of pesticides continues to cause problems:

• Pesticides greatly impact biodiversity.
• Systemic insecticides which poison pollen and nectar in the flowers of plants have the potential to kill bees – an essential part of the growing cycle.
• Insects have become resistant to pesticides causing farmers to use more spray than necessary.
• It is estimated that only 80% of ground applied pesticides reach their targeted areas; the rest ends up in the air, water, or ground that it wasn’t intended for.
• Many health problems can be easily traced back to pesticide contamination, with higher reports near industrial farming sites (“Groups Petition EPA to Require Buffer Zones Around Pesticide Sprayed Farms” Beyond Pesticides, Oct. 16, 2009).

How to avoid pesticides?

I am a true believer in avoiding pesticides as much as I can. With Alzheimer’s disease in my family and the link between pesticides and neurological disorders being made, why would I take the chance? Avoiding pesticides is essential to keeping yourself and your family healthy now and in the future. While it is impossible to avoid pesticides 100% of the time, making any changes we can will be helpful in the long run.

• If you are using any type of pesticide, always read labels, ingredients and instructions on how much of the pesticide to use.
• Avoid the Dirty Dozen. Keep this list from the Environmental Working Group with you all the time. It lists fruits and vegetables that you should always buy organic. I have it on my iPhone; it’s really handy. You can also download and print a copy, or just memorize it.
• Use homemade or natural cleaning products.
• Use homemade or natural defenses against bugs in your home, lawn and garden.
• Think before you spray. It might take more time and internet research to find an alternative to the pesticide you are used to using, but it is important to try; find a good remedy and share it with your friends. Check out the “Non-Pesticide Advisor” at www.panna.org.
• As always, buy local sustainable and organic produce, meat and dairy as often as you can. Remember that just because a farm isn’t certified organic, doesn’t mean that they don’t employ sustainable practices. Please ask questions!
• From www.panna.org: reject anti-bacterial products. Many people are unaware that some soap, toothpaste, and beauty and laundry products needlessly include the antibacterial pesticide triclosan. To fight germs, use soap and warm water instead.

I hope that this series is helping readers make a serious connection between personal health and sustainable food! Please peruse the other posts about HFCS and GMOs here, and if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to email me at dawn@sustainabletable.org or comment below.

Some very informative websites:

http://www.panna.org/

http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/factsheets/alpha_fs.htm

http://www.ncfap.org/pesticideuse.html

http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/

To start at the beginning – what are Genetically Modified Organisms? GMOs have had their DNA altered in a way that doesn’t happen naturally. Individual genes are transferred from one organism to another to obtain a desired trait or characteristic, including transfer between non-related species (such as placing jellyfish genes in pig embryos to create glowing pigs). The process is referred to as “modern biotechnology,” “gene technology,” “recombinant DNA technology” or “genetic engineering.”  For a more detailed and scientific description, read here. GM Food is usually created for a perceived benefit for the consumer or producer, such as a nutritional benefit, or a production benefit such as insect resistance or durability. The first commercial GM crops were released in the early 1990s.

Where do you find GMOs? Despite the very short amount of time that GMOs have been on the market, they have already infiltrated 60–75% of food products in the United States! As of 2003, most of the GM crops in the world were concentrated in the United States (63%) – and just a few other countries – Argentina (21%), Canada (6%), Brazil (4%), China (4%), and South Africa (1%). By 2006, staple crops that had become dominated by GMOs in the United States were soybeans (91% GM), cotton (88% GM), and corn (85% GM). In addition to GM crops, cattle operations often inject the genetically modified hormone rBGH, into their dairy cows and other hormones into beef cattle, and most cattle feed is also made from GM crops.

You can find GMOs in most processed food items that are non-organic and not labeled “non-GMO.” The most common GMO ingredients include:

From corn: corn oil, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn starch, corn meal

From canola: canola oil

From cotton: cottonseed oil

From soy beans: soy protein, soy oil, soy sauce

In fact, while soy products are touted as health food, if you aren’t getting organic soy products (or products labeled non-GMO), there is a good chance that you are eating GM soy! Any of these soy products could easily be GM: soy flour, soy protein, soy isolates, soy isoflavones, soy lecithin, vegetable proteins, textured vegetable protein (TVP), tofu, tamari, tempeh, and soy supplements.

Many other ingredients in processed foods (usually the ones you’ve never heard of and can’t pronounce) are also often made up of corn, soy, canola, and cottonseed – so watch out. The True Food Network has a helpful pamphlet that you can download with about 75 “Invisible GM Ingredients” to look out for.

Why are GMOs a problem? First of all, they have only been around for 20ish years. That’s not much time to find out what they will do.  Second, testing hasn’t been extensive or rigorous due to a revolving door of personnel between government regulatory agencies and companies like Monsanto that are heavily invested in GMOs (read here for more details on this problem). These huge and powerful agribusinesses successfully lobbied for the introduction of GM foods before proper testing had been completed. Because of this, we don’t know what will happen to human health and the environment in the long run. Many countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all the countries in the European Union, have banned GMOs because they have not been proven safe. The book, “Seeds of Deception” details the many studies and effects that have raised serious concerns about GMOs. Here’s my condensed version of a few health risks discussed on the Seeds of Deception website:

1. Animals fed several different GM crops have had intestinal damage, liver cell and  pancreatic problems, infertility, and even died. Multiple allergic reactions have been noted in humans.
2. Gene insertion disrupts the host DNA and can create unpredictable health problems. Gene insertion may accidentally switch on harmful genes and dormant viruses, create genetic instability and mutations, increase toxins and reduce beneficial phytonutrients in food.
3. The protein produced by the inserted gene may create allergies, kidney damage and illness-causing viruses.
4. Transfer of GM genes to a human may create antibiotic-resistant diseases.
5. The risks, in general, are higher for children and newborns.

How do GMOs relate to sustainable food? Oh, let me count the ways (a few at least) that GMOs are damaging to sustainable farming and the healthy food it produces:

• A scary fact – GM contamination is hard to avoid. Natural pollen movement, weather, seed contamination, and human error can all spread GMOs to fields that are supposed to be non-GM, contaminating them.

• The natural cycle that sustainable farming relies on can be disrupted, often permanently. An example from the Action Bioscience website: “In Britain, a native farm bird, the Skylark, was indirectly affected by the introduction of GM sugar beets designed to resist herbicides. In planting this crop, the weeds were reduced substantially. However, since the birds rely on the seeds of this weed in autumn and winter, researchers expect that up to 80% of the Skylark population would have to find other means of finding food.”

• Herbicide tolerant GM crops have created weed resistance, causing pesticide use to increase by 70 million pounds between 1996 and 2003.

• Herbicide tolerant GM crops may pose a health risk to the native animals that eat them, again harming the natural cycle that sustainable farming relies on.

• There is a potentially detrimental effect on beneficial insects – possibly affecting insects that sustainable farms rely on to keep from using more insecticides than necessary.

• GM crops are grown in monocultures, causing damage to the soil, therefore requiring more chemicals to be grown.

How to Avoid GMOs?

• Buy certified organic foods, foods labeled “non-GMO” and talk to farmers about their growing practices. (Find sources for sustainable food near you at the Eat Well Guide.)
• Stay away from processed foods.
• Cook your own meals – this will allow you to have control over the ingredients.
• From the “Non-GMO Shopping Guide” – Avoid at-risk ingredients – corn, soy, canola, cottonseed.
• Download the “Non-GMO Shopping Guide” for additional helpful tips.

I think that people have the idea that our government is testing GM foods for safety before they are released to the public, but this is not true. The FDA has no safety testing requirements, and often the reports they do rely on come from biased studies supported by companies like Monsanto. But we are catching on, and it’s clear by the work being done to keep GMOs labeled (“‘Non-GMO’ Seal Identifies Foods Mostly Biotech-Free” NYTimes) and court cases being brought against the approval of GMO crops (“Victory! Court Finds USDA Violated Federal Law by Allowing Genetically Engineered Sugar Beets on the Market” True Food Now).

Advertisers are scrambling to tell us that their food is “all natural,” but that label does not guarantee in any way that their products are not GMO. So they are hearing us, they are following customer desires for healthy food, but they are also still trying to fool us. We need to do our homework if we are to spend our money on food that nourishes us and stop buying unhealthy, GM food.

It’s important, however, not get overwhelmed with this information. Each step we take to be aware of the industrial food system that has been forced on us leads us one step closer to changing the system to a sustainable and healthy one for ourselves and future generations. Make one change today and see how it goes. Add another next month; they all make a big difference.

A few articles and websites for further reading:

True Food Now – The Center for Food Safety, has a wonderful website that was very helpful in writing this article. Please check them out for further information.

The Seed of Deception website was also very helpful and worth checking out.

GE Food

20 Questions on Genetically Modified Food

Genetically Modified Ingredients Overview

Health Risks of GM Foods: Summary and Debate

Healthy Eating Starts With No Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Executive Summary: The Case for a GM-Free Sustainable World

Sugar beets spur county to reconsider biotech food

Let’s start at the beginning – what is HFCS? Sugar as we know it traditionally came from sugar cane and later from sugar beets. HFCS was developed from corn in the late 1950s, refined for industrial production in the 1970s, and introduced into many processed foods from 1975-1985 – a big dietary and nutritional change that went largely unnoticed over the past 35 years.

One clue into what HFCS is – it was developed in a lab, not grown and milled. There is a long process that corn goes through to become HFCS, you can read a good description here. A simple (ha, I just read it again, it’s not simple) explanation is that corn is milled into corn starch, then processed to yield corn syrup (which is almost entirely glucose), then enzymes are added to change the glucose into fructose. The fructose, which is very sweet, is mixed with the first round of corn syrup to make it the strength that is needed, most often 42 or 55 percent fructose. It is highly refined, extremely sweet and has preservative properties.

Why is HFCS bad for our health? There are many theories about HFCS and its connection to personal health. You can find studies stating that it is no worse for a person than regular sugar, and studies saying that HFCS leads to obesity, diabetes, cancer – because of its synthetic makeup. HFCS is in thousands of processed foods including, but not limited to: bread, peanut butter, ketchup, tomato sauce, soda, fast food, cereal, salad dressing, yogurt, sauces, jam/jelly, ice cream… you get the idea.

If we compare HFCS to sugar with the theory that the two are no different, they are still both problematic for our health. Sugar, which for hundreds of years was eaten only in very small quantities, is today consumed in enormous amounts in the U.S. (some estimates range up to 150 pounds per person per year), contributing greatly to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and many other health problems – many of them preventable. Moderation is the key for the healthy inclusion of sweeteners in our diets, whether sugar or HFCS.

If we look at HFCS as a synthetic creation that is different from plain old white sugar, some of the concerns that arise are:

• Because of the way that HFCS is processed in the body, it is said to limit the secretion of the hormone leptin, which signals the body that we’ve had enough to eat. Without the proper signal to stop eating, we consume more than necessary.
• Insulin resistance is also caused by the way HFCS is processed in the body.
• HFCS is sweeter than most sugars. Because of this, our taste buds adjust to sweeter and sweeter products, causing cravings for more sugar and leading to an unhealthy diet.
• Mercury has been found in HFCS. Part of the production process often uses mercury-grade caustic soda. Mercury was recently found in 9 out of 20 samples from 3 different manufacturers.
• The corn used to make HFCS is mostly genetically modified varieties. Genetically modified food presents a whole other set of problems that I will address as part of this series. When the Corn Refiners Association was questioned about GMO corn in HFCS, they defended themselves by saying, ”While the corn used to produce high fructose corn syrup may or may not have been produced using genetically enhanced corn, existing scientific literature and current testing results indicate that corn DNA cannot be detected in measurable amounts in high fructose corn syrup.” Hmmm, what did it turn into? Didn’t it start out as corn?
• The rapid rise in obesity in the U.S. correlates to the introduction of HFCS into processed food.
• Type 2 diabetes is on the rise, and is often linked to HFCS.
• HFCS can cause mineral imbalances in the body, converts to fat more than other sugars, and can increase the concentration of uric acid, slow down the immune system – among other notable side effects in the body.

With all of these problems, why would we continue to ingest this supposed “food”? In fact, many companies are now moving away from HFCS, replacing it with “real sugar.” That’s enough for me to believe something is wrong with it. A few of the companies that have started to make a switch in some of their products are Pepsi, Coke, Pizza Hut, Kraft, and ConAgra – big names! Sweet Surprise – the Corn Refiners Association’s website defending HFCS – pops up on any website I consulted for this blog post that had Google advertising (paid ads come onto the site matching the topic of the site). They are trying hard to dispel the truth – HFCS is not a positive nutritional addition to anyone’s diet.

Sustainability Issues Related to High Fructose Corn Syrup

How does HFCS relate to sustainable food and agriculture?

• Corn is a heavily subsidized crop in the U.S. Because of this, many farmers grow corn and nothing else. People often say that our government is subsidizing obesity by continuing corn subsidies. The subsidies keep farmers from growing vegetables and fruit and from growing diversified crops – a very important part of sustainable agriculture.
• Most of the corn used for HFCS is genetically modified. In fact, it is hard to stay away from GMO corn even if you want to. The Sethness Caramel Color company had this to say about their caramel color made from corn: “In the United States, genetically modified varieties of yellow dent corn are not segregated from traditional yellow dent corn. Consequently, corn wet millers purchasing corn on the open market are most probably using an agricultural raw material that does contain some GMO corn.” Yellow dent corn is most of the corn crop in the U.S. and is not edible by humans.
• HFCS has replaced sugar in many processed foods mostly due to the fact that it is cheaper than sugar. It is cheaper than sugar because of taxpayer-funded government subsidies for corn and government tariffs on imports of sugar. Basing decisions about food on the cheapest product available is what led to the industrial food system that we are now fighting against.
• Intensive corn production is taxing on the environment – especially on soil and water.

How to Avoid HFCS?

It’s not new news to most people that HFCS isn’t good for you, but it’s still confusing. Because it’s so confusing, my gut instinct is to just eliminate HFCS from my diet. HFCS is most likely damaging to my health, so I don’t want to ingest it.

How to avoid HFCS:

• Start reading labels – don’t buy anything with HFCS. The less HFCS in your diet, the more your taste buds will adjust to less sweet flavors. One popular product that has HFCS is Heinz Ketchup. Kids (and adults) love ketchup! If you buy the Heinz organic ketchup, the ingredients don’t include HFCS. Don’t forget to keep in mind that it still contains sugar!  You can also buy organic brands of ketchup with no sugar if you prefer that route.
• Use natural sweeteners (in moderation) – raw honey, sucanat, maple syrup, agave (bonus – low glycemic index), fruit juice, apple sauce, brown rice syrup – be creative.
• Cut out soda. Even if that soda doesn’t have HFCS, one can of soda includes the total amount of added sugars that a person should have in a day.
• 100% Fruit juice is a great soda replacement – but it still has lots of sugar, cut it with water or seltzer for a refreshing treat. Or have a glass of water with lemon.
• Cook. When you cook, you can control what goes into your food. I sweeten desserts with apple sauce and salad dressings with agave.

Ease into this! If you start reading your labels and realize that you are buying many products with HFCS, pick one to eliminate, and see how it goes. Find a good replacement for the product, and soon you will be ready to tackle the next.

I’m sure this has brought up questions, please feel free to comment below.

This series “Sustainable Food: If This Doesn’t Convince You, Nothing Will” is by Dawn Brighid, marketing manager for Sustainable Table, a program of GRACE.

A few articles and websites for further reading:

The Corn Refiners Associations website to promote HFCS

The Murky World of High-Fructose Corn Syrup

The Fat of the Land: Do Agricultural Subsidies Foster Poor Health?

Not so Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup

Dark Sugar: The decline and fall of high fructose corn syrup

High Fructose Corn Syrup

These videos are just too amazing to pass up – the first is the real ad supporting HFCS from the Corn Refiners Association and the second is a spoof from the guys who made the movie “King Corn” – enjoy!

So what’s it going to take to get your community hooked on sustainable food? If you are reading this, you probably already know about many of the problems with our food system and you’re probably making some efforts to change your buying and eating habits. But what about your parents? Your neighbors? The people shopping the inside isles at conventional grocery stores in your town? What is it going to take for us to reach out to that next layer of eaters and entice them with sustainable food?

Climate change’s connection to our food system is a big deal (you can read about it here), but it isn’t something that we can see on a daily basis. It’s there, but personally, it doesn’t pop up on my “urgent” radar every day. For some, climate change might be their connection to sustainable food. For others it might be animal welfare, worker’s issues, or water pollution. You never know what will be the enticing issue that leads a person to investigate the problems in our food system. But I do know that there is one thing that none of us can get away from… personal health.

The connection between personal health and sustainable food is undeniable. And my personal health is something that I can’t get away from – I wake up everyday feeling good or feeling bad. Not to mention, I also have to deal with the health of my family and friends – every day. Most people aren’t quiet about their aches and pains either. So for some who haven’t found their way to sustainable food, personal health might be that hook we are looking for!

If I tell you that sustainable food can greatly increase your health, does that get your attention? Do you think that your parents, neighbors, and people shopping at the conventional grocery stores might be more curious about sustainable food if they thought it could help them avoid diseases? Is the fact that sustainable food can greatly influence health enough reason to pay attention? I’d like to think that it is!

Just as the industrial agricultural system is a major influence in climate change, it is also a major influencer in the bad health of our country. We need to address the whole food system, but while that is happening (that is happening, right?), I appeal to you to take your food more seriously based on the simple fact that it will increase your health.

Over the next few weeks, I will go into the many connections between personal health and sustainable food that are worth paying attention to. We are all concerned about our health and the health of our families, and learning how to maintain and increase your health also happens to be a great introduction to sustainable food. Here are some issues I will explore in this series:

• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Genetically Modified Food
• Pesticides/Herbicides
• Meat Consumption
• Local Food/Gardening
• Processed Foods
• Antibiotics
• Indulgence/Moderation
• Food as Medicine
• Obesity/Disease

I’m out of the office in sunny California next week, but check back the week of the 21^st for more!

This new series “Sustainable Food: If This Doesn’t Convince You, Nothing Will” is by Dawn Brighid, marketing manager for Sustainable Table, a program of GRACE.