(Click The Poster Below To Visit The Right To Know Ohio Website, and To Reserve Your Seats To This Amazing Event!)

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Megan Westgate
Executive Director, Non GMO Project

On Thursday, Jan. 27th the USDA announced their decision to deregulate genetically modified Roundup Ready alfalfa. As much as it upset me, it really didn’t come as a huge surprise. I know the reality of how things work in our government. According to Food and Water Watch, biotech has spent more than half a billion dollars ($547 million) lobbying congress since 1999. Their lobby expenditures more than doubled during that time. In 2009 alone, they spent $71 Million. Last year they had more than 100 lobbying firms working for them, as well as their own in house lobbyists. Our industry can not compete with that.

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Click The Link Below To Listen To The Interview With Megan and Mark Talk About The Recent Announcement and the Impact on our Industry (60 Minutes)

KWMR – USDA Approval of GM Alfalfa – What Now!?

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Thursday proved to be a walk in the park next to what Friday had in store. After reading an article written by Ronnie Cummins from the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) “The Organic Elite Surrender to Monsanto, what now?”, I was left feeling completely defeated.  I felt defeated because of the division that I knew this could potentially create amongst the organic and natural community. Reading the comments of people calling for a boycott of Whole Foods Markets, Organic Valley and Stonyfield Farms literally left me feeling helpless and disillusioned. A boycott of organizations that have been so dedicated and instrumental in protecting the interests of our entire community. How was this possible?

“A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand”

I love this industry. I love that what we do increases the overall well being of those we serve. I urge you to listen to this interview. The information shared by Megan and Mark will help to clarify the attacks made against these corporations and share how “UNITED” we can make a difference.

Peace & Blessings,
Joy Schrock
President, Berlin Natural Bakery

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By Joy Schrock – President
Berlin Natural Bakery

Why we joined the Non-GMO Project and what it means to you.

As most of you know by now, Berlin Natural Bakery products are Non-GMO Project “Verified”. We have heard from many of you over the past month asking what exactly “genetically modified” means and to please provide additional information. In this letter, it is my goal to give you a brief overview of what GMOs are and share with you why we are so passionately committed to producing products free from these types of ingredients.

As always we encourage you not just to take our word for it on any issue. The best way to determine what you believe is by doing your own research. The information below will explain why we believe this is the most important issue that our current food supply is facing, and hopefully illustrate to you why these specific types of ingredients could be even more dangerous for those suffering with food allergies.

Today it is estimated that over 80% of processed food found on your grocery store shelves contain genetically modified ingredients. When I first heard this statistic, I did not believe it and at the same time two specific questions came to mind.

Question #1 How is it possible for these ingredients to be in over 80% of our products without us having any knowledge of it or the potential dangers of these ingredients?

Question #2 Why isn’t this specific information listed on our food labels letting us as consumers know that GMO ingredients are in the products?

I know all of this may sound crazy but unfortunately the 80% GMO statistic is an undeniable fact. As you continue reading you’ll soon realize how this came to be.

After becoming Non-GMO Project Verified we Created This Video To Celebrate The Accomplishment

What is a GMO?

A GMO (genetically modified organism) is the result of a laboratory process of taking genes from one species and inserting them into another in an attempt to obtain a desired trait or characteristic. This is a process that could not happen on its own in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods farmers have been using successfully and safely for hundreds of years.

For example, a gene from a Brazil nut was spliced into soybeans in an effort to increase the amino acids in the soybean which would create a more nutritious food for animals. The studies conducted by the biotech company on the soybean were done only on animals and they found the soybean to be safe. But thanks to the University of Nebraska’s findings, the production of this soybean was immediately halted. The University discovered that the soybean could induce potentially fatal allergic reactions in people that are sensitive to Brazil nuts. What Dr. Taylor at the University of Nebraska discovered prevented a potential public health disaster. This study also proves that allergens (proteins) are transferred in the process.

The U.S. Government’s position on the safety of genetically engineered crops relies on the findings from the biotech companies. If the biotech companies deem them as safe the U.S. government deems them as safe. This is the same philosophy that the U.S. government uses for off shore drilling. We all know how unreliable the safety measures were in the recent Gulf Coast oil spill. The biotech corporations are every bit as powerful as the oil corporations. The U.S. government does not believe that there is enough of a difference between GM crops and crops found in nature to be of concern.

I’m sure you will find it interesting that currently several of the most powerful positions in our government are being held by previous Monsanto employees. This includes a previous V.P./attorney to Monsanto who is now our newly appointed U.S. Food Safety Czar. He also is the same person that originally approved GM crops when he was in charge of the FDA.

The 3 greatest risks associated with GM foods are:

1) Toxicity
2) Allergens
3) Antibiotic resistance

All three of these risks are important. But for today, we are going to focus on “allergens”.

No one would argue that food related allergies have been rising at epidemic proportions over the last ten to fifteen years. An allergic reaction to a specific type of food is the bodies overreaction to a protein that the immune system reads as foreign and dangerous. Isn’t it interesting that the huge rise in allergy related illnesses started happening at the same time these foods were introduced?

Does it not make sense that when you are injecting DNA (protein) from one species to another that a person could suddenly develop an allergic reaction from the newly created bioengineered food? Could these newly created foods also be introducing a whole new set of allergens? Could these new proteins create an allergic reaction because our bodies don’t recognize them and identify them as foreign? It makes all the sense in the world to me.

If you have a food related allergy, how do you know which foods are safe and which foods could have hidden ingredients that could be dangerous to your health?

The answer is simple…you don’t.

According to the Center for Disease Control, it is estimated that 2% of adults and 8% of children are now suffering with some type of food allergy. According to the Consumer’s Union, medical polls show that 25% of American’s report that they or members of their family suffer from some type of food allergy or sensitivity.

More and more scientists are becoming concerned that new proteins spliced into genetically engineered foods could be allergenic. Dr. Rebecca Goldburg with the public interest group Environmental Defense states, “since genetic engineers mix genes from a wide variety of species, people who are allergic to one type of food may find that they are allergic to many more.” Proteins are what cause allergic reactions. Most all gene transfers in crops result in some protein production. New proteins will be found in crops from sources like peanuts, dairy and shellfish as well as from plants of all kinds, bacteria and viruses. The potential of these crops to create an allergic reaction is unknown.

If you want to avoid GMOs, eliminating these will greatly reduce your risk of exposure:

*Soy *Cotton *Canola *Corn *Sugar Beets *Hawaiian Papaya *Zucchini *Yellow Squash

Beware of other sources that are processed versions of these foods:

*Oils from the above list of ingredients, soy protein, soy lecithin, cornstarch, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup.

*Meat, eggs and dairy products from animals that have been fed GM feed. Most of the GM corn and soy grown is used for feed.

*Dairy products from cows injected with rbGH (a GM hormone)

*Food additives, enzymes, flavorings and processing agents, including the sweetener aspartame and rennet used to make hard cheeses

*Honey and bee pollen that may have GM sources of pollen.

USDA Certified Organic does not guarantee GMO free:

When the certified organic laws were written, the standards included that they would be free of GMOs. Back then this was not a big issue because GM crops were just starting to be planted. Due to poor practices of ensuring seeds be kept separate, cross pollination and lack of government testing, today Certified Organic no longer is a guarantee that the products are GMO free.

Summation:

All of my research over the last several years and going through the Non-GMO Verifying process has only created more of a desire inside of me to ensure that we have access to natural and organic foods free of GMOs. “We the people” have become the unsuspecting lab rats for the biotech companies and our government allows it. These corporations are masters at spinning their greedy motives into statements of “humanitarianisms” such as “we want to feed the world.” Yes, I am sure that they do want to feed the world. If they are successful in doing so, this would mean that our food supply (seeds) would all be owned by these biotech corporations. If you’ve seen the movie Food, Inc. you know how ruthless these corporations have acted in the past towards small independent farmers that are already seriously struggling to survive.

We realized from the beginning that taking a public stand against GMOs could lead to retaliation from various government agencies closely tied to these biotech companies. We announced our Non-GMO “Verified” status on Tues. October 4th, 2010 and on Tues. October 11th, 2010 we had a visit from the USDA to do an inspection for the FDA. The FDA had not visited our facility in over three years.

Is this just a coincidence?

Perhaps it is just a coincidence or perhaps the FDA is sending us a message that they are watching us. What harm could possibly come from us avoiding GMOs in our products? If twenty years down the road GMOs are tested and proven safe what harm have we caused by not allowing them in our products? Absolutely none! But what if twenty years down the road GMOs are tested and proven to create a whole host of health issues? What the outcome will be if that happens is that we have helped to secure sources of ingredients that will be safe and in their original state. If 80% of products on grocery store shelves contain GMOs and they are proven harmful down the road, we are in a lot of trouble.

We know that approximately 80% of our customers have at least one type and many have multiple allergies to foods. We take this very seriously and this is the #1 reason that we believe that labeling is an absolute necessity to ensure the health and well being of everyone. We believe it is no longer possible for manufacturers to make a non-gmo statement with total certainty unless there is a 3rd party “verifying” that claim.

The Non-GMO Project’s Product Verification Program (PVP) systematically provides for the evaluation of products, ingredients and manufacturing facilities to determine compliance with the Non-GMO Project standard. As North America’s only independent, third party verification program based on transparent, consensus-based standards, products that have been assessed through the PVP and found compliant are the best choice for consumers wishing to avoid GMOs.

When you see the Non-GMO Project “Verified” seal on packages, you should feel confident that they are in fact meeting the highest standards in the country to avoid GMOs. We could not be more proud to be part of this organization. We’ve always said, we do what’s right, even if it isn’t easy. Taking a stand and saying no to GMOs is not easy…but we most certainly believe that it is RIGHT!

As I stated in the beginning of this blog post we encourage you to do your own research on this issue and welcome your comments and concerns. nongmo[at]berlinnaturalbakery[dot]com.

Web Sites:
www.nongmoproject.org
Facebook: search Non-GMO Project
www.responsibletechnology.org
Facebook: search GMO Truth Alliance

Non-GMO Food Shopping Guide
Non-GMO Food Shopping Guide

Books:
*The Unhealthy Truth by Robyn O’Brien – A MUST read if you or anyone in your family suffers from allergies, asthma, ADHD & autism.
*Seeds of Deception by Jeffery Smith
*Genetically Engineered Food: a Self Defense Guide for Consumers by
Ronnie Cummings, Ben Lilliston & Frances Moore Lappe

Movies/Documentaries:
*Food Inc.
*The Future of Food

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By:  Joy Schrock

Of all the blog posts that I write, compiling the list of home remedies is always the most fun.

The home remedies listed below were submitted by my friends that grew up Amish or have an Amish background.  Home remedies are so much a part of our everyday lives in Amish country, that many of them struggled with this project.  Their perception being that home remedies are a way of life for everyone.   After several days of them focusing on the mission at hand, the home remedies started pouring in.  It was difficult to choose only ten.   Hopefully there is at least one home remedy on this list that you will find helpful.

1) To keep cookies fresh:  Place a piece of bread with your cookies to keep them from drying out or to restore moisture to dried cookies.

2) Homemade Bird Food:  2 Cups Tallow/Suet or Lard (melted), 1 1/2 Cup creamy Peanut butter, 5-6 Cups of Yellow Corn Meal.  Mix together, allow to cool until it reaches the right consistency to press into pine cones.  Hang outside for the birds to enjoy.  If mixture gets to hard to press into pine cones, stick in microwave container and heat for a few seconds to soften mixture.

3) Homemade Seasoning Salt:  1 Cup Salt, 2 Tablespoons Onion Powder, 1 Tablespoon Celery Salt, 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder, 2 Teaspoons Paprika, 1 Teaspoon Chilli Powder and 1 Teaspoon dried parsley powder.  Mix and enjoy.

4)  Chest Cold/Flu Symptoms:  Prior to going to bed put a thick layer of Vicks Vapo Rub on the bottom of your feet, cover with socks.  Vicks will absorb into your skin overnight.  This is an Amish country favorite home remedy.

5)  Kidney Stones:  If you are having problems passing kidney stones, drink homemade beet juice.  Boil fresh beets, allow to cool and drink.

6)  Drooling Babies:  The Amish swear by this.  When your baby starts to drool, work with them to teach them how to drink out of a regular cup.  This teaches the children how catch their saliva before they drool.

7)  Seasonal Allergies:  Find a local beekeeper (preferrably within 15 miles of your home).  Purchase honey from local source.  Take one teaspoon of honey each morning.  I know several people that this has worked wonders for.

8)  Fallen Arches/Plantar Fascitis:  This was actually recommended to one of my friends by her doctor.  It is to provide temporary relief of pain until special inserts for her shoes were made.  Put a large strip of duct tape on the bottom of your foot from heel to toe.  Place a second strip beside the first strip.  The tape grabs your instep and gives relief from the pain.  She said it was a bit embarassing to wear during the summer, however it was worth the embarassment.

9)  Burns on skin when cooking:  Immediately pour Pure Vanilla Extract directly on burn.  Brings instant relief.  Should not be considered an alternative for medical treatment…only to bring temporary relief from pain.

10)  To get rid of those pesky gnats:  Pour cider vinegar into a bowl.  Cover bowl with film.  Punch a hole into film.  Gnats crawl in and can’t get out.

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Genetically modified organisms also known as (GMO’s) can be found in as many as 60-70% of the foods in the US.

As we have written about in the past dangers of GMO’s, a genetically modified organism according to The Non-GMO Project are organisms that have been created through the gene-splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE).

This relatively new science allows DNA from one species to be injected into another species in a lab, creating combination’s of plant, animal, bacteria, and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods. The use of genetically modified organisms in foods was recently banned in Europe, but the US isn’t to that point yet due to the highly political nature of what is keeping GMO’s on the market and in our food.

Here are six of the dangers that have been discovered by consuming genetically modified foods…

1. Food Allergy Symptoms Increase Dramatically

According to scientific research, it has been shown that those who eat genetically modified foods tend to see an increase in their allergic reactions to the types of foods they are already allergic too. By eating these genitically modified foods people also form allergies to foods which they were never allergic to before.

2. Bodily Toxicity Increases

As individuals ingest more and more genetically modified foods and organisms into their body it has been shown that the bodies toxicity increases which leads to a ton of other potentially serious health problems. As stated by NaturalNews.com it has been shown that there is a definite link between Obesity, Cancer and Toxicity.

3. Negative Reproductive Effects

In lab tests done on animals there were cases where once the animals ingested genetically modified food they became completely sterile in a matter of weeks. What was interesting in fact was that in some cases these animals were force fed the food because they didn’t want to eat it themselves naturally.

4. Negative Effects To Digestive System

They are finding that GMO’s are a breeding ground for bacteria and virus’s and since the digestive system is where the body is exposed when ingesting these harmful foods, reversing the damaging effects of these foods is nearly impossible. In other cases on mice and rats, there is documented proof that the digestive system grows bigger for some strange reason.

5. Unknown Genetic Effects On Humans

The jury is still out on all of the known causes about how Genetically Modified Organisms will negatively affect the greater human race, so it would be best to avoid them at all costs knowing the long term health risks of ingesting these foods on a regular basis.

6. Death

In some cases death has also been a challenge in working with GMO foods where rats and mice die in a matter of weeks by eating genetically modified food.

As everything adds up over time, and the more these genetically modified foods are pushed on us as Americans, knowing the dangers going in and actively speaking out against it may save more lives now and in the future.

Sources:

http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/AboutGeneticallyModifiedFoods/index.cfm

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7277

http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/GeneticRoulette/

http://www.conditionnutrition.com/reviews/top-10-dangers-of-genetically-modified-food/

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/GMOSandHumanHealth.php

Special Note: We at Berlin Natural Bakery make our products from 100% Genuine German Spelt created from certified seed that is 100% all natural and GMO FREE.  We are proud to be a part of the Non-GMO Project.

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By: Joy Schrock, President of Berlin Natural Bakery

GMO’s (or “genetically modified organisms”) are organisms that have been created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE).

This relatively new science allows DNA from one species to be injected into another species in a laboratory, creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

Are GMOs safe?

In 30 other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan and all the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs because they are not considered proven safe.

In the U.S. on the other hand, the FDA approved commercial production of GMOs based on studies conducted by the companies who created them and profit from their sale.  Many health-conscious shoppers find the lack of rigorous, independent, scientific examination on the impact of consuming GM foods to be a cause for concern.

Do Americans Desire Non-GMO Foods?

Polls consistently show that a significant majority of North Americans would like to be able to tell if the food they are purchasing contains GMOs (a 2008 CBS News Poll found that 87% of consumers wanted GMOs labeled).

According to a recent CBS/New York Times pool, 53% of consumers said they would not buy food that has been genetically modified.  The Non-GMO Project’s seal for verified products will, for the first time, give the public an opportunity to make an informed choice when it comes to GMOs.

How common are GMOs?

According to the USDA, in 2007, 91% of soy, 87% of cotton, and 73% of corn grown in the U.S. were GMO.  Starting in 2008, virtually all of the U.S. sugar beet crop is GMO, and it is estimated that over 75% of canola grown is GMO.

There are also commercially produced GM varieties of squash and Hawaiian Papaya.  As a result it is estimated that GMOs are now present in more than 80% of packaged products in the average U.S. or Canadian grocery store.

Where does the Non-GMO Project come in?

The Non-GMO Project is an initiative of the North American organic and natural product industry to create a standardized definition of the non GMO and a 3rd party verification program to assess product compliance with this Standard.

The Project’s Product Verification program is entirely voluntary, and participants are companies who see the value of offering their customers a verified non-GMO choice.  Many of the individuals and businesses leading the way with the Project are the same ones responsible for creating the original organic standards.

Understanding the Non-GMO Project Seal

The retailers who started the Non-GMO Project were motivated by a simple idea.  They believed that consumers in N. America should have access to clearly labeled non GMO food and products, now and in the future.  The conviction continues to be the guiding mission of the Non GMO Project, but it’s a lot easier said than done!

A huge part of the challenge is that by the time the Project was created, GMOs had already been in production across the U.S. and Canada for close to 10 years.  Contamination risks to seeds, crops, ingredients and products had been steadily increasing without any standardized set of best practices in use to identify and stop contamination.  But whereas this difficult reality had previously paralyzed all efforts to address the problem, the Non-GMO Project took a different approach.

We decided that the lack of a perfect solution was no excuse not to try, and we blieved that with enough hard work and collaborative spirit we could improve the situation, rather than allowing it to worsen.  Our efforts are paying off, and while our work on the Project’s consensus-based Standard and independent Product Verification Program continues to be incredibly complex, we have succeeded in establishing an industry-wide system for addressing contamination and a “Non-GMO Project Verified” seal will start appearing on products in stores this fall.

So what does “Non-GMO Project Verified” mean?

First of all, we want you to understand what it doesn’t mean.  It is not a guarantee that the product is 100% GMO free.  The reason for this is that our program is process-based, using a set of best practices to avoid contamination.  We do require testing of all ingredients (everything being grown in GMO form in N. America), but we don’t require testing of every single finished product.

Instead, testing can be done at any one of a number of places in the production chain, for example right after harvest.  Following the test, which must indicate that the ingredient is below 0.9% GMO (in alignment with laws in the European Union), we require rigorous traceability and segregation practices to be followed in order to ensure that the tested ingredients are what get used in the product.

So in short, what our seal means is that a product has been produced according to rigorous best practices for GMO avoidance, including testing of risk ingredients.

Companies enrolled in the Non-GMO Project are serious about keeping GMO’s out, and work hard to do so.  While you might see other claims regarding GMO status (e.g. “GMO free”) these are really not legally or scientifically defensible, and they are not verified by a third party.  The Non-GMO Project is the only organization offering independent verification of testing and GMO controls for products in the U.S. and Canada.

Buying products that are enrolled and verified in our program is the best way to support the sustained availability of non-GMO choices in North America.  As a non-profit organization, we are committed not only to verifying and labeling products, but also to supporting and coordinating efforts between seed breeders, farmers, processors and manufacturers.  With time, these efforts will allow us to protect and even expand the availability of non-GMO seeds, ingredients and products.

Sign the Non-GMO Project Pledge…show your support.  www.NonGmoProject.org.

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