Download What`s Eating You…. Is It What You Are Eating?

WHAT’S EATING YOU ….
IS IT WHAT YOU ARE EATING?
Pamela Piotrowski, BASc,
RD CDE
NUTRITION AND CANCER SURVIVORSHIP
FROM THE TOP FOOD TRENDS IN 2015
1. Fresh and Refrigerated Foods
2. Exclusion Diets (excluding GMOs)
3. Rethinking Natural (including Organic)
4. Whole Food Nutrition
From: Food Technology April 2015, Volume 69, No.4
In 2014, consumers bought 29% more local sustainable foods,
28% more organic produce and 23% non-GMO products.
WHAT ARE GENETICALLY MODIFIED
ORGANISMS?
•Also called genetically engineered foods - the
introduction of DNA from one organism into another OR
modification of an organism’s DNA in order to achieve a
desired trait.
4
5
Sugar beets
GM FOODS IN CANADA
Health Canada groups foods containing GMOs into a category called
NOVEL FOODS
• Only products judged to be as safe as their traditional counterparts
are approved.
• Before a product is approved in Canada, both Health Canada and
the CFIA determine the safety or potential risks to human health,
plant and animal health, and the environment.
• If there are any questions about the safety of a product, it is not
approved.
GM FOODS IN CANADA
•Canada is the third largest grower of GM crops in the world, which
are mostly exported.
•Approx. 70 novel foods (either GMOs or a byproduct made with a
GMO) are available in Canada.
•Since soy, canola, corn and their products are used widely in the
food system, an estimated 60 to 70% of retail processed food in
Canada now contains GM ingredients.
Herbicide
Tolerant
Improved
Aesthetics
Insect
Resistant
Genetically
Modified
Foods
Drought
Resistant
Increased
Yield
Nutrient
Enhancement
FUTURE BENEFITS MIGHT INCLUDE
Food without allergens; (I.e. anyone could eat nuts)
Grains, fruit & vegetables with improved nutrition (multivitamin potatoes = healthy fast food french fries!)
Longer shelf life and better taste (reduced food waste
due to spoilage)
Food aid (rice enhanced with iron to prevent anemia or
foods used as vaccines)
…so what’s the problem
Gene
transfer to
non-target
species
Unintended
harm to
other
organisms
Increased
Allergen
Exposure
Genetically
Modified
Foods
Patents /
Elimination
of
Competition
Reduced
Effectiveness
of Pesticides

ANY CANCER CONCERNS FOR GMOs
At this time, no evidence that current genetically
engineered foods pose any risk to human health.
… but the easiest way to avoid any potential health risk
associated with GMO is to buy organic.
SO IS ORGANIC THE WAY TO GO?
•The Canadian Food Inspection Agency defines organic produce
as fruits and vegetables that are grown without synthetic
pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or sewage sludge and haven't
been genetically engineered or irradiated.
•5% of Canadian farms are considered organic producers.
•It is not the same as “natural”, “free-run”, “free-range”, “free of
hormones/antibiotics/additives”
•Maximum Residue Levels for organic foods are a max 5% of
what is allowed for conventional foods produced in Canada
(which is 100-1000 times lower than the Acceptable Daily Intake
of a potential toxin)
LABELLING OF ORGANIC
Only products with organic content that is greater than or
equal to 95 per cent may be labelled as: "organic" or
bear the Canada Organic logo.
ORGANIC FOODS
•No consistent evidence to support significant nutritional
benefits of organic plant foods compared to
conventionally grown plants. Organic and non-organic
produce have similar nutritional values when considering
overall dietary intake.
•With few studies to compare, may be slight nutritional
benefit of organically farmed meats, milks, eggs and
poultry.
Organic Food Evidence Summary, PEN 2015
IS 'ORGANIC' A FOOD SAFETY CLAIM
•There may be higher rates of parasitic infections in organically
raised livestock.
•Slightly higher rates of E coli contamination of organic fruit
and vegetables compared to conventionally farmed produce.
•Natural pesticides/fertilizers can still pose health risks as can
other pollutants that can be introduced into the organic food
chain.
•Although synthetic pesticides are not permitted, it is possible to
have organic produce come in contact in trace amounts.
(transport, weather effects)
Organic Food Evidence Summary, PEN 2015
DOMESTIC VS. IMPORTED
•No growth hormones are given to conventionally raised
Canadian pigs, chicken, turkeys, egg laying hens and
dairy cattle. Hormonal growth promoters (can be natural
or synthetic) are only approved in beef cattle.
•Canada imports 80% of fruit and vegetables that are
consumed, of that 80% comes from the US.
•Imported produce has more violations of the MRL allowed,
suggesting organic imported foods may be better option.
Food Safety – Pesticides/Herbicides, PEN 2015
LIMITING YOUR INTAKE OF PESTICIDES
Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to minimize your
exposure to any one type of pesticide.
Consider growing some of your own produce so you have
control over what, if any, pesticides are used and the
amount.
If you can only afford to add a few organic products to
your shopping cart, focus on the ones that your family eats
the most.
Wash produce – both conventional and organic with
warm running water to remove bacteria and dirt.
THE 2015 DIRTY DOZEN™ and
THE CLEAN FIFTEEN™ (from www.ewg.org)
IS EATING ORGANIC BETTER FOR
REDUCING CANCER RISK?
•No definitive evidence to suggest that synthetic pesticides
contribute significantly to overall cancer mortality.
•There has been relatively little research on organic food
and cancer risk, with no clear conclusions except one:
eating a diet that is mainly from plants – whether they
are organic or conventional – reduces the risk of cancer.
Fresh Facts: Pesticides. Nov 2010
•In 2014, a large prospective study (The Million Women
Study) found there was little or no decrease in the
incidence of cancer associated with consumption of
organic food, except possibly for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Br J Cancer 2014 ;110:2321-6
IS EATING ORGANIC FOOD BETTER
FOR REDUCING CANCER RISK?
•At this time, the evidence is not strong enough to support
whether organic foods help reduce cancer risk more than their
non-organic counterparts or have additional health benefits.
•If consumers prefer organic food for added “peace of mind”
and are willing and able to locate and pay for certified
organic, then they should pick organic.
•If you do opt for organic, remember that organic cookies, chips
and other snacks can contain exactly the same amount of
calories, fat and sugar as conventional brands.
BALANCING YOUR OPTIONS
So are GM foods a good or
bad thing?
To eat organic or not?
It depends on each
individual’s circumstances.
SO HERE IS MY TWO CENTS…
HERE IS WHAT YOU SHOULD BE EATING
Eat regular meals including breakfast.
Eat whole grains instead of refined/processed grains.
Eat more fruits and veggies (organic or not).
Eat plant-based protein, limit red and avoid processed meats.
Eat less salt.
Drink more water (and less alcohol).
IF IT IS STILL EATING YOU….
Know the most commonly modified crops. Soybeans, corn, canola
(rapeseed), squash, zucchini and papaya are all popular GMOs.
Buy organic foods. Organic foods are grown from non-GMO seeds.
Buy meats from grass-fed animals. Cows, chickens, pigs and even
farmed fish may be fed GMO derived feed. Look for grass-fed or
pasture-fed meats.
Read the labels. The top two GMO crops are corn and soy and are in
many packaged foods.
Buy brands labeled as non-GE or GMO free. Check out Greenpeace’s
shoppers guide.
Shop at local farmers markets. Most MGO foods come from large
commercial farms.
Check out the Sustainable Food Movement. Not only does it promote
good health and great taste but it is good for the environment, promotes
ethical treatment of animals
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Organic Foods/GMO
www.inspection.gc.ca/food/organic-products
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/pest/_fact-fiche/pesticide-food-alim/index-eng.php#a2
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/gmf-agm/index-eng.php
www.cpma.ca/
Shoppers Guide to non-GMO foods
www.greenpeace.ca/shoppersguide
Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen List
www. Ewg.org
Sustainable Eating Movement
www.stephanieclairmont.com/making-the-switch-to-sustainable-eating
www.ontariofresh.ca
Healthy Eating Strategies
www.eatrightontario.ca