Do you think Whole Foods should be selling GMO fresh produce with confusing labels? They are!

Genetically engineered, or GMO foods, have a lot of problems!

• Patented, corporate-owned seeds that bring big profits to Big Business
• Herbicide-resistant varieties promote massive increased use of herbicides throughout the growing seasons, leaving residues on the food, putting toxins into the air and water, and threatening neighbors’ crops
• Health risks largely unknown, since corporations control most of the research into them

At the least, these products should be clearly labeled so that consumers can make a choice whether they want to support environmentally damaging products from companies like Bayer/Monsanto and put these products into their bodies.

Yet federal law allows companies to use easily overlooked and confusing labels when they sell GMOs … And that is what Whole Foods is doing now!

At Whole Foods stores this summer, both white and bi-color corn is being labeled in very small print with the word “Bioengineered,” the USDA’s new term for GMO. The GMO sweet corn has been spotted in Connecticut, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia, and Washington DC Whole Food stores. In many cases, GMO corn is the only option given to shoppers.

The corn has up to 3 insecticides genetically engineered into its DNA. The insecticides are IN every cell of the corn, which means they can’t be washed off!  Plus, the corn is genetically engineered to tolerate spraying with either glyphosate and/or glufosinate-based herbicides, which studies have linked to cancer and neurological damage.

To our knowledge, no other store is carrying this GMO corn.  Simply choosing not to buy it yourself isn’t enough because many consumers will be misled into continuing to purchase it.  The pollen will cross-contaminate conventional and organic crops, and the widespread use of the herbicides will continue to harm our communities.

Send an email to tell Whole Foods to stop selling toxic GMO sweet corn and pledge to never sell it again.

Send to: customer.questions@wholefoods.com

Phone: 1-844-WFM-TALK

SAMPLE EMAIL:

I’m writing to urge Whole Foods to stop selling fresh GMO sweet corn.

Your company claims that it is continuing to raise the bar on its commitment to sustainability while it drives forward its purpose to nourish people and the planet. Yet studies show that GMO corn is damaging to farmers, consumers, and the environment.

GMO sweet corn contains up to 3 genetically engineered insecticides. The insecticides are in every cell of the corn and can’t be washed off. The corn is also genetically engineered to tolerate glyphosate or glufosinate-based herbicides, or both.  These products harm not only those who buy the corn, but entire communities, by contaminating the air and water, as well as cross-pollinating with non-GMO corn.

Stop selling GMO fresh corn and pledge not to sell it again -- or at the very least, include clear signage saying "GMO/ Genetically Engineered" in the same size letters as the rest of the signage -- or I will be doing my grocery shopping elsewhere.

SAMPLE TWITTER POST:

@WholeFoods Selling #GMO sweet corn this summer instead of organic? Disgusting and disappointing! Stop selling #toxic GMO sweet corn. Toxic #insecticides IN the corn. Toxic #herbicides ON the corn. tinyurl.com/WholeFoodsGMOSweetCorn

Thank you to our allies at GMO Free USA for spearheading this effort! 

MORE INFORMATION

In a 2017 peer-reviewed analysis, published in the journal Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews, the researchers concluded that references to any GE Bt toxins being "natural" are incorrect and scientifically unsupportable.  This insecticidal corn is designed to kill insects that bite into it. The insects’ stomachs rupture and they die. It has been linked to cell membrane death of digestive cells, causing leaky gut in lab animals, according to a 2018 peer-reviewed study published in the journal Food and Nutrition Sciences. Another 2018 peer-reviewed study, published in the journal International Immunopharmacology, found that GE Bt is immunogenic, allergenic, and causes pre-cancerous intestinal changes.

As for the herbicides, glyphosate is a well known herbicide that the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified as a probable human carcinogen in 2015. As of May, 2023, Monsanto has settled over 100,000 Roundup cancer lawsuits, paying out about $11 billion as of May 2022. There are still 45,000 lawsuits pending. Glyphosate has also been linked to a myriad of other diseases in peer-reviewed studies.

Glufosinate has been found to be both teratogenic (linked to DNA damage and birth defects) and neurotoxic (linked to autism) in peer reviewed studies.

Both chemicals are toxic to butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects.

For more information, visit Whole Foods Market Sneaking GMO Sweet Corn Onto Your Plate – GMO / Toxin Free USA