GMO’s don’t belong in ANY food supply, but especially not in infant formula. But ever since the US Government ok’d the inclusion of unlabeled GMO ingredients in our food supply in the mid-90’s, there has been a 400% increase in severe food allergies in children. Today, one in eight kids has a severe food allergy to tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, dairy, eggs, and seafood/shellfish! It’s simply mind-boggling when you consider that in many ways its preventable. After all, it seems logical that when we genetically modify our plants and food systems to contain pesticides at the DNA level, those chemicals will start showing up in the food we eat and affecting our quality of life. But 85% of the food in a typical grocery store contains GMO ingredients… and we willingly consume it despite a growing body of evidence pointing to the severe health risks associated with the consumption of GMO ingredients.
The rest of the world seems to have figure out the risk. Russia halted the import of US GMO corn because of the cancer-risks associated with consumption of GM crops. Hungary went so far as to destroy more than 1,000 hectares of GM wheat fields back in 2011 and has outright banned GM seeds in its country. More than 50 countries around the world – such as Australia, China, Japan, and the entire European Union – have made GMO labeling mandatory. But not the United States. Why? Follow the money.
Just last month, shareholders of Abbott Laboratories, makers of Similac, Pedialyte, Ensure, and many other well-known “nutritious” products) rejected a shareholder proposal (by a 97% down vote) to discontinue the use of GMO ingredients in its products. Guess what? Corporations’ responsibility to public health should outweigh its responsibility to shareholders.
That’s why parent and health advocate Leah Segedie launched a petition to Abbott Laboratories asking 250,000 concerned citizens to voice their concern directly to the President of Abbott’s Nutrition Products Division and SVP Katie Doyle, urging the corporation to phase out their willful use of toxic GMO’s. Leah’s eyes were opened to the effects of GMO toxins in infant formula when she witnessed her newborn son’s painful allergic reactions.
In Leah’s words,
“While the long-term health impacts of GMOs are still being debated, the negative impacts of our increased exposure to the agrochemicals used in GMO farming are not. And when it comes to babies, the most vulnerable, we must exercise precaution.
From a mom who had no choice but to turn to formula – and who was horrified by her options – I am calling on Abbott Laboratories to be a leader and remove all genetically modified ingredients from their formulas. This is not debatable if we want to protect babies.
Join with me in calling on Abbott to remove the GMOs from Similac. And please share this with your friends. Together we can all make a difference. Let’s protect our children because they ARE the future.”
I URGE YOU TO SIGN THIS PETITION TODAY, spread the word, and – if you’re so inclined – make your own non-GMO Infant Formula instead of purchasing brands like Similac.
FULL LINK: PETITION TO ABBOTT LABORATORIES TO DISCONTINUE GMO USE
Image by Katie Tegtmeyer, Flickr. Used by Permission Under Creative Commons License.
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