Is corn really used in that?

Can you live a GMO free life? GMO Answers Independent Expert Sarah Schultz answers this exact question in a recent post on from her Nurse Loves Farmer blog. Sarah highlights that the use of GMOs in everyday products goes far beyond their commonly known role in food production.

“Did you know corn is not just used for human consumption or for livestock feed? Those are just a couple of the 4200+ uses of corn. Over four thousand! Corn production isn’t very big in Canada, but our neighbors to the south, the United States, is by far the largest corn producer in the world producing about 1/3 of the world’s corn crop.

“So why am I talking about how versatile corn is? Well, the many uses of corn got me thinking: why do the anti-GMO activists think that biotechnology (the technology used to make GMOs) is unacceptable in our food system? Especially because I assume they feel it is acceptable in other areas of their lives.

“Since 89% of all corn produced in the United States is genetically engineered, I figure if activists were truly committed to their cause, maybe they should strive to live true ‘GMO-free’ lives? As you can see above, corn is not just used for our food and to feed livestock. It is used to make fuel, plastics, cardboard, shampoos and so much more.

“So to the activists – why stop with avoiding GMOs in your diet? Could you stop using the computer and the smart phone that likely has corn by-products in it? Can you stop painting your protest signs with paint that was made from GMO corn or GMO soy? Could you stop applying your cosmetics, using shampoos, driving your cars, and so on? Would you go so far as to refuse to use medicines such as aspirin, penicillin and Mannitol that were made with GMO corn? I think it would be pretty hard to live a GMO-free life, especially if you’re a Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic, you’ll need that miraculous life-saving GMO insulin to sustain your life on a daily basis.”

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