Something very scary is going on with our food system.  GMO's are taking over and most people don't even know about it! The ones affected most, our babies and the future of this planet, are being poisoned everyday by unsuspecting parents thinking they are doing good for their kids.  

We are Putting Our Infants and Children at Risk

"Bottle fed babies could be undernourished if given genetically modified infant formula milk because of inadequate regulations and testing regimes for GE food."

-The Royal Society Group on Genetically Modified Food

Infant formula can and has saved lives. In the minority of cases where a woman cannot breastfeed, where there is no mother to breastfeed, no wet nurse available and human milk cannot be obtained from any other source it may be the only alternative. But the belief that breast milk substitutes have equal benefits and are a safe alternative to breastfeeding, which leads to mode of feeding being seen as essentially a lifestyle choice, needs to be countermanded.  Artificial feeding has real and serious health risks yet we seldom hear of them.

Low breastfeeding rates are, in large measure, due to the substitutes industry’s claim that its products are health-promoting and a safe alternative to human milk with equivalent benefits. In recognition of the harm done to infants by a lack of breastfeeding, the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes was issued by WHO in 1981, which contains measures to control the promotion of artificial feeding. Unfortunately, not all WHO signatory member states have instituted the Code and breast milk substitutes continue to be promoted around the world, though there have been successes in some locations.

● In India, infant formula packaging must display a conspicuous health warning about artificial feeding.
● In Iran, the government controls import and sale of breastmilk substitutes and infant formula is only available on prescription.
● In Papua New Guinea, the sale of feeding implements (bottles, etc) is strictly controlled and there is a ban on advertising breastmilk substitutes and feeding implements.
● In the UK, the advertising of infant formula is banned.
● In Saudi Arabia, the government is in process of instituting an advertising ban on infant formula.

Most infant formula sold in the US contains Genetically Engineered (GE) ingredients, either soy or milk from cows injected with GE hormones. Some also contain corn syrup and corn derivatives from genetically modified corn.  

The process of genetic engineering is imprecise and random. Inserted genes can interfere with a plant's natural growth and development and cause it to function differently than expected. As a result, genetically engineered foods can have unintended effects, with potentially harmful consequences for human health. The end result could be the bio-synthesis of food molecules that are toxic, allergenic, or carcinogenic - hardly the perfect food for babies.

According to Infact Canada, the daily exposure of infants to Isoflavones in Genetically Engineered soy infant formulas is 6–11 fold higher on a body-weight basis, than the dose that has hormonal effects in adults that consume soy foods. The effect on those poor babies is unknown.

The attempt to replicate human milk has produced increasingly complex concoctions. Most formulations are based on cow’s milk, which must be modified. The protein and mineral content is reduced and carbohydrate content increased, usually by the addition of sugars such as lactose, fructose, glucose and maltodextrose. Infant formula contains high levels of sugar. Ingredients added to modified cow’s milk: carbohydrate (corn maltodextrin, modified corn starch, corn syrup solids), protein (casein, whey, soy protein isolate), fat (soy oil, coconut oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, palm or olein oil), vitamins, folic acid, pantothenic acid, calcium, minerals, phosphorus, iodine, sodium chloride, potassium chloride and other nutrients.

The contents of the ‘other’ category of ingredients fluidly shift in response to research findings on the properties and beneficial effects of breastfeeding, and the substitutes industry’s ever-watchful drive to replicate. The most recent innovation also highlights inadequacies in regulation.

Following research that showed the positive cognitive effects of the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) docosahexaeonic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) found in breastmilk, nutrition-scientists came up with the latest novel ingredient: LC-PUFAs manufactured from plant sources. These LC-PUFAs contain triglycerides not found in human milk and are thus structurally different to the LC-PUFAs in human milk.

The DHA in infant formula is extracted from fermented microalgae, Cryptecodiunium cohnii, and ARA is extracted from soil fungus, Mortierelle alpina. These are both grown on GE corn. Cryptecodiunium cohnii and Mortierelle alpina are new to the food chain – therefore any long-term effects cannot yet be fully known. Moreover, the manufacturing process of these LC-PUFAs causes concern. The solvent used to extract the oil is hexane, a petroleum-refining by-product and a known neurotoxin and air pollutant.

A 2002, research study raised concerns of a link between ARA in infant formula and obesity.

In 2008, two studies emerged which show that DHA and ARA added to infant formula do not improve the physical, neurodevelopmental, or visual outcomes in either term or pre-term infants.

In 2011 it was announced that the DHA derived from Cryptecodiunium cohnii grown on GE corn, was allowed in USDA Certified Organic Formula.

It is imperative to know and recognize hidden GMO ingredients when buying baby food.   Some of the "Top" brands of baby formula contain the most genetically modified ingredients. Be sure to check out the Non-GMO Shopping Guide for a list of hidden GMO Ingredients.

It’s important to remember that negative outcomes are not certainties, there are always many exceptions in statistical evidence. However, artificial feeding IS a lottery. Human breastmilk is the best choice for our children. It is wrong that this information isn’t provided by healthcare providers, so that mothers can make an informed choice. 

Most likely, many mothers who chose to feed their children with infant formula were not aware of the full implications.  Mothers are not in a position to make an informed choice, because information about risk factors is not made readily available. That is why NoGMO4Michigan is giving the power back to the people and is dedicated to educating the people about whats in our food.

Anyone disturbed by the content of this blog post should see suggestions for optimizing the health of formula-fed infants at: this website