Pesticide-Resistant GMO Ingredients Found In Popular Baby Formula

Here’s a fact that’ll make you think twice about your baby’s formula: some of the infant formula sold in Portland tested positive for genetically modified soy modified to withstand intensive pesticide spraying. This was found during lab testing by the Center for Food Safety.

The CFFS found that Similac Soy Isomil and Enfamil Prosobee Powder Soy Infant Formula contained soy engineered to resist Monsanto’s glyphosate and Bayer Crop Science’s glufosinate.

“I think most moms purchasing infant formula have no idea they are feeding their baby a product that has been genetically engineered to survive exposure to high levels of chemical pesticides,” Aurora Paulsen, with the Center’s Portland office said of their disturbing findings.

“Everything we know from the recent medical literature suggests we should be doing everything possible to reduce infant exposure to chemicals. Finding soy in infant formula that has been genetically engineered specifically to survive high levels of chemical pesticide spraying is a real concern and takes us in the wrong direction,” said Ray Seidler, a scientist and former US Environmental Protection Agency employee who, in the past, has been an outspoken critic of GMO crops.

Last year, Oregon voters voted down a measure that would label all products that contained genetically modified ingredients. The measure narrowly failed by 1.2%, with a bit more than 50% voting no.

Image credit: nerissa’s ring, Flickr