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HealthCanada is responsible, under theFoodandDrugsAct and
its Regulations, for provisions related topublichealth, food safety
andnutrition. InCanada, foodsderived frombiotechnology -- com-
monly referred toasGeneticallyModified (GM)orGeneticallyEn-
gineered (GE) foods -- are considered tobe one class of "novel
foods."HealthCanada regulates thesaleofnovel foods inCanada
through apre-market notification requirement which is specified
under Division 28 of Part B of the Food andDrugs Regulations
(Novel Foods).
It isa seven to tenyearprocess to research, develop, test andas-
sess the safetyof anewGM food.Manufacturersand importers
whowish to sell oradvertiseaGM food inCanada,must submit
data toHealthCanada forapre-market safetyassessment, as re-
quiredunderDivision28of Part Bof theFoodandDrugsRegula-
tions (Novel Foods). This safetyassessment providesassurance
that the food is safewhenpreparedor consumedaccording to its
intendeduse. Findoutmoreand leaveyour comments...
HealthCanada'sMandate... are theydoingenough?
There aremany resources available to help you find non-GMO
choices, the best online sourcewe have found is
nongmoproject.org The following excerpt is printedwith
their permission.
Oneof themost commonconcernsabout theprevalenceofGMOs (ge-
neticallymodifiedorganisms) inNorthAmerica iswhether theyare safe
forour childrenand families tobeeating.
Aremy kids eating genetically engineered food?
Thesad truth ismanyof the foods thataremostpopularwithchildrencon-
tainGMOs.Cereals, snackbars, snackboxes, cookies,processed lunch
meats, and crackers all contain largeamounts of high risk food ingredi-
ents. InNorthAmerica, over 80%of our food containsGMOs. If you
are not buying foods that areNon-GMO Project Verified, most likely
GMOsarepresent at breakfast, lunch, anddinner.
What if I only buy organic?
Shoppingorganic isagreat step towards ensuring that your familyeats
thehealthiest foods possible. The challenge is that althoughGMOs are
anexcludedmethodunder theNationalOrganicProgram, organiccer-
tificationdoesnot requireGMO testing.Choosingproducts thatareCer-
tifiedOrganic andNon-GMO Project Verified is thebest way tomake
sure you are getting the safest, healthiest, highest-quality food for your
family.
What are themost commonGMOs?
Themost commonGMOs are soy, cotton, canola, corn, sugar beets,
Hawaiianpapaya, alfalfa, and squash (zucchini andyellow).Manyof
these itemsappear asadded ingredients ina largeamount of the foods
weeat. For instance, your familymay not eat tofuor drink soymilk, but
soy ismost likelypresent ina largepercentageof the foods inyourpantry.
GMOsmaybehidden in commonprocessed food ingredients suchas:
AminoAcids,Aspartame,AscorbicAcid, SodiumAscorbate, VitaminC,
CitricAcid, SodiumCitrate, Flavorings (“natural” and “artificial”), High
FructoseCorn Syrup, HydrolyzedVegetable Protein, LacticAcid,Mal-
todextrins,Molasses,MonosodiumGlutamate, Sucrose, TexturedVeg-
etableProtein (TVP), XanthanGum, Vitamins, Yeast Products.
I am overwhelmedby the prospect of changing our diet,
where should I begin?
Takea stepby stepapproach. For instance,manyparents find it isuseful
tobeginwith lookingatwhat their family iseating forbreakfast.
FEATURE
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is it gmo-free?
TheNon-GMOProject isan international
organization thatoperates inbothCanada
and theUnitedStates. AllNon-GMOProject
programs includingourproduct
verificationprogram, areoffered in
bothcountries. TheNon-GMOProject is
committed toongoing
outreachandeducation in
Canada tohelp informman-
ufacturers, retailers, and
consumersabout the
risksofGMOs inour foodsupply. Our
recentefforts includeattending trade
showsandeducational events, providing
informationalmaterials toaligned
organizations tohelpsupport theirefforts
throughout theProvinces, andpromoting the
effortsof thecompaniesandorganizations
inCanada that areactivelyworking to
support themissionof theNon-GMOProject.
