Junkstyle Diva: August 2012

Aug 31, 2012

Moms and Chefs say: "Yes On Prop 37" video

How many people really understand the labels on the food we eat? I just learned something quite interesting recently about all the different 'organic' labels. I thought organic meant 'organic' like 100% organic. Wrong! So, you know I am all about getting our genetically modified food aka: gmo food labeled in California. I spend a great deal of my time working , rather volunteering to educate people about this important proposition. Thats how I stumbled onto the label organic wagon.

I try to buy mostly organic because, I thought that was the purest food we can buy, or as they used to call it - 'food' when I was a kid. I read an article in Extraordinary Health magazine that clearly describes all the different organic foods that are sold in the markets.

Here is what I learned:

The USDA established the guidelines of who could display the 'organic' label. In a nutshell, any foods that contain at least 95% organic ingredients can be labeled as such. What? 95%? What about the remaining 5% then? June 9th, 2007 the USDA added 38 non-organic ingredients to the national list: 19 food colorings, two starches, casings for sausages, hops, fish oil, chipotle chili pepper, gelatin, celery powder, dill weed oil, frozen lemon grass, and a sweetener called fructooligosaccharides. Fructoo what? Even though it sounds bad it is a natural fructan sweetner, and acts like fiber.

Those foods which contain 100% organic ingredients are the only ones who can get the '100% USDA Organic' label. There is nothing but organic stuff in it. Period.

It evens gets more complicated. Some organic food is 70% organic and there is a label that shows that, well not really a label but they can say it on the package. Like the chocolate bar shown here.

Last but not least there is the 'natural' word on LOTS of food. I bet you don't know that the word natural is NOT regulated. They do not contain additives or preservatives, however, they CAN contain gmos and can be grown with pesticides. Whenever I see the word 'natural' on anything I want to eat, I put it back.

Now this is the label I want to see on ALL our food. And voting Yes on Prop 37 will get this ball rolling.

Aug 18, 2012

I have been posting like mad on facebook pages of companies against Prop 37. I am getting emails from them. I am not alone leaving comments to boycott. Please do the same on the Like pages. You do not have to 'Like' them to leave a comment....

Aug 17, 2012

I had a busy week working on the Prop 37 campaign. Monsanto and its gang members have been busy too. They spent 10 million dollars so far and its only August! They are dead set on the American people not knowing what's in their food. I am just as determined as they are though. Sybborn is my middle name. Graet news though Senator Mark Leno (D) says yes to Ptop 37. Here is a copy of his letter:

Dear Colleagues & Candidates,

I'm writing today to ask that you join me in saying Yes on 37. Please join the CA Democratic Party, the California Labor Federation, the California Nurses Association, UFW, Sierra Club, CALPIRG, Consumer Federation of America, dozens of farmers and doctors, and hundreds of other organizations and businesses in officially endorsing Yes on 37. Yes on 37 is California's Right to Know ballot measure that would label genetically engineered foods. You can endorse Prop 37 right now at http://www.carighttoknow.org/endorsements or simply by replying to this e-mail.

Yes on 37 is based on a pretty simple notion: we have the right to know what's in the food we and our families eat. Food products should have simple labels that tell us if they have been genetically engineered, especially since we don't know these foods to be safe. This "right to know" is a fundamental right and a bedrock American value. It is time for California to join 49 countries that already label genetically engineered foods.

Yes on 37 is part of a massive, rapidly-growing national grassroots movement. Here in California, we've secured the endorsements of several elected officials, including U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, Congresswomen Maxine Waters & Judy Chu, Chair of CA Dems Women's Caucus Christine Pelosi, State Assemblymembers Allen, Huber, Monning, Huffman, and Ammiano, and many more.

Please learn more and join us today: http://www.carighttoknow.org/.

Thank you!

Mark Leno

State Senator

I also found an article about one independent study concerning the effects of gmos:

http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/tests-rats-suggest-genetically-modified-foods-pose-health-hazards

Oh and if you shop at WalMart, they will sell gmo corn in a couple of weeks and of course you won't know, because they don't have to label it!

http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-is-going-to-sell-monsantos-genetically-modified-corn-and-it-wont-be-labeled-2012-8

School is starting soon and in some cities it started last week. Do you know what you are feeding your children?

eat your fruits and veggies! (non-gmo) xo Inge

Aug 12, 2012

I spent my weekend handing out Yes on Prop 37 flyers, and educating the public about this important initiative that we will vote on come November. Did I ever mention that I write articles for the Orange Juice Blog, an online political blog that has been around forever? Here's the link www.orangejuiceblog.com/ My pen name is Inge.

Now back to Prop 37. As with anything there are always groups who disagree. Wanting to know what we are eating should not be a big deal right? Wrong! Especially when those groups don't want us to know what's in our food. So what's the big deal? Thats what I said. I mean over 50 countries require gmos to be labeled including China. China for crying outloud! The same Communist China that makes all that crap they sell in WalMart (not me. I don't shop there. Ever) By the way WalMart will sell genetically modified corn in a few short weeks (and it is NOT labeled) to you and your lovely children. Wouldn't you like to know that? Here's the link to that story, in case you are wondering
http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-is-going-to-sell-monsantos-genetically-modified-corn-and-it-wont-be-labeled-2012-8

I was snooping through the net looking for any updates about the label gmo thing and found some new and I think interesting articles. The first is from a mom by the name of Jessica Gotttlieb aka Mommy Blogger. Here is the link to her article called "How Do Bloggers Know When a Publicist is a Liar?"
http://www.carighttoknow.org/how_do_bloggers_know_when_a_publicist_is_a_liar

The next one was quite informative and disturbing.
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/tests-rats-suggest-genetically-modified-foods-pose-health-hazards

And last but not least I have the list of companies and how much money they are spending to make sure you and I continue to not know what we are eating. This list names the companies who make and sell 'organic' foods. Now that was a real shocker to me. I mean, why would organic companies be concerned about gmos? They are organic and we shouldn't have to worry they are full of gmos right? But then I saw who owns these particular organic companies and it was perfectly clear to me.
Check it out for yourself.

ORGANIC/NATURAL BRANDS

Pepsi-Co $90,220.06

Tostito's Organic

Tropicana Organic

Naked Juice

Coca-Cola $61,208.60

Odwalla

Honest Tea

ConAgra $56,598.50

Orville Redenbacher's Organic

Hunt's Organic

Alexia Foods

Lightlife

Kellogg's $33,248.40

Keebler Organic

Kellogg's Organic

Bear Naked

Kashi

Morningstar Farms

Wholesome & Hearty

J.M Smucker $20, 395.80

Santa Cruz Organics

Smucker's Organic Peanut Butter

R.W. Knudsen

Natural Brew

Tenderleaf Tea

Hormel Foods $19,657.70

Natural Choice

General Mills $19,400.28

Cascadian Farm

Muir Glen

Gold Medal Organic

Bimbo Bakeries* $17,783.30

Earth Grains

DelMonte $14,400.28

DelMonte brand organic pickles

DelMonte brand organic canned tomato products

Fruit Naturals

Hershey $8,440.28

Dagoba

Cargill $5424.94

White Wave/Silk

Horizon

Organic Cow of Vermont

Campbell Soup Co. $5,340.56

V8 Organic

Prego Organic

Swanson's Organic

Pace Organic

Campbell's Organic

Bolthouse Farms

McCormick $5,302.10

McCormick Organic Spices

*Bimbo Bakeries also donated an additional $7,340.06 through its Sara Lee subsidiary.

I will post the contact numbers of these companies in a couple of days so you can call them

and tell them you want the food labeled. Not sure what to look for in the list of ingredients?

Corn syrup, canola, sugar beets. 90% of corn and soy are genetically modified. Why contact food manufacturers? Because it works! Silk and Kashi got on board. They decided to just stop using gmo

ingredients. Here is Kashi's link http://www.kashi.com/nongmo and Silk

http://www.nongmoproject.org/2011/06/23/silk-beverage-portfolio-achieves-non-gmo-project-verification/

We have the power, purchasing power that is and the best way to get change is to stop buying their stuff until they listen to us. You have to call them as well though and make your voice heard!

xo Inge

Aug 7, 2012

How many of you use Nutra Sweet or Equal? How many know Monsanto makes it? Watch this video. All I got to say is "I knew it!" I try to limit my sugar intake but when I do want something with sugar in it I always use natural sugar or unfiltered honey. NEVER artificial sweetners!

http://share.banoosh.com/2012/08/07/aspartame-sweet-misery-a-poisoned-world