An Idea Worth Spreading, A Dialogue Worth Having

Written by Robyn O’Brien

As to be expected, there is a scientist in the field of genomics aggressively speaking out against one of my TEDx talks.

It’s not the first time that my work has come under fire, nor will it be the last as the information that I present is disruptive.  To many, it creates a cognitive dissonance – a discomfort caused by holding conflicting ideas, beliefs or values and can often elicit a strong emotional reaction.

And it did just that over the weekend from a scientist at the University of Florida which houses the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

So when I looked into the work of the person making the accusations, I was not surprised that he had dedicated his life to plant research and genetic engineering.  His commitment is remarkable.  I understand it, because it is that same dedication that I have to my research and work into the financial engineering and the role it can play in the integrity of science.

That dedication, that level of commitment, is something to be honored, not slandered, as it is not without sacrifice.

But his criticism was that of a subject that continues to raise itself as to whether or not genetically engineered crops are safe.

The scientific debate tends to center around whether genetically engineered crops have been “thoroughly tested,” while a debate around the financial engineering of the science continues to grow.

So let’s look at the science, because as the Union for Concerned Scientists states:

“Political interference in federal government science is weakening our nation’s ability to respond to the complex challenges we face. Because policy makers depend on impartial research to make informed decisions, we are mobilizing scientists and citizens alike to push for reforms that will enable our leaders to fully protect our health, safety, and environment.”

In a Science Magazine in 2000, a Spanish researcher named Jose L. Domingo who later went on to write a 2007 paper, “Toxicity Studies of Genetically Modified Plants: A Review of the Published Literature,” found only seven peer reviewed papers on genetically engineered crop safety as of 2000, most of them dealing with short-term nutritional effects.

According to Dr. Charles Benbrook, who worked in Washington, D.C. on agricultural policy, science and regulatory issues from 1979 through 1997, served for 1.5 years as the agricultural staff expert on the Council for Environmental Quality at the end of the Carter Administration, and following the election of Ronald Reagan, moved to Capitol Hill in early 1981 and was the Executive Director of the Subcommittee of the House Committee on Agriculture with jurisdiction over pesticide regulation, research, trade and foreign agricultural issues, what that means is that at the time that two genetically engineered products were approved for the food supply, there were no studies in the open scientific literature.

Let’s stop and think about that for a minute in the context of something that is more familiar.

Can you imagine if a medical device or a new pharmaceutical drug were introduced with no studies in the open scientific literature for public review?  Or if a car was introduced onto the highway in the same manner?

The concern is shared by the National Academy of Sciences in the paper, Safety of Genetically Engineered Foods: Approaches to Assessing Unintended Health Consequences, ”As with all other technologies for genetic modification, they also carry the potential for introducing unintended compositional changes that may have adverse effects on human health.”

Furthermore, according to Benbook, as of 2007 and Domingo’s more recent and comprehensive review, a“Toxicity Studies of Genetically Modified Plants: A Review of the Published Literature“, there are still no more than about ten studies assessing the toxicological impact of genetically engineered ingredients in our food supply, almost all are limited in scope (there is a review of 24 studies focusing on nutritional equivalency), and short term, with most of them dealing with genetically engineered foods other than corn and soybeans.

Which means that the bottom line is that there are no published, peer reviewed studies on the toxicological impacts of today’s commercial genetically engineered ingredients now found in our food supply, and almost none on older genetically engineered ingredients, that provide evidence that show that these foods are toxicologically safe.

At the conclusion of the abstract for the paper, the author himself poses the question: “where is the scientific evidence showing that GM plants/food are toxicologically safe?”

To me, that is a question so important that it was unequivocally an “Idea Worth Spreading,” a question worth asking, a dialogue worth having.

Correlation is not causation but with the Centers for Disease Control now reporting that cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of fifteen, that there has been a 265% increase in the rates of hostpiatlizations related to food allergic reaction, it is worth noting that “no evidence of harm” is not the same as “evidence of no harm.”

What we are witnessing, through 55 members of Congress that have called for the labeling of these ingredients, the over one million Americans who have sent comments to the FDA asking for the same, interest in a TEDx talk given by a former financial analyst, author and mother of four, is a movement, perhaps begun by the Spanish researcher with his ask for the scientific evidence showing that genetically engineered foods are toxicologically safe, and a call for the labeling of these foods, as they are labeled in over 40 countries around the world, until we have more science.

It is a call for studies that might alert a pregnant woman working on a farm about the impact that her exposure to these crops and the chemicals used to produce them might have on the health of her unborn babies.

It is a call for science and for the research that tells a mother if her child is allergic to conventional soybeans, the kind that has been in our food supply for generations, or if her child is allergic to the genetically engineered components now found in soybeans that were introduced in the late 1990s.

It is a call for the scientific tests that would enable a father to test his child for those differences at his allergist’s office.

It is a call for science and our right to know about the foods that we are eating and what their impact might be on the health of our families.

Is correlation causation?  Not at all, but with millions of Americans beginning to wake up to the fact that we have additives in our food supply, from lean beef trimmings, to artificial growth hormones to genetically engineered ingredients, additives that were not in our foods a generation ago, we are asking for more science, integrity in science, full disclosure of the financial engineering behind the science, and for labels and the right to make an informed choice about what we are feeding our families.

We have learned what can happen otherwise, from the tobacco industry to the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, so I hope that the TED team will continue the conversation with consumers, genetic engineers as well as financial ones, economists and the medical community in a forum in which attendees can express their opinions and one that requires full disclosure of any institutional ties, research grants or patents of those involved to preserve the dialogue and the scientific integrity of the discussion.

Because as Carl Sagan once said, “We have designed our civilization based on science and technology and at the same time arranged things so that almost no one understands anything at all about science and technology.”

An idea worth spreading?  A dialogue worth having? Absolutely.

Additional Resources:

Scientific Integrity: Union of Concerned Scientists: http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/
Toxicity Studies of Genetically Modified Plants: http://www.biosafety.ru/ftp/domingo.pdf
Faculty Endowments: http://www.uff.ufl.edu/FacultyEndowments/ProfessorshipInfo.asp?ProfessorshipFund=007489
Kevin Folta’s Blog: http://kfolta.blogspot.com/2012/03/complete-insanity-in-theater-built-by.html
UF Scientists Collaborate with Monsanto: http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2011/10/14/uf-scientists-collaborate-with-monsanto-to-develop-improved-computer-model-for-corn-production/
The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster: A Study in Organizational Ethics http://pirate.shu.edu/~mckenndo/pdfs/The%20Space%20Shuttle%20Challenger%20Disaster.pdf
Safety of Genetically Engineered Foods: Approaches to Assessing Unintended Health Consequences http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309092094

Meet A Food Allergy Angel

“You can always tell a pioneer by the number of arrows she has in her back,”  a friend once said.  And on the landscape of childhood, this rings true, especially for those in the food allergy world.

One of the true pioneers for children with food allergies is Nicole Smith, the founder of Allergic Child.  Her work is absolutely extraordinary, and her strength and encouragement have been life lines to so many of us in this space, including countless families dealing with this condition.

So it is a profound honor and with so much gratitude that we are highlighting Nicole’s work, in this story written by Angie Nordstrum, founder of Boulder AllergyKids.

Iron Jawed Angel

When I was thrust into the food allergy world six years ago, one of the first food allergy advocates I found was Nicole Smith and her website, AllergicChild.com As the mom of a newly diagnosed son with dozens of severe food allergies, I was desperate for resources and information. As I poured over the web for how to navigate in this foreign food allergy world, AllergicChild.com provided me mom directed resources and information of how to survive in this new normal.

Nicole is one of those “iron jawed angels.” She has a lovely sweet twang when she talks but when she speaks about food allergies she has a forceful presence. She has blazed the trail for food allergy families in Colorado and across the nation.

Books and School Advocacy

After learning of her own son Morgan’s life threatening food allergies, Nicole wrote Allie the Allergic Elephant: A Children’s Story of Peanut Allergies, Cody the Allergic Cow: A Children’s Story of Milk Allergies and Chad the Allergic Chipmunk: A Children’s Story of Nut Allergies. I read all of these books to my own son and Boulder Allergy Kids currently reads them to children’s classes to create better understanding and compassion for food allergic friends.

Nicole has helped school districts across the United States manage food allergies and create safe environments for food allergic children. She was a founding member of her school district’s Food Allergy Task Force, which continues its mission today to assist students and families managing life threatening food allergies in Academy District 20.

In Colorado, Nicole was the driving force to get Senate Bill 09-226 introduced and passed into law requiring all school districts to have a policy to keep food allergic children safe at school. Two years of meeting with senators, representatives and board members of the department of education culminated in the bill being signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter during Food Allergy Awareness Week in 2009.

When Boulder Allergy Kids saw the need to bring more food allergy awareness to our local school district, Nicole offered us support in how to create a Food Allergy Task Force, how to present before the school board and how to draft school district guidelines. Her guidance and support were invaluable and made this process go very smoothly for our district.

Current Food Allergy Work

Nicole is currently working to spread support for the passage of S 1884, the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act,. This bill would allow schools across the nation to have “stock”EpiPens on hand for use by trained staff to use in case of an allergic reaction at school. Nicole has led the way in enlisting Colorado support group leaders to request members write their senators for passage of this critically important bill

Nicole currently serves on the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI) Advocacy Steering Committee to help build a strong nationwide presence for the food allergy community in the public policy arena, and to actively seek to increase federal funding for food allergy research. Additionally, she participates in the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) Support Group Advisory Council.

Coming from childhood spent on several military bases, Nicole has a strong connection to the challenges of military life.  As a member of the FAI (Food Allergy Initiative) Advocacy Steering Committee she has been working to obtain food allergy research funding. Recently she has been gathering letters from members in the military and their families to send to Chairman Bill Young of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Many of us in the civilian population may not be aware of the issues that members of the military and their families have with food allergies. They get a school district trained on EpiPens and food allergy awareness, and then they are reassigned and get to start all over again!

Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network’s Summit Conference 2012

Nicole will be speaking in Chicago, IL and in Anaheim, CA at the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network’s Conference with three other FAAN Executives on the topic of “Advocating for your Child with Food Allergies in Schools.”

I’m looking forward to seeing Nicole present later this week in Chicago at the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network’s Conference. As a food allergy mom and representative of Boulder Allergy Kids, I am so eternally grateful to Nicole for the work she has done for our food allergic kids. She is a true iconoclast in the food allergy community, a mom who has truly made numerous life changing impacts for so many families.

NIcole’s Additional Accomplishments

• Served as Treasurer for the non-profit organization, Kids With Food Allergies, Inc.

• Graduated from George Washington University in Washington, D. C. and went on to work in the field of finance for several years.

• Nicole and her husband, Bob, own Allergic Child Publishing Group, the publishing company for Allie, Cody and Chad.

Contact

Nicole can be reached as follows:

AllergicChild.com

http://www.facebook.com/AllergicChild

http://twitter.com/AllergicChild

http://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleshieldssmith

What Does “Organic” Really Mean?

Now I’m not sure about you, but when I first heard the term “organic” several years ago, I dismissed it. It connoted a “status” and conjured up two different images: the lifestyles of the rich and famous and an alternative, hippie lifestyle. Since I didn’t relate to either, it seemed to be a select way of eating for a select few.

Boy, was I wrong.

The term “organic” actually refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed. It includes a system of production, processing, distribution and sales that assures consumers that the products maintain the organic integrity that begins on the farm, according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA).

The U.S. Congress adopted the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) in 1990 as part of the 1990 Farm Bill. This action was followed by over a decade of public input and discussion, which resulted in a National Organic Program final rule published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in December 2000 and implemented in October 2002, according to the Organic Consumers Association.

These stringent standards put in place a system to certify that specific practices are used to produce and process organic agricultural ingredients used for food and non-food purposes.

National organic standards set out the methods, practices and substances used in producing and handling crops, livestock and processed agricultural products. The standards include a national list of approved synthetic and prohibited non-synthetic substances for organic production.

In other words, just to give an example using the egg recall disaster, the way that the chickens were treated on the farms recalling the eggs wouldn’t fly in organic agriculture and livestock production which place a higher standard on both the treatment and the livestock feed of the animals.

Organically produced foods also must be produced without the use of:

• antibiotics
• synthetic hormones
• genetic engineering
• other excluded practices
• sewage sludge
• irradiation

Cloning animals or using their products would be considered inconsistent with organic practices. Organic foods are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food.

This is a key definition that is worth repeating (especially for those of us trying to reduce our families’ exposure to sewage sludge, synthetic growth hormones and antibiotics in food):

Organically produced foods also must be produced without the use of
antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering and other excluded practices, sewage sludge, or irradiation.
Cloning animals or using their products would be considered inconsistent with organic practices.
Organic foods are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food.

National organic standards require that organic growers and handlers be certified by third-party state or private agencies or other organizations that are accredited by USDA. Anyone who knowingly sells or mislabels as organic a product that was not produced and handled in accordance with the regulations can be subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation.

Products labeled “100% Organic” and carrying the “USDA Organic” seal are just that – they contain all organically produced ingredients and none of those ‘bullet points’ listed above.

The scrutiny that these foods undergo is enormous and expensive, driving prices at the cash register. But when it comes to protecting your health, sometimes you just might want to pay a little bit more in the grocery store in order to pay less at the doctor’s office. And check with your local farmers, as they often adhere to these standards, yet can’t afford the fees associated with labeling their products.

And should you choose to invest in your health this way, you’ll be joining a growing segment of the population and are not alone. The U.S. organic industry grew 21 percent overall in 2006 with organic foods and beverages continuing to be one of the fastest growing segments in the overall $598 billion food market.

Organic foods are increasingly sold in mass market grocery stores like Wal-Mart, Costco, Kroger and Safeway which represent the largest single distribution channel, accounting for 38 percent of organic food sales in 2006. Large natural food chains, along with small natural food chains or independent natural groceries and health food stores, represented about 44 percent of organic food sales. About 2 percent of organic food is sold through farmer’s markets.

If you’re anything like me, you might have rolled your eyes at this whole thing a few years ago, dismissing it as an expensive food fad. Nothing could be further from the truth. And while none of us can do everything, we can all do one thing. So the next time you are in your grocery store, consider purchasing something new and investing in your health with your shopping cart. You just might end up spending a little less time and a little less money in the doctor’s office if you do!

Source: The Organic Trade Association (OTA) and Organic Trade Association’s 2007 Manufacturer Survey (Because USDA does not yet do comprehensive market studies of organic sales, as it does for conventional U.S. agriculture.)

Looking for Recipes? 120 New Allergy-Friendly Foods for Families

Written by Robyn O’Brien

When I was asked to write the foreword for Kiwi Magazine’s new cookbook, Allergy-Friendly Food for Families, I was totally intimidated.  Because in the beginning, I couldn’t really cook.

But as I leaned into it, the words began to flow, and with the release of this extraordinary resource for food-sensitive and food-allergic eaters, I thought I’d share them below, because the book is an incredible tool, offering 120 gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free and soy-free recipes everyone will love.

The landscape of childhood has changed. In the last several years, we have seen jaw-dropping increases in the rates of allergies, autism, ADHD and asthma, earning these conditions the nickname “the 4 As” and our children the title, “Generation Rx.”

Today, it is estimated that food allergies affect at least 1 out of 17 kids under the age of three, with a study showing a doubling of the peanut allergy between 1997 and 2002. And according to an October 2008 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been a 265% increase in the rate of hospitalizations related to food allergic reactions.

And as we work to protect our food allergic families from the hidden dangers that foods can present, a growing number of us are finding our ways into the kitchen in an effort to prepare foods that are both safe and nutritious for our families.

For some, like me, this may be an intimidating task. Because a few years ago, I couldn’t cook. But when my youngest child had an allergic reaction one morning over breakfast, which in all candor included blue yogurt, frozen waffles and scrambled eggs, life changed. And like so many of you, I was thrown onto this new landscape of childhood and into the kitchen in an effort to manage these food allergies.

And in learning to cook, I realized that we can take the fear out of food and make it fun.

To be honest, I’ve burnt everything from pancakes to noodles, but I’ve also learned that the most important ingredient in any recipe is love.

So I invite you to pull up a chair, flip through Allergy-Friendly Food for Families and soak in the love and wholesome goodness that are tucked into these pages. Because Allergy-Friendly Food for Families is an invaluable resources for those interested in protecting the health of their families.

And remember, while none of us can do everything, all of us can do something. So pick a recipe and get started,

Because with inspiration, practical suggestions, heartfelt instructions and real world solutions, Allergy-Friendly Food for Families is both a sound investment in the health of your family and a resource that will pay dividends for a lifetime.

You can pick up a copy of Allergy-Friendly Food for Families at Barnes and Noble, your local retailer or on Amazon. To learn more, please visit Kiwi Magazine.

AllergyKids Chats with Living Without Editor, Alicia Woodward

AllergyKids’ founder, Robyn O’Brien, had the opportunity to sit down with Alicia Woodward, the editor of Living Without Magazine.  The dialogue that they had was extraordinary, candid and unexpected, and it inspires hope that together, we can create the changes we want to see in the health of our family and food system.

Please take a moment to watch this inspiring (and patriotic!) interview, and remember, that while none of us can do everything, all of us can do something.  And love can serve as a rocket fuel for creating change if you give yourself permission to just do one thing.