Kissing California wine goodbye

Image courtesy of George Hodan

I'm frustrated and a bit pissed off, actually (please excuse the language). My writing friends and I frequent a nearby restaurant where the only wines they serve come from California. Well, we're trying a different place tonight. A place that serves Australian wine (which is guaranteed to be non-GMO). 

Why the change? Recent testing by the national GMO awareness group, Moms Against Monsanto, revealed some disturbing findings. They found that 100% -- one hundred percent -- of wines from California contained trace amounts of glyphosate. You know what glyphosate is, right? It's that nasty toxic substance in Monsanto's RoundUp and 700 other herbicides. Just what I want with my dinner -- a side of RoundUp!

Glyphosate has been in the news a lot lately... and none of it is good. Just this week, the green slime started washing up on the shores of Lake Erie. Nasty.

I've had it. I'm so over Monsanto and its destruction and greed. But what can I do? Other than avoid their products and spread the word, there's not much I can do when battling this monster. Our politicians are in bed with them, with one in particular who is running for president. 

But back to the wine -- even the organic wines from California are contaminated, although at a 28 times lower rate than the conventional wines. Apparently, the highest level of glyphosate was in a 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. The brand was not specified in the article I read, but it did mention the fact that it was from a vineyard that was chemically-farmed. On the other hand, the lowest level detected was in a 2013 Syrah from an organic vineyard free of pesticides. According to MAM founder Zen Honeycutt, the fact that the organic wines are tainted shows the very real problem of the drift of chemical sprays from neighboring vineyards.

Glyphosate has been identified as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Concerned about breast cancer? Well, you'd be best to avoid California wines, as glyphosate is known to stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells. Yikes. Let me repeat that. Glyphosate is known to stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells. Got it? The California Dept. of Health released data indicating the cancer rates in Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma counties are 10-20% higher than the national average. That is significant, don't you think? And what about all the pending lawsuits against Monsanto over the link between RoundUp and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma? 

And then there are the suspected miscarriages and birth defects connected to it.

Like I said, I'm pissed off. For the love of all living things, if you are using RoundUp or other herbicides (such as those used by lawn care companies like Scott's), please STOP!! Enough is enough. We're exposed to so many dangers every single day. Don't knowingly add more to the list. 

As for California wines, I guess I'm swearing off. Perhaps one now and then isn't going to do much damage. But I'm not even sure about that. 

Oh, and it really makes you wonder about the grape juice people are giving to their kids. When will it end?

I let you know how I'm feeling about it. How about you?

Dr. Frankenstein, you've created a monster

Genetically engineered foods. It's a hot topic. While many people prefer to simply bury their heads in the sand, I cannot keep quiet about the dangers of GMOs. I can't and won't. In my opinion, Monsanto is perhaps the most evil organization in modern day history. Period. The damaging results of their "creations" are countless -- from food sensitivities, to cancer, to hormone imbalances, to death. Yes, death. The chemicals in RoundUp, for instance, are ridiculously hazardous to the health of our families and pets, wildlife, marine life, and the insect kingdom. Just look what's happening to the Monarch butterfly and bee populations. The research proves it, yet the U.S. government continues to protect and back Monsanto and other corporations responsible for this assault on life! 

Remember Dr. Frankenstein's monster? Sometimes, it's best not to mess with nature.

If I seem heated about this issue, I am. I'm tired of having to figure out what is safe to eat and what I should avoid. I'm tired of watching young frazzled moms unwittingly filling their grocery carts with processed foods and conventional produce... just trying to feed their families on a budget. I'm tired of watching neighbors spraying chemicals on their yards just to produce that perfect shade of green, and then watching their children play on those same chemically-laced lawns. I'm just tired.

If you're like me,  you know it doesn't matter how tired we are. We still have to be proactive in our attempts to protect our families. So I thought I'd share some info on GMOs which you might find useful. 

Here are a few foods on the Environmental Working Group's Watch List. These have the potential of being genetically engineered, yet, because labeling is not mandatory, we have no way of knowing if these are safe --

• Zucchini and yellow summer squash. Ouch. This hurts me personally, as I'm a huge fan of squash. Some of the varieties are modified and some aren't, but your guess is as good as mine.
• Sweet corn. Another favorite of mine. The fact is that most of the sweet corn you find in the grocery store and at local farm markets may not have grown from genetically modified seeds, but, like the squash, some are. Unless it's marked as organic, you're playing Russian Roulette with your corn.
• Papaya. Here's one that doesn't affect me, as I don't think I've ever purchased a papaya. But according to the Hawaiian Papaya Industry Association, most of the island's papaya is genetically engineered to resist the ringspot virus. Over 75%, as a matter of fact.

Later in the week, I'll provide a list of EWG's Factory Four -- the most common GE ingredients found in our food. Keep in mind, this list pertains to the U.S. specifically, as many other countries have banned GMOs completely.

Keeping you informed,