Genetically Altered Foods and Your Health (Basic Earth Guides) (Paperback)

by Ken Roseboro (Author), Thomas Hirsch (Editor)
Key Phrases: organic industry, organic certification, organic agriculture, United States, Seed Savers, Roundup Ready (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Most people don't know what's in the food they eat every day. Although the recognized brands of packaged and processed foods, salad dressings, canned goods, soft drinks, snack foods, and so on may look the same as always, in many cases their contents have radically changed. They now contain something new and unfamiliar: genetically engineered ingredients. "Genetically Altered Foods and Your Health" examines how genetic engineering is radically changing our food-at great risk to human health and the environment. Why are scientists genetically altering foods? Are they safe? Why aren't genetically engineered foods labeled as such? Author Ken Roseboro addresses these and other issues concerning genetically altered foods, and explains why organic foods are practical and safe alternatives to this risky technology.

About the Author
Ken Roseboro is editor and publisher of "The Non-GMO Source," a monthly newsletter that helps food producers respond to the challenges of genetically engineered foods. Roseboro has written extensively about the genetic engineering of foods for many agricultural and food industry publications, including "Prepared Foods," "Food Processing," "World Grain," and "Natural Products Industry Insider," among many others. He is a contributing editor to "Natural Foods Merchandiser," and "Grain Journal."

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Basic Health Publications; 1st edition (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591200598
• ISBN-13: 978-1591200598
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #933,937 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complex subject made understandable!, September 4, 2004

By	Jane K. Lippincott "Kandy Lippincott" (Westmont, New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was very well written and much more interesting and more readable than I expected. It captivated my interest. It wasn't dry reading like some sort of scientific journal report. It was very informative...a quick read. In only a few pages I learned alot about genetically altered foods. This short book covers the history of using genetically engineered seeds for farming. Dry scientific facts on field crop productivity and other issues are told through anecdotes from organic farmers affected by GM seed use in nearby fields. The farming companies that have decided to use the new genetically engineered seeds are having difficulty containing the cross pollenation from their crops to other GM free farms. The long term effects on crop production and potential harm to allergic humans and other consumers in the food chain is discussed. This book is a "how to" guide for consumers trying to make informed decisions about the use of genetically altered foods. My own awareness was raised about the potential hazards of unlabeled products on supermarket shelves. For a good overview on this topic in a reader friendly book, I recommend you buy this inexpensive, very readable book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shortest, Cheapest, Comprehensive Book on Hazards of GMOs, June 30, 2004

By	Lee M. Leffler "professional writer" (Fairfield, IA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are short on time or money, you no longer have reasons to be uninformed of the dangers of genetically altered foods. "Genetically Altered Foods and Your Health" is the cheapest, shortest and (as of summer 2004) newest book on all the issues related to genetically altered foods. If you eat, you must read this book!

A short "Basic Earth Guide" pocket-sized book, these 120 pages lay out the complete landscape of genetically altered foods: the promises and the risks of altering the genes in foods; how our food supply has been affected by genetically altered foods; the potential for damage to our health and our ecosystem; damage already done; the politics of genetically altering foods; and how different countries have reacted. The facts are backed up by references.

This book also empowers the reader with the knowledge of a viable alternative: organic food. In chapter after chapter, author Ken Roseboro paints a thorough picture of how organic food -- without genetically altered organisms, artificially pesticides and herbicides -- is a healthy, sustainable choice for the consumer. Yet, the genetic purity of organic seeds, and all natural seeds, is threatened by genetic pollution from genetically engineered plants. Read on to find out what you can do!

The last chapter has seven actions consumers can take to resist genetic engineering.

At under $6 each, buy several copies of "Genetically Altered Foods and Your Health" - one to keep, two to give away. After reading this book, see if you can still wolf down a typical granola bar from the grocery store without a pang of concern.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Triumph!, August 20, 2004

By	Jim Turner - See all my reviews

"A triumph of concise straight to the bone journalism. Ken Roseboro gives the facts on a major national health issue. And the facts tell a very disturbing story about the effects of Bio-engineered foods. Every mother should read this book and then call her representatives in Washington!"