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The Food Issue
2017
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Of all the questionable food fads, Caulfield found that the controversy surrounding GMOs, or genetically
modified organisms, boasts the biggest gap between science and public thinking.
“A recent study in the U.S. revealed that while GMO food has been proven safe to eat, only 37 per cent of
people believe that and 87 per cent think non-GMO food is healthier,” said Caulfield.
In the professor’s view, it’s a classic example of the “Prius Effect”—studies have found that among Toyota
Prius owners, the top motivation for buying an electric or hybrid car was self image or the fact that the
purchase “makes a statement about me,” rather than better fuel economy or lower emissions.
“The idea of being against GMOs becomes part of one’s ideological package,” said Caulfield. “We all
tend to adopt beliefs consistent with our self-identity, so the same person who believes the science on
climate change may reject the science on GMOs, as that fits with their perception of themselves.”
He also sees an intuitive appeal to shunning GMO food, as it sounds unnatural. “How can you favour
genetically modifying nature?” he said. “That narrative has real power but no proof.”
“The beef industry has studied this extensively and reported that the natural level of hormones in an
eight-ounce hamburger patty is virtually identical to the level in a patty from animals raised with growth
hormones,” said Smyth.
In fact, two of Smyth’s students found evidence that there are more hormones in the bun than the patty
and no difference in taste, despite what the commercials tell us.
“A&W saw a niche opportunity here. They knew consumers were uninformed about how steak or
hamburger ends up on store shelves and knew they could prey on that,” said Smyth. “Consequently, they
jacked up prices on their burgers, called them hormone-free and claimed their competitors’ burgers were
dripping with hormones.”
It can become a vicious cycle, as the more we see of hormone-free or gluten-free products, the better we
assume they must be for us.
“It’s almost to the point where you wonder if food companies sit around thinking what other ‘free’ words
they can put on labels and charge more for—maybe ‘gene-free’ will be next,” Smyth said.
In Caulfield’s view, this is the most complex of the four food trends.
“You have to look at a couple of elements,” he said. “First of all, are organic foods inherently healthier? The
scientific community agrees they are not a healthier or more nutritious choice.”
The second factor in the organic debate is pesticides. “This one is a bit more complicated, but again
there’s no evidence that organic food is superior in this regard,” said Caulfield. “Not only is the level of
pesticides on conventionally grown food far below regulatory standards, but organic farmers also use
pesticides—they just use organic ones.”
Caulfield added that concerns about nutrition and pests might cause people to eat fewer fruits and
vegetables, something he called a “horrible result” of misinformation.
Further complicating the issue is what Caulfield described as an emotional component to the organic
appeal, where people equate it with “natural,” something that pop culture has been quick to reinforce.
“For my book about Gwyneth Paltrow, I read her clean cleanse guide and saw the word ‘organic’ on every
page,” he said. “It promotes the notion that organic must be healthier, and that is powerful.”
GMO-free
Organic
Hormone-free meat
With all of the noise around these food trends, what’s a consumer to do?
“Ignore the hype and follow the science,” said Caulfield. “Wait for a
body of evidence to emerge before you embrace any new theory, and
in the meantime, keep it basic.”
That means eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and
good proteins while drinking alcohol in moderation and avoiding junk.
“The fascinating thing is that we know what a healthy diet looks like,
yet the rhetoric and confused messages feed this doubt in our minds
and make it harder to follow the simple truths,” said Caulfield.
On the bright side, most experts agree that if you get off the “-free”
train and shut out the noise to focus on the basics, the benefits for your
health could be priceless and lasting.
To your health