My level of distrust, disgust and loathing of Big Food has reached a new high.
The reason?
While doing some research for a completely unrelated article, I discovered the little known fact that food manufacturers are not required to specify on a food label whether the “sugar” or “sucrose” in their products is derived from cane sugar or beet sugar.
Why is this a big deal? There’s nothing wrong with beet sugar, right?
Wrong.
Since its introduction to the market in 2008, Monsanto’s Roundup Ready GMO sugar beets have completely taken over the market. At least 95% of the sugar beets grown in the United States are now genetically modified and the FDA encouraged this trend to continue with complete deregulation of GMO sugar beets in July 2012.
Here’s the critical point: approximately 50 percent of white sugar sold in the US is made from GMO sugar beets and consumers don’t even know it – most erroneously assume it is nonGMO cane sugar. Again, there is no requirement to distinguish on a food label whether “sugar” or “sucrose” is derived from beet sugar, cane sugar, or a mix of the two.
The bottom line is that any product you buy that says “sugar” or “sucrose” is almost certainly at least partially if not completely GMO beet sugar unless it is certified organic or labeled as 100% cane sugar.
What does this mean for those so called “throwback” sodas that use “old fashioned”, “real sugar” instead of high fructose corn syrup?
Nothing more than a marketing ploy. Throwback or “natural” sodas are not the healthier, old fashioned choice that food manufacturers would have you believe.
PepsiCo, manufacturer of Naked Juice and Sierra Mist has already been sued once for abusing the “natural” label. The company recently settled a lawsuit for $9 million that alleged that some of the ingredients in Naked Juice, a brand of fruit and veggie drinks, aren’t “natural” at all, with the vitamins synthetic, an artificial fiber manufactured by Archer Daniels Midland, and GMOs.
PepsiCo confirmed to me in a telephone conversation that the sugar in its “natural” sodas are in fact made with a mixture of cane sugar and GMO beet sugar.
In essence, if you are trying to avoid GMO high fructose corn syrup at the supermarket, your choice of products containing “sugar” are without a doubt GMO as well no matter what the item may be – candy, breakfast cereal or even “healthy” granola bars.
Buying bags of white sugar for making homemade kombucha? Better switch to organic sugar or nonorganic sugar specifically labeled as 100% cane sugar or you’ve been brewing a GMO drink for your family.
Use a pack of white sugar in your morning tea or coffee at Starbucks? Yes, that’s almost certainly at least partially GMO too.
Be careful when seeking out natural sodas like Blue Sky Sodas from Hansen at the healthfood store as this can be especially confusing. For example, the sugar used in the Blue Sky Organic soda line is pure cane sugar. In addition, four of the nonorganic sodas are listed on the Hansen’s Natural website as containing pure cane sugar as well.
However, for the majority of the Blue Sky sodas, the label does not say organic or pure cane sugar. It simply says “real sugar” which when I inquired, does indeed mean at least part of the sweetener is GMO beet sugar derived. Here is the exact wording of the email response to my telephone inquiry to customer service:
Thanks for taking the time to contact our company directly with your inquiry.
The sugar in Blue Sky Sodas is either sourced from cane and or beet and is refined as normal table top sugar is. Real refers to the fact it is not a chemically derived sweetener like High Fructose Corn Syrup, Glucose Syrup, etc.
Sugar from GMO beets is not considered chemically derived? Not sure how that conclusion could be made given that GMOs are created in a lab and are clearly not natural. Buyer beware indeed!
Why Products Containing GMO Beet Sugar are So Unhealthy
Besides the completely unknown effects of consuming GMOs which have never been adequately tested, the activist organization Citizens for Health reports that GMO sugar beets in the food supply are of particular concern because the sugar is extracted from the beet’s root rather than the part of the plant growing above the ground with the result being more glyphosate pesticide residues in the sugar.
Another problem is that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to increase the allowable levels of glyphosate on sugar beet roots, seemingly ad infinitum as superweed resistance continues to grow.
Inexplicably, the EPA continues to allow ever higher levels of glyphosate on GMO crops despite the release of a study showing that glyphosate inhibits the growth of beneficial gut bacteria in humans and leads to the overgrowth of pathogenic intestinal bacteria resulting in a slow, insidious increase in systemic inflammation over months and years.
Sodas That Really ARE Natural
When I discovered this information, I made a point to inform my children that what they had been doing at parties and whatnot – seeking drinks with plain sugar instead of GMO high fructose corn syrup – was no longer a safe strategy.
They must now choose water, 100% fruit juice, or sodas like Virgil’s (see picture above) that use only cane sugar and specify it as such on the label. These are the only “natural” sodas you can trust to be truly GMO free.
What shopping habits will you change now that you are aware of the sugar labeling scam that is causing even health conscious people to be lured into consuming GMO beet sugar? Will you discuss this with your children to help them avoid these foods and make wiser selections at parties and other events?
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sources:
USDA Announces Decision to Deregulate Genetically Engineered Sugar Beets
White Sugar Now Coming From Genetically-Modified Sugar Beets
Feds to farmers: Grow GMO beets or face sugar shortage
PEPSICO TO NO LONGER CALL NAKED JUICES ‘NATURAL’
The Double Danger of High Fructose Corn Syrup
Monsanto’s Minions: US EPA Hikes Glyphosate Limits in Food and Feed Once Again
We buy Zevia sodas sweetened with stevia
yeah, we do too. But we only have sodas every once in a while. What about Zevia? Is it just as bad?
Stevia sweetener is genetically engineered modified organism, derived from monsantos own grown plants.
No, it isn’t, Captain Disinformation. Stevia is an herb and not yet genetically modified.
There is, however “Truvia” brand sweetener which is a chemically modified(unnatural) form of the natural product. And also much of the stevia products are coming from other countries like Brazil where they may be mixing the extracts etc. with aspartame as the taste is a bit similar. But you can grow your own stevia and use it without fear of it being GMO.
Alfalfa on the other hand….
Thanks for the article! I’ve been very careful about only using ‘cane sugar’ for years but sure have been hoodwinked with Blue Sky! I will double check that now (we rarely get soda but normally get Hansen’s or Blue Sky when we do). BTW, my children had Virgil’s cream soda the other day and said it tasted the best!
Virgil’s rocks! I love companies that mean what they say on the label. Honesty in food labeling is a rare thing these days.
This makes me so mad! The only soda I would allow on occasion was Sierra Mist. I should have known better! GRRRR! Thank you for this informative article!
Yes, I was WILD with disgust when I found this out as my teenager would only drink Sierra Mist at parties and Church functions. He knows better now. Cane sugar only sodas.
I’m guessing this is true of the natural sugar katsup from Hunts… Infuriating to say the least… Looks like my move to organic just got another kick in the backside.
Thanks so much for explaining that in a very clear way. I am sad that I now have to explain yet another labeling discrepancy to my children. Beginning to think I should just send them to every social function with a small bag of their own goodies! How does everyone else handle this issue of social events and food for your children?
Choose your friends carefully?
Seriously, many of our friends have similar values/concerns, but we are homeschoolers with big families so we are all weird anyway:-) For church functions, I have them eat before they go so “treats” do not become meals. I allow them to take along a healthy snack and/or drink to share – nothing too weird so that others may like it too. I encourage them to make wise choices. And then I relax and let them be kids. My philosophy has always been that it is not what you do every once in a while (depending on your idea of every once in a while – and not referring to allergies), its what you do every day.
I cannot tell you how many times I have been told be well-meaning people that teens will not eat veggie trays or some other healthy item I have sent along, only to have my children tell me it went very quickly!
Sarah, thank you so much for the excellent information you provide here. I appreciate so much all of your hard work and research that you so generously share!
What about Mexican coke?
GMO unless the label specifies cane sugar.
I believe Mexican sodas started using GMO sugars a while back. I’ve also noticed that they don’t taste like they used to when they were using sugar cane sugar.
Sarah, Just wanted to say thanks for all your hard work in exposing and bringing these topics to us. I have learned so much from your posts.
You’re welcome.
Oh no…is this true of the Izze sodas too? I always thought those were a better choice because of how few ingredients they have and that they aren’t too sweet. But I don’t see anything on the label about not using GMOs.
If it just says “sugar” or “real sugar” it is almost assuredly got GMO sugar in it. If it says “cane sugar”, you are ok.
izze soda does not list sugar at all. they use juice concentrates and specify which ones (grape, blackberry, etc) in the ingredients however while they are not sweetened with beets that does not mean the fruits they use are non-GMO. I’m not saying they are just that they might be.
I thought Izze soda’s were only sweetened with fruit juice (no added sugars).
Then that should be fine. 🙂
The sparkling juices have no added sugars (at least the grapefruit one in my fridge doesn’t) but they do have a few sodas, one which is ginger that I LOVE! But I looked at the label and it says “sugar” not “cane sugar”. Bummer 🙁
Thank you for your article. I am sharing it on Twitter and with friends and family. We must expose this and other “natural” lies. Great work!
As of last year I have sworn off anything processed. I am not shocked at all by your findings. Keep up the great job on this site!