From Booklist
The 1995 outbreak of "mad cow" disease in Europe provoked public attention to genetically engineered or modified food, a concern that has spread to the U.S. Cummins and Lilliston, food safety advocates, examine the scientific, political, economic, and health issues. With billions of dollars in profits at stake, the biotech food industry promises that new technology will end world hunger and improve public health and the environment. Cummins and Lilliston weigh those promises against the unpredictability of the new technology, and the fact that much of it hasn't been adequately tested for safety and that its products are being distributed without labeling. Genetically modified organisms are so common that they are part of the average consumer's daily intake in food from breakfast cereals to infant formula to margarine. The authors include information on what consumers can do, from smart shopping to grassroots lobbying, to reduce the threat of genetically engineered food. This is a thorough and well-researched look at an issue of growing public concern. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Jim Hightower, author of If the Gods Had Meant Us to Vote They Would Have Given Us Candidates
"Being a consumer is not a passive act. It means taking charge. This book tells you how."


John Stauber, co-author of Toxic Sludge is Good For You and Mad Cow USA
"Cummins and Lilliston are top investigative writers and activists who spill the beans about what's wrong with genetically engineered food..."


Book Description
Stormy debates about genetically engineered (GE) food have raged throughout Asia and Europe, particularly in the UK, where the 1995 outbreak of "mad cow" disease ignited a groundswell of activism and outrage about food safety. Now, as the GE food debate gains momentum in the United States and elsewhere around the world, two leading consumer advocates give us Genetically Engineered Food, a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute guide to the risks posed by GE foods-and what you can do to avoid them. Ronnie Cummins and Ben Lilliston discuss the ethical, environmental, and health arguments against GE food, how these foods are being regulated in the U.S. and abroad, and why consumers are right to oppose them. In addition, Genetically Engineered Food offers in-depth information about: * How to identify the types of food most likely to be GE
* Where the major food companies, supermarkets, and restaurant chains stand on the issue, and which food companies and stores are going GE-free
* Food products, ingredients and companies to avoid
* Foods and brands you should buy and where you can find them
* How you can shop and act with a purpose.


From the Publisher
"Cummins and Lilliston's self-defense guide is a boon. Their comprehensive reporting on GE food explains the risks and the politics of all this sci-fi farming, along with shopping strategies to help you avoid buying, say, a gene-spliced Twinkie." -Tenaya Darlington, Isthmus "It is great that Ronnie Cummins and Ben Lilliston have had the courage and the dedication to research the controversial subject of genetically engineered foods so thoroughly. Every aspect is covered-health hazards, effects on the environment, where to shop, what to avoid-allowing us to choose where our interests lie and, from this, check resources and make educated decisions. This guide must surely become the bible for the concerned consumer." -Nora Pouillon, chef/owner of Restaurant Nora, Washington, D.C., the country's first certified-organic restaurant, and Asia Nora "Consumers have known intuitively that they don't want to eat genetically engineered foods. Now they know why. Ronnie Cummins and Ben Lilliston persuasively outline the case against this mass experiment on our food, and give the public useful tools for ways to avoid genetic contamination when they buy food. Anyone who eats should read Genetically Engineered Food. It is indispensable as a basic primer, a resource guide, and a call to action." -Charles Margulis, Greenpeace genetic engineering specialist "Cummins and Lilliston are clear, accurate and compelling. If you want to understand the dangers of genetically engineered food, this is the book you need. And if you want to make safe food choices for your family, this is the book you should buy." -Cheryl Long, senior editor of Organic Gardening magazine "I breathed a sigh of relief as I picked up this book. Finally, there's a reliable source of information for consumers on the confusing subject of genetically engineered foods. In clear language, Cummins and Lilliston guide us to greater knowledge...and greater hopefulness. If you only read one book on GE foods, this should be the one." -Peggy O'Mara, editor and publisher, Mothering Magazine "A fundamental right of consumers is knowing what kind of foods they are purchasing. Genetically engineered foods are taking this right away from consumers. This book helps make the marketplace more democratic, giving consumers the information they need to make choices in buying food for their families. I look forward to seeing this book on every coffee table in America." -Renske van Staveren, national coordinator, Genetic Engineering Action Network, USA

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Stormy debates about genetically engineered (GE) food have raged throughout Asia and Europe, particularly in the UK, where the 1995 outbreak of "mad cow" disease ignited a groundswell of activism and outrage about food safety. Now, as the GE food debate gains momentum in the United States and elsewhere around the world, two leading consumer advocates give us this comprehensive, up-to-the-minute guide to the risks posed by GE foods -- and what you can do to avoid them. Ronnie Cummins and Ben Lilliston discuss the ethical, environmental, and health arguments against GE food, how these foods are being regulated in the U.S. and abroad, and why consumers are right to oppose them.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

I breathed a sigh of relief as I picked up this book. Finally, there's a reliable source of information for consumers on the confusing subject of genetically engineered foods. In clear language, Cummins and Lilliston guide us to greater knowledge￯﾿ﾽand greater hopefulness. If you only read one book on GE foods, this should be the one.  — (Peggy O'Mara, Editor and Publisher, Mothering Magazine)

Cummins and Lilliston are clear, accurate and compelling. If you want to understand the dangers of genetically engineered food, this is the book you need. And if you want to make safe food choices for your family, this is the book you should buy. — Cheryl Long

It is great that Ronnie Cummins and Ben Lilliston have had the courage and the dedication to research the controversial subject of genetically engineered foods so thoroughly. Every aspect is covered-health hazards, effects on the environment, where to shop, what to avoid-allowing us to choose where our interests lie and, from this, check resources and make educated decisions. This guide must surely become the bible for the concerned consumer. — Nora Pouillion