Lipstick on a gene-edited pig is still a GMO pig. What the heck is meat glue? No, it's not something that keeps your beef patty from sliding out of its bun. We also have new studies on PFAS, plastics and phthalates, glyphosate, beer and ultraprocessed foods. Keep scrolling to get the scoop...
FDA Approves GMO Virus-Resistant Pigs for Human Consumption
On April 30, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a virus-resistant GMO pig for human consumption, but without an announcement to the public. We only learned about it through press releases issued by the developing company. British company Genus/PIC used the gene-editing technique CRISPR to make pigs immune to a virus that causes an illness called porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). Genus hopes to have the virus-resistant GMO pork in the U.S. market as soon as next year. GMO gene-edited plants and animals are deregulated in the U.S. and are not required to be labeled as GMO/Bioengineered, so you won't know that you're eating genetically engineered pork. Our allies at GMWatch stated, "We don't expect the genetically engineered virus resistance – which even now is leaky – to last long in the gene-edited pigs. We saw in the COVID pandemic just how quickly viruses mutate to evade any barrier placed in their path. The genetically altered pigs will drive the evolution of mutations in the virus that enable it to break through the engineered virus resistance – potentially leading to the emergence of even more virulent strains of the virus."
Not wanted. Not needed. Not proven safe. We will continue to monitor this and alert you when, and if, the GMO pork is in the markets. Note: Gene-edited GMO pork is not allowed in organics and will not be allowed under the Non-GMO Project Verified standard.
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"As a mother whose son was born with cancer following an exposure to Roundup early in my pregnancy, I am so grateful for FireHawk herbicide. There is finally an effective, non-toxic weedkiller... and as a bonus, it improves, rather than harms, the soil's microbiome. FireHawk contains essential oils and plant-based nanoic acid. There are no toxic, synthetic chemicals to worry about. As we have seen in our own yard, FireHawk is safe, strong and very effective. I love that the concentrate can be mixed to the strength needed for the targeted weeds. It's also available for shipping to most states in a ready-to-spray bottle. Had FireHawk been available during my pregnancy, my son would still be with us. I highly recommend this safe alternative to synthetic weedkillers." Diana Reeves, Executive Director, GMO/Toxin Free USA
Check out our Fork the System Podcasts and other videos...
SPRING T-SHIRT FUNDRAISER: Our Etsy shop, OrganicAndGood, features 100% organic cotton shirts, aprons and more.All profits go towards our ongoing efforts to educate the public about GMOs & toxic chemicals and fight for a clean food system & environment. Thank you for your support!
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FDA Says ‘Meat Glue’ Used in Many Processed Foods Is ‘Safe.’ Scientists Have Another Theory.
It seems like every time we turn around, there is something else to avoid. The FDA says "meat glue" is GRAS (generally recognized as safe). The science says otherwise. A recent peer-reviewed study shows that meat glue - microbial transglutaminase (mTG) - induces leaky gut, celiac disease and related inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis as well as neurodegenerative disease.
How to avoid mTG? Prioritize whole foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. These are naturally free from added mTG. Choose unprocessed meats from sources you trust and that openly share their processes. Avoid ultraprocessed foods (UPFs): Be wary of UPFs like chicken nuggets, hot dogs, meatloaf, sausages, and other meat products labeled as "formed" or "reformed". Imitation seafood may also contain mTG. Final note: mTG is not allowed in Certified Organic food.
PFAS Breakthrough: ‘Forever Chemical’ Banned Under Global Treaty
International negotiations in Geneva have led to a major breakthrough: the addition of some "forever chemicals" to the Stockholm Convention's blacklist. It marks another crucial step in the global effort to regulate what many now call the "poison of the century”. Though largely overlooked by the wider public, this decision represents a significant advance in the fight against persistent organic pollutants (POPs) – highly toxic substances that linger in the environment and accumulate in living organisms. Between April 28 and May 9, delegates from across the globe gathered in Geneva for the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. There, member states agreed to ban the production and use of long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), a group of pollutants within the broader family of PFAS chemicals. “This is a step in the right direction, especially since PFCAs encompass around 200 compounds,” says Giulia Carlini, a legal expert at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL). “But tens of thousands of other PFAS chemicals remain completely unregulated.”
This is a positive first step—and great news for the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the United States isn’t a party to the Stockholm Convention, which means we still have to continue the fight here at home on our own.
Spring is here! Use our Seed Integrity Pledge for Safe Seeds website's searchable database to find the seed companies that have taken the Safe Seed Pledge to only sell non-GMO seeds and plants. Let's support the independent seed companies that share our values. SafeSeedPledge.org
Is your favorite seed seller not on the list? Ask them to take the Pledge. It costs them nothing.
Study: Common Weedkiller Glyphosate May Be Linked to Liver Disease Epidemic
Glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide, may significantly raise the risk of an increasingly common chronic liver disease—even at low exposure levels, according to a new review of more than 40 scientific studies published over the past 17 years. It found a growing body of research links exposure to glyphosate—and the commercial herbicides that contain it—to negative health outcomes for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Harmful impacts to the liver include inflammation, oxidative stress, and scarring (fibrosis), all markers of MASLD, according to the review published in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology. Even small increases in exposure may have significant health impacts over time, especially for people with other risk factors for liver disease, the researchers say.
Glyphosate is linked to a long list of diseases, not just cancer. As we've said before... glyphosate and Roundup are the "gifts" that keep on giving. Reduce your risk by choosing Certified Organic and Biodynamic foods whenever possible.
Study: Common Household Plastics Linked to Thousands of Global Deaths from Heart Disease
Synthetic chemicals called phthalates, often called "Everywhere Chemicals", found in consumer products such as plastic food storage containers, shampoo, makeup, perfume and children’s toys, may have contributed to more than 10% of all global mortality from heart disease in 2018 among men and women ages 55 through 64, a new study published in the journal eBiomedicine found. “Phthalates contribute to inflammation and systemic inflammation in the coronary arteries, which can accelerate existing disease and lead to acute events including mortality,” said senior author Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a professor of pediatrics and population health at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. “Phthalates are known to disrupt testosterone,” Trasande said, adding that in men, “low testosterone is a predictor of adult cardiovascular disease.” Phthalates have been linked in earlier studies with reproductive problems, such as genital malformations and undescended testes in baby boys and lower sperm counts and testosterone levels in adult males. Studies have also linked phthalates to asthma, childhood obesity and cancer.
We’ve been asked these questions over and over. What do we buy? Where do we shop?
When you shop through our affiliate links, you'll be shopping more sustainably and also supporting our nonprofit work. Thank you for supporting our mission for a GMO/Toxin Free USA! Check out our other affiliates here.
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Shop the Mother’s Day Collection at Lively Root and receive a FREE gift with your purchase! Lively Root is a great source of beautiful, healthy plants for indoor or outdoor! With every plant purchased, a donation is made to the Arbor Day Foundation and GMO Free USA. The Arbor Day Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to planting trees in ecosystems that need them most.
GMO/Toxin Free USA is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. GMO Free USA’s federal tax ID number is 46-4564177. Donations can be made here: https://toxinfreeusa.org/donate-to-gmo-toxin-free-usa
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New Fairfield, CT 06812
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