Welcome to one of the sweetest weekly virtual potluck get-together ever! Yes indeed — it is Sugar Free Sunday! We host it every Sunday to exchange incredible sugar free recipes. Inspiration to start the week right? You bet!

Last week Sonia wrote about the prevalence of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) in packaged goods. Basically we found out that about 85% of packaged goods have GMO ingredients.

What “Organic” means varies slightly around the world.. but generally speaking when something is marked “Organic” we can assume that it is not made with GMO seeds. So a lot of people who are trying to avoid GMOs stick to buying vegetables, fruits and packaged goods that are clearly marked “Organic”. In the US you’ll see the following labels which indicate that the product is made of at least 95% organic ingredients.

I was pretty much aware of the increase in organic products available by paying attention to the organic label. However since for the last few years I’ve been sugar-free, I haven’t really paid attention to the organic state of sugar. Especially in terms of GMO. Boy was I surprised at what I found:

Sugar is typically produced either by using sugar cane or sugar beets. Majority of the sugar that is produced is created with GMO sugar beets. In fact 95% of the United States sugar beets are grown from Monsanto’s Roundup Ready seeds. Oh my gosh! I’ve always associated corn, soy and cotton with GMO but for some reason sugar has just never been mentioned or come to my attention.

Looking into this deeper it seems like the last few years United States has been going through heated legal fight of it’s acceptance of GMO sugar beet, especially when it comes to Mondanto’s Roundup Ready seed. In case you’re out of the loop like I have been, here is the state of GMO sugar in the US:

• 2005 - Monsanto’s Roundup Ready sugar beets go on the market after USDA/FDA approval.
• January 21, 2008 - The Center for Food Safety (CFS), Organic Seed Alliance, Sierra Club and High Mowing Organic Seeds initiate a legal action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, challenging the deregulation of Roundup Ready sugarbeets by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• August 13, 2010 - U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White revoked a five-year-old approval of genetically altered sugar beets from the USDA. He cited the USDA’s insufficient testing of weedkiller-tolerant sugar beets and their possible effects to the environment. He allowed 2010′s yield to be harvested, processed, and sold as sugar, however none could be planted next spring. Not until the USDA submitted an environmental impact statement (EIS). An EIS can take up to three years!
• November 30, 2010 - U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey White ordered destruction of sugar beet stecklings (seedlings) currently being grown under permits from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
• February 25, 2011 - The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an injunction that had ordered the destruction of sugar beet stecklings (seedlings) that were genetically modified to tolerate labeled applications of Roundup agricultural herbicides. The Appeals Court said plaintiffs failed to show that the stecklings, being grown under permits from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), “present a possibility, much less a likelihood, of genetic contamination or other irreparable harm.” 
• Oct. 11, 2011 - The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the availability of a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that examines the potential environmental effects of determining the non-regulated status of the Roundup Ready sugar beets.

And here we are today. Not sure where you fall in the range of pro or against GMO sugar.. but how about we just avoid the whole situation by just promoting some sugar free recipes? Link up!!

How do you participate in the virtual potluck?

• Link your recipe post (NOT your homepage) if it does not use refined sugar. Your blog does not have to be entirely sugar free, just the dish you’re sharing!
• Please link back to this get-together somewhere in your post’s text. It’s a great way to invite your readers to the fun!
• Want to make something sweet without using refined sugar? Just check out all the ways to satisfy your sweet tooth without refined sugar here.
• Your link doesn’t have to be to a sweet dish! We love to see your sugar free appetizers, entrees, soups, snacks — well — you get the idea!
• Please don’t link to carnivals or giveaways. This is a party; bring a dish to share!
• In the ‘Name’ field, please enter who you are and what you’re linking. For example Sonia would put: Bean Kale Pasta Soup [Sonia @ Flip Cookbook]
• It’s not a party if no one chats! Please join the conversation by leaving a message in the comments section below. Also make sure you have the ‘Notify Me’ checkbox selected so that you can listen as well!
• Sign up for free to our new venture Velvet Aroma. It’s a visual way to read the blogs you love and really bring their recipes into your kitchen.

We’re so excited to see what you’re cooking….. Sugar Free!

Click on the ‘Add your link’ button below to share.

You might also like:

Tags: GMO, Monsanto, Organic, Sugar Free, Sugar Free Sunday, sugarbeet