It’s no secret that GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, have been inching into our pantries for some time. Green Oxford, a sustainability club on campus at Miami University, wanted to figure out if people on our campus could tell the difference between local food and food from a superstore.
Carrot Coincidence?
Taste-testers generally said that the organic carrot (at the top of the picture) was juicier and had a more mellow orange color compared to the stiff, bulging, darker store-bought carrot. I personally found the local carrots to be closer in color to Donald Trump’s hair and the store-bought carrots to be closer in color to Trump’s face.
Why? What’s On My Food tells us that there are 26 Pesticide Residues Found by the USDA Pesticide Data Program in carrots. I already feel cleaner shopping local.
Foods of a Feather
Apples were also compared and the results were familiar. The earth-toned, smaller local apples generally were liked more and reviewed as juicier than the larger, waxy, store-bought sister.
CNN reports that apples that brown slowly are genetically modified to do so. Some people distrust messing with genetics and don’t like the industrial farming that comes with GMO use. Others see GMOs as the next big thing in ending hunger. Either way, the debate on GMOs is still gaining speed as they fly off the shelves in grocery stores across the country.
Consensus
Carrot, apple, or—in my personal experience—any other produce, the local version always seems to wins over the tastebuds and feels less phony. Along with avoiding pesticides and GMOs, buying local helps out your nearby farmers and fellow food lovers. Choose the fresh farmers’ market version over the sticker-clad waxy store produce next time you shop, and feel a little better when you completely botch that fall apple recipe.