Delicious Living's non-GMO guide

What's the big deal about genetically modified organisms? It's a great question, and one to which nobody yet has a complete answer. But Jeffrey Smith, Executive Director at the Institute for Responsible Technology and a leading consumer advocate for non-GMO foods, has done a yeoman's job of compiling initial research suggesting plenty of reasons for concern—including possible side effects such as allergies, antibiotic resistance, and nutritional problems, especially in children, whose smaller, developing bodies are more vulnerable.

We talked to Smith recently about why American consumers should be concerned about GM foods' stealth takeover of many of our staple food crops (mostly soy, corn, canola, cotton, and sugar beets— and what to do about it.

There's no better time to take action, he said. October is the first ever Non-GMO Month, and 10.10.10 is nationwide Non-GMO Day. Non-GMO tipping point: If just 5 percent of U.S. consumers raise their voices against GMOs, Smith says, food manufacturers will start pulling GM ingredients from products. So don't wait; speak out now!