Warning: Be sure about the soy beans you're getting!

It's very important that you take the time to ask questions and be sure about the wholesomeness of all the food you eat. After getting into the soy nut business I had the opportunity to talk directly with the farmers and learn quite a bit more about the entire process of soy bean farming.

I learned why why it's vitally important to know exactly where those soybean seeds came from that will eventually end up as a bag of roasted soy nuts. And I'm not talking just about whether or not they're tasty and tender (as explained in gourmet soy nuts). I'm talking about much more serious issues that have implications for the overall safety of our food and health of our planet.

As you can probably tell, this section may get a little 'soap boxy' - I'm really passionate about these issues. I'll try to be fair and let you decide for yourself. But if you'd rather not even read about these controversial debates, then just consider this simple important fact...

The superior quality of non-GMO and non-Roundup Ready soybeans is not even debatable!

The soybeans we roast for our soy nuts come from a
very old, closely guarded strain of non-GMO beans.
They are certified non-GMO!

Simply stick with our guaranteed non-GMO soy beans and you don't have to read any further. It'll save you a lot of web surfing time too!

What is GMO?

According to Wikipedia, "A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques generally known as recombinant DNA technology."

This process has created widespread controversy over issues of long term safety and possible negative ramifications. Wikipedia also makes note that most countries in Europe have banned GMO food products, but the practice continues in the USA... including genetic modification of soybeans!

That said, I'll bow out and leave you to your own web surfing. Just search for 'GMO soybeans' and I guarantee you'll find heated discussions on both sides of the fence.

"Roundup Ready" soybeans

These beans are a special type of GMO bean. According to the Organic Consumers Association, "Roundup Ready soybeans contain a gene from a bacterium that allows the plants to withstand Monsanto's Roundup herbicide. Farmers can thus spray their fields with Roundup throughout the growing season to kill weeds without harming the crop. More than half the soybeans grown in the United States are now Roundup Ready."

For me there are a couple of real shocking points here... First, this was written way back in 2001 - so how much of the soybean crop is affected now? Second, if someone is spraying plant killer on soybeans modified not to be killed by it, where exactly does all that plant killer end up? How much ends up in the soybeans when they are harvested?

I'm definitely no bio-scientist, so I'll not say any more and leave you to explore on your own if you wish. But personally, I think it's a no-brainer... just say "No" to GMO.