Sample Letter to PTAs and School Administrators

Dear (PTA/School Official),

I want to bring your attention to a health risk that we are inadvertently exposing our children to at school. A recently published book, Seeds of Deception, has compiled significant evidence showing that genetically modified (GM) foods are potentially dangerous, and that children are most at risk from their health damaging impact. This evidence is also presented in a video entitled Hidden Dangers in Kids' Meals.

The potential problems are considerable: cancer, allergies, toxins, organ damage, immune system damage, and new diseases. Some of these may develop over years, and may already be impacting our children's health without our knowing (since there is no monitoring in place).

School systems all over Europe have already taken the prudent step to ban GM foods from their lunch programs. With the new revelations in Seeds of Deception and Hidden Dangers in Kids' Meals, I think it would be appropriate to immediately remove all GM foods from our school's menu items. I would further suggest that parents be informed about the potential hazards of these foods, so that they may take steps to avoid them at home.

There are seven GM crops that are in our food: soy, corn, cottonseed oil, canola, Hawaiian papaya, and some zucchini and yellow squash. Removing these may involve switching from vegetable oil to sunflower, olive, or other oils. Also, soy and corn derivatives are used in most processed foods, but there are usually alternative brands without them. To avoid dairy products from cows injected with the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH), we can likely find a dairy that doesn't allow its farmers to use this controversial drug on their animals. Avoiding GM enzymes, additives, and processing agents are more difficult, but one additive, aspartame, should be easy to remove.

There is another benefit to focusing on our school's food. In chapter 8 of Seeds of Deception, there is a description of a school that changed its meal plan to include mostly unprocessed foods. Junk foods and vending machines were removed entirely and most sources of GM foods were removed as well. The result was miraculous. The behavior of the student body was radically changed-from out of control to orderly and peaceful. Good Morning America reported on the school's transformation that has been continuing for five years. Other schools are starting to adopt the same program.

For a more complete description of the dangers of GM foods, I strongly recommend that you look at Seeds of Deception and Hidden Dangers of Kids' Meals.

I look forward to hearing from you and discussing this issue further.

Sincerely,