Michael Hansen
Myth busting on pesticides: Despite demonization, organic farmers widely use them
Anti-GMO activists like to point to organic food as free of pesticides. They are not, and some chemicals used are ...
Economic consequences of regulations of GM crops
Are regulations hampering the potential for biotechnology to contribute to global food security? ...
Viewpoint: Opponents of lab-grown meats are using anti-GMO arguments they will soon regret
Anti-GMO style tropes are being used against the Impossible Burger by people who should know better ...
Gluten free diets are all the rage—here’s why that could be a bad thing
Gluten-free diets are all the rage, even though only a tiny fraction of us are susceptible to celiac-linked reactions. But ...
Onto the grill: But are consumers ready to embrace—and eat—lab-grown meat?
It’s been a busy summer for food-based biotech. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration made headlines when it approved the ...
Fast food burgers tainted by antibiotics? Not so fast
So, [October 18], millions of Americans woke up to the latest alarmist headline—that burger chains are using meat contaminated with ...
Viewpoint: Consumers Union calls Zen Honeycutt ‘a loon,’ but still promotes her anti-GMO message
Michael Hansen is a senior scientist for Consumers Union, the consumer advocacy group that publishes Consumer Reports. He has also been fighting ...
Organic pet food is ‘considerably more expensive’ than traditional alternatives but nutrient benefits insignificant
Perceived as being healthier alternatives to conventionally farmed foods, organics are often significantly more expensive – according to Consumer Reports, ...
Public sorting through what labels shoppers want on sustainable, lab grown meat, Consumer Reports finds
Consumer Reports, published by the 7 million-member nonprofit Consumers Union, [recently] reported on survey results showing the public expects laboratory-produced ...
Mythbusting gone wrong: How the ‘dangerous’ organic pesticide myth began
One of the things that surprised me in researching this story was that I could not find a single organic-approved ...
Strange bedfellows: American Academy of Pediatrics allies with Environmental Working Group, known for anti-science messages
On the subjects of organics and pesticides, the American Academy of Pediatrics finds itself supporting the Environmental Working Group, an ...
‘Natural’ label lawsuits: What you need to know
In the United States, when a food label uses the word “natural,” food companies are frequently the target in litigation ...
Should we worry about trace pesticides on fruits and vegetables?
An anti-GMO funded study promoted by Vani Hari--Food Babe--that found parts per billion trace residues of the herbicide glyphosate in ...
Review of Whitewash (or Hogwash?): Carey Gillam’s glyphosate book betrays science, undermines our understanding of cancer
Last fall a new book hit the shelves, timed to coincide with public hearings on the European Union’s re-authorization of ...
What’s a ‘natural’ food? Lawsuits mount as FDA lags on creating label standard
More than a year after the Food and Drug Administration signaled that it would soon nail down exactly what the ...
Activists fan concerns about CRISPR ‘off target’ effects in gene-edited crops and foods. Are they right?
Off-target simply means an unintended effect as opposed to what researcher's are trying to produce. It's akin to side effects ...
Horizon ‘organic’ milk under fire for adding factory-produced algae oil to boost nutrition
Inside a South Carolina factory, in industrial vats that stand five stories high, batches of algae are carefully tended, kept ...
Does Consumer Reports mislead readers by promoting Non-GMO Project label?
Consumer Reports claims to provide consumers with unbiased information about products and services. But the site is accused of exploiting ...
Activists claim that without long-term studies, GMOs cannot be considered safe: What does science say?
No multi-generational GMO food studies? Bollocks. There are dozens, and all conclude biotech seeds are as safe or safer than ...
Infographic: Who to trust—and who not to trust—about food and farming
With conflicting claims about scientific topics everywhere on the internet, it’s hard to know who to trust. This is especially ...
Cognitive dissonance: Why some people ignore science and reject GMO safety
Logical, science-based arguments often seem to have no affect on people hardened in their opposition to GMOs. The reasons are ...
Will Biotechnology Regulations Squelch Food and Farming Innovation?
The GLP's 18-part 5-week series -- GMO: Beyond the Science -- begins with a look at the regulatory web that ...
Economists, in ‘predatory’ journal, challenge Syngenta study finding neonics pose ‘low risk’ to bees
Editor's Note: This article discusses the attack on a Syngenta study by economists published in the Environmental Sciences Europe titled "An experiment ...
Genetic Literacy Project’s Top 6 Stories for the Week, September 12, 2016
From this past week, here are the #GLPTop6 among many great stories on human and agriculture genetics around the world ...
Emails show anti-GMO organic activists driving food and farming policy at Consumer Reports
Consumers Union says it's an unbiased and impartial voice for consumers. So why is one of its senior scientists secretly ...
Video: ‘Natural’ label is meaningless
We want to buy what’s best, but there are almost too many choices. Food companies know this. So they use ...
Agriculture, food industries’ communication failures led to GMO vilification
In case you missed it, President Barack Obama late [July 29] signed the GMO labeling bill into law, nullifying Vermont's measure ...
