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Within the label of almost every preservative based food the word “Lecithin” will likely appear.  While the word alone seems harmless, how it is produced is creating a growing concern amongst many who want to avoid it for one simple reason:  GMO’s (genetically modified organisms).

Unless the product is USDA Certified Organic, soy lecithin in the U.S. likely contains GMOs.  Since lecithin is so widely used in almost every emulsified product (including animal fed), our consumption of GMO’s increases.  With the ever increasing use of bio-technology in the production of food production, countries from around the world are slowly jumping on board with GMO technology.  Their main purpose is to increase food production to keep up with the population.  However, since the birth of GMO’s technology began to evolve in the early ’90s the debate from both sides has not ceased.

Countries who ban GMO products are influenced by many health related factors, including one word:  Cancer.   Currently, the U.S. is the unfortunate leader in this disease.  Although the link cannot be definitively connected, the concern between the two has grown significantly over the past several years.

Along with a growing list of other countries, the U.S. openly encourages the use of GMO’s in over ten crops.  Increased concerns between GMO’s and the rise of cancer in the U.S. may be pointing back to one common denominator where both intersect in our food chain production: Lecithin.    

History of Lecithin

French chemist Theodore Gobley is attributed with the discovery of lecithin in 1845. Through isolating an ‘orange-colored substance’ from egg yolk, Gobley’s work revealed the yolks emulsifying properties.  Creatively, he decided to name his discovery ‘lecithin’ after the Greek name for egg yolk ‘lekithos’.  It would take almost 40 more years for lecithin production to advance into the realm of a commonly used product.  As it did, bringing down cost while raising profit came under greater financial scrutiny.

In its infancy, lecithin was derived from egg yolk, a method that would later prove more expensive than its future substitute:  the soya bean.  As time carried on and lecithin became more commonly used, the cost of producing the product via egg yolk raised one question, “Was there a cheaper way to produce lecithin?”  By the 1920’s the answer to reducing production cost was found through a cheaper crop plant:  the soybean.  Until the introduction of GMO’s, lecithin was produced throughout the world using non-GMO soy.  Currently, the U.S. allows the combination of the two (GMO + soybeans) drawing increasing concern of how both may be contributing to the rise of cancer in the U.S.

European approach to production of soy-lecithin- The Thew Arnott Family

As one of Europe’s leading producers of lecithin, the Thew Arnott family has taken a staunch stand against the use of GMO products in their production.  Their position is included in their mission statement:

“It goes without saying that as a key ingredient supplier especially to the European market place, we are committed to the provision of certified, non-GM materials.” (http://thelecithincompany.co.uk/about-lecithin.php)

The cross use of lecithin is much farther reaching than just what humans directly consume.  Animal feed contains soya meal.  Unless produced outside the U.S., the meal our animals eat becomes our meal, as well.  Changing the derivative of lecithin production has become increasingly attractive to countries avoiding GMO soy and specifically to the European leader of Lecithin – The Lecithin Company.  Their public position on the production of lecithin is published on their website, as follows:

“The dominant source of lecithin globally is primarily the soya bean. It should be noted, however, that the primary drivers for the soya bean industry are the need for soya meal for animal feed and for soya oil. The lecithin component of the soya bean constitutes approximately 0.5% of the bean; for most crushers this is classed as no more than a minor by-product.

More recently there is substantial growth in the attractiveness of lecithins from sunflower and rapeseed.