Genetically altered foods

A PBS documentary discussed the practice of introducing genes from animals, insects,etc..into produce. This is done supposedly, to strengthen crops against various diseases and insects. For instance, they are trying to introduce fish genes into strawberries. Sounds rather frightening. Opponents say it will lead to more resistant crop diseases and insects. Regarding taste and nutrition, some say a strawberry or tomato with the genes from other species is still just a strawberry or tomato. No one really knows how these foods will effect people, but many popular food brand manufacturers are using them. What do you all think about this?

[foodnfoto]

I watched some of that Frontline documentary on PBS the other night. I think it was titled "Harvest of Fear" regarding the debate over GMOs. A lot of interesting viewpoints were discussed-especially, to me, was the ownership rights of certain genetic material. Unfortunately, there seems to be no clear answer to this issue.

[Pooh]

I also watched it.

Question: Could a person allergic to fish have a reaction to strawberries or other foods carrying a fish gene?

Nobody seems to know!

I think serious opposition to these things should be voiced, LOUDLY and to stick with organic produce!

I'm also concerned that my governement officials (Canada) are a.o.k. with this and even tried to convince France that it was a good thing.

It makes me so !

[ April 26, 2001: Message edited by: pooh ]

[shahar]

A gene is a code just like computercode. The fact that it comes from one anymel to another or a plant doesn't matter. Out code is built the same as let's say a coffee bean - same coding language(gatc).
Basiclly we have been geneticly "engeneering" for a long long while - look around you there's no such thing as cows in nature. Alos most vegetables we use now were once mildly poisonous(to protect themsleves from bactaria and animals). Of course this was done through slow selection over centuries.
This is not to say that there is no differnce between the old techniques and new once. There are new dangers to check and to be wary of, but also good things can come of it.
About allergy - most chances no. The allergy comes from one gen from a few millions, The gen used in the proccess is another one from these millions.

This is an interesting thread. I recently got my hands on a nutrition book that discusses many health issues, genetically enhanced foods being one of the subjects. When you read the list of possible problems associated with such food, it's enough to side with the Europeans. I don't have the book with me but I recall some details. Some have side effects that most people did not even think of. A certain butterfly species who drank from flowers of GEP (my own abrev -genetic. enhanced products) coulndn't process the nector and died in the thousands. Another point was some company spliced a brazil nut gene into some vegetable and some boy with a peanut allergy grew very sick from it. Cross-pollenization between local and GEP's COULD produce a mutant strain just enough to pose a health threat... there were others but I don't recall them all. All the same, I remember not feeling good at all the GEP's that are out on the market in the U.S.. It does make you wonder what long term affects will occur. I'll bring in the book later and list the other problems posed. My fingers and toes are crossed.

[Papa]

Dear JeniDaChef:

I share your concerns about GMOs.

I think that they are going too fast too soon. The Polish government announced today that the sentence for smugglers of GMOs into Poland will be eight years inprisonment in addition to significant financial fines.

I think that the Polish got it right!

[Kimmie]

Seems that all of Europe got it right.

Canadians and Americans are money driven and that's a big problem. We have to keep fighting against Dupont, Monsanto, ADM and others.

Most of all, we have to fight against our respective governments!

[isaac]

i have studied GMO's a lot at my culinary school and i must say there are benafits and draw backs. the benefit is that you cna basically obtain anything, like tomatos any time of the year. the inject the tomatos with something that makes them grow all year around. the draw back to that is that the tomatoes wont reproduce and srpead there seeds.
have you ever noticed that when you order a box of tomatoes from sysco or FSA that they comeo n this little nice box and they are all equal sizes? non to big nor little, all equal. we had a taste test between GMO's and heirloom and organtic tomatoes and i must say that the heirloom and organic tomatoes tasted far better then the GMO's.

my conclusion as a chef so far is that GMO's suffer quility in taste and flavor howeevr, they are usually somewhat cheaper and avaible all year around.

I hate the idea of GEO (genetically engineered organism) foods! What must everything be cheaper, faster and easier? No one knows what these "new"crops could be introducing into our bodies and our enviroments! New food allergies could develop! Also because and entire crop would be exactly the same genetically, an entire crop could be wiped out by disease very quickly! Also, the seeds that a farmer is planting for a years crop my produce an edible fruit... but what about the seeds that those plants produce? And what about when those seeds are carried by birds or wind to neighboring yard or fields? And what about the small farmer who cannot or does not want to participate in this? They will surely be wiped out by the farms who are producing identical bright red strawberries for less money! Also, GEO foods look fresh much longer that natural foods... so you could be eating a month old tomato!

[shroomgirl]

GMO's, hopefully there will be a class action suit and the open pollenter growers will sue the non-organic seed companies...it will be exspensive but worth every penny.

small farmers, I've been asked to be on the Govenor of Mo. task force for Dept. of Ag.
38 members most commodity brokers or legislators. The sociologist they asked to speak suggested that if you made less than $100,000 gross you were not a "farmer"....82.6% of the "farmers" fit this catagory. Amazing....first cheap factory farms depress the market and put alot of small farms out of business with mutant food (beakless chickens that can't weigh too much or their bones break, or cows that grow too rapidly, or turkeys that cannot procreate on their own anymore)
Then when the small guys go to retool and figure out where he fits in the marketplace and how to redo what his family has been doing for many many years.....his wife goes to work or he takes jobs to suppliment their income....so, many on this force were saying that if you gross less than $250,000-100,000
you are not a farmer. And with this statement state funding and financial programs to small farms are negated. I AM LIVID- it is an affront, an outrage....now I'm trying to figure out the best way to respond enmasse to the group....petitions, media, or letters to editors or people showing up at townmeetings. As a taxpayer I find this appaling, that a huge portion is eliminated because they don't reach a higher level of income dispite the fact that the market is really off kilter.

Cheaper food you think....is it cheaper to pay more in health care than to practice prevention through proper diet. or to clean up the environment when sprays and gmos get into the soil and water sources, Putting families out of work because they don't produce sub standard "cheap" food. What is the REAL COST? Is it OK to pen animals who won't see the light of day or ever touch dirt and live in a small confine, shot up with drugs so disease wwon't be rampent?
Harsh? no reality....this is our food system.
the moderator talked of global marketing....talked of eating at a dashboard or on the run....basically lets support fast food practices with tax dollars.
hmmm. I got 4 hours sleep last night and am crashing....more later.

[ June 21, 2001: Message edited by: shroomgirl ]

[shroomgirl]

The PR coming out from Monsanto is that food equals medicine...they are touting the use of vitamin A in rice...the deal with that is that protein is needed for A absorption...so poor children have to eat an enormous amount of rice to get the benefits, and they need a protein source...DUH!!!
I don't know the ins and outs of biochem...you kinow I took a few biochem courses in college 20 years ago and basically have not used it since....but there is something insipid about getting tax support for companies that plant their altered crops "to feed the world", then trash the crops of organic farmers...it is offensive. What is even more offensive is to go to Ag meetings that are sponsored by these groups...ie...they are then the main speakers, they party with the legislators, they have salespeople telling the farmers the trends are toward FAST FOOD....grow it fast-sell it cheap.
As a mom I'm a strong believer in if you make a mess you clean it up....water supplies, air quality, soil depletion....
As a mom again I believe you should play fair.
As a cook I strongly believe that the small farmer is going to be the solution to families eating together.....convoluted maybe, but if you are cooking or buying marvelous food you sit and enjoy not wolf on the run.
As someone who goes to too many meetings and talks to an outrageous amount of people....I strongly feel that if there is not an outrageous uproar soon the food system will be permantly altered. The skinny is that people say Americans don't care about their food supply. I believe differently, I believe that those that know what's going on care....

Consumers have the real power. Be aware of the sources of information on GEO's. Educate yourself!!!, ask questions. Here's a challenge. Pick the brain of your favorite grocery market managers. Find out what they know about GEO's. Ask the managers which fruits and vegtables are altered. Let us know your findings!!!

Nutrition Post

The more and more that I read about GMO's, it's a wonder why Americans put up with this!
But as usual, somebody has to get really sick before something ever gets done. I could see this industry becoming like the tobacco industry...ya know, deny deny deny..and all the mean while, getting rich off of us the consumers! Really outragious!