[apinchof]

Hello Mr. McGee,

This is fun spending time with the wizard!

I'm wondering about your thoughts on genetically modified foods. I've been studying up on it a bit and get the impression that we have all been eating them for quite some time now even when we "buy local" or go organic.

[castironchef]

If you read On Food And Cooking, it will confirm that virtually no plant we eat hasn't been extensively modified (by definition through manipulation of plant genetics) by humans for a very, very long time.

[Harold McGee]

Of course this is a big and complicated issue. In brief, I would say that genetic engineering is in some ways an extension of traditional breeding, but is importantly different in allowing the transfer of genes among very different organisms, and even the construction of entirely artificial genes. It holds the potential to do good things, and to cause problems. And it’s here whether we like it or not, not just in the US, but in Asia and elsewhere. Most processed foods now contain genetically modified soybeans, corn, and canola oil. I think it’s important for people who care about food to educate themselves about genetic engineering in agriculture, and let the decision makers know what they think.

Harold