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GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS
Article by herbalist Dave
Hawkins, MH, CNC
My last article on organic foods mentioned
genetic engineered foods not being able to be called
organic. Many of you might not know about genetic
engineering, so today I will shed some light on this
important issue. I find it interesting that the USDA has
funded numerous projects dealing with genetics and food
production for huge multi-national companies like Monsanto,
the leader in genetic research.
The questions to ask are: Is
genetic engineering safe for you and your family?
Is it safe for the environment?
Is it safe for the future of mankind?
No long-term studies have been done.
No one can answer these questions.
Genetic engineering is the largest
food experiment in the history of the world.
There are about 40 varieties of genetically
engineered crop approved for marketing in the U.S.
As a result, 60-70% of the foods on
your grocery shelves contain genetically engineered (GE)
components.
So just what is genetic
engineering? Genetic engineering is a
laboratory technique used by scientist to change the DNA of
living organisms. DNA is the blueprint for the
individuality of an organism. The organism relies upon the
information stored in its DNA for the management of every
biochemical process. The life, growth and unique features
of the organism depend on its DNA. The segments of DNA that
have been associated with specific features or functions of
an organism are called genes.
Molecular biologists have discovered many
enzymes that change the structure of DNA in living
organisms. Some of these enzymes can cut and join strands
of DNA. Using such enzymes, scientists learned to cut
specific genes from DNA and to build customized DNA using
these genes. With this knowledge, genetic engineers believe
they can improve the foods we eat by doing this.
For example, tomatoes are sensitive to
frost. This shortens their growing season. Fish, on the
other hand, survive in very cold water. Scientists
identified a particular gene that enables a flounder to
resist cold and used the technology of genetic engineering
to insert this 'anti-freeze' gene into a tomato. This makes
it possible to extend the growing season of the tomato.
So what is so wrong with this
thinking?
Let’s look at some of the dangers involved
by looking as some of the fundamental weaknesses of this
concept:
-
Imprecise
Technology – A genetic engineer moves genes
from one organism to another. A gene can be cut
precisely from the DNA of an organism, but the genetic
engineer has no idea where (or even if) the gene will
be inserted in the DNA of another organism.
-
Side Effects—Genetic
engineering is like performing heart surgery with a
shovel. They are experimenting with very delicate, yet
powerful forces of nature, without full knowledge of
the repercussions.
-
Widespread Crop
Failure – Genetic engineers intend to make
money by patenting genetically engineered seeds. This
means that, when a farmer plants genetically engineered
seeds, all the seeds have identical genetic structure.
As a result, if a fungus, a virus, or a pest develops
which can attack this particular crop, there could be
widespread crop failure.
-
A Threat To Our
Entire Food Supply – Insects, birds, and
wind can carry genetically altered seeds into
neighboring fields and beyond. Once transgenic plants
produce pollen, they can cross-pollinate with
genetically natural crops and wild relatives. All
crops, organic and non-organic, are vulnerable to
contamination from cross-pollination.
Let’s address some of the health hazards
with genetic engineered foods:
-
No Long-Term
Safety Testing – Genetic engineering
changes the fundamental nature of the food we eat. It
uses material from organisms that have never been part
of the human food supply. Without long-term testing no
one knows if these foods are safe.
-
Toxins
– Genetic engineering can cause unexpected
mutations in an organism, which can create new and
higher levels of toxins in foods.
-
Allergic
Reactions – Genetic engineering can also
produce unforeseen and unknown allergens in foods.
-
Decreased
Nutritional Value – Transgenic foods may
mislead consumers with counterfeit freshness. A
luscious-looking, bright red tomato could be several
weeks old and of little nutritional worth.
-
Antibiotic
Resistant Bacteria – Genetic engineers use
antibiotic-resistance genes to mark genetically
engineered crops. This means that the crops contain
genes that confer resistance to antibiotics.
-
Problems Cannot
Be Traced – Without labels, our public
health agencies are powerless to trace problems of any
kind back to their source. The potential for tragedy is
staggering.
Environmental hazards also become an issue
when looking at genetic engineering.
-
Increased use
of Herbicides – Scientists estimate that
plants genetically engineered to be herbicide-resistant
will actually triple the amount of herbicide use.
-
More Pesticides
– GE crops often manufacture their own pesticides and
may be classified as pesticides by the EPA. This
strategy will put more pesticides into our food and
fields than ever before.
-
Ecology may be
damaged – The influence of a genetically
engineered organism on the food chain may damage the
local ecology. The new organism may compete
successfully with wild relatives, causing unforeseen
changes in the environment.
-
Gene Pollution
Cannot Be Cleaned Up – Once genetically
engineered organisms, bacteria and viruses are released
into the environment it is impossible to contain or
recall them.
DNA is
actually not well understood. Approximately 97%
of human DNA is called “junk” because no one has any idea
of its function. The workings of a single cell are so
complex, no one knows the whole
of it. Yet the biotech companies have already
planted millions of acres with genetically engineered
crops, and they intend to engineer every crop
in the world.
The concerns above arise
from an appreciation of the fundamental role DNA plays in
life, the gaps in our understanding of it, and the vast
scale of application of the little we do know. Even the
scientists in the Food and Drug Administration
have expressed their concerns.
If you really want to avoid the
influence of genetic engineering, buy fresh
organic produce. If you want to buy processed foods and
avoid genetically engineered ingredients, you will have to
read product labels. If the label mentions any of the
ingredients listed below without explicitly qualifying it
as organic, then the product probably contains genetically
engineered ingredients.
The Primary Suspects to look for
would include the following ingredients and products:
-
Soybeans:
Soy flour, soy oil, lecithin, soy protein isolates and
concentrates.
-
Corn: Corn flour,
cornstarch, corn oil, corn sweeteners,
syrups.
-
Canola Oil.
Products that may contain genetically engineered canola
derivatives: chips, salad dressings, cookies,
margarine, soaps, detergents, soy cheeses, fried foods.
-
Cotton: Oil,
fabric. Products that may contain
genetically engineered cotton or its derivatives:
Clothes, linens, chips, peanut butter, crackers, and
cookies.
-
Potatoes:
Right now the only potato that has been genetically
engineered is the Burbank Russet, but you still have to
look out for potato starch and flour.
-
Tomatoes:
No genetically engineered plum or Roma tomatoes
have been approved for sale. But one cherry tomato has,
as have regular tomatoes.
-
Dairy Products:
Milk, cheese, butter, buttermilk, sour
cream, yogurt, whey. Have the cows been treated with
rBGH? What kind of feed
have they been given? If they are not being fed organic
grains, chances are quite likely that they will be
eating genetically engineered animal feed.
-
Animal
Products: Because animal feed often
contains genetically engineered organisms, all animal
products, or by-products may be affected.
-
Papaya and
Radicchio.
Because there are no labeling laws that
require genetic modified foods to be labeled, no one knows
if they are consuming genetic modified foods.
I also find it interesting that the European
block countries have banned all genetic engineered foods
until further research can provide some answers to the
above concerns.
Material for this article supplied from
Mother’s For Natural Law.
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