"GM" news and stories

The nice thing about shopping at local farmers' markets is that they rarely mar their product with stickers that are hard to peel off and leave an unappealing, waxy residue.

But during the winter, many of us have no choice but to buy the stickered fruit. So, we should at least know how to identify our fruit by its sticker, right?

Ideal Bite kindly provided this short but effective tutorial:

• A four-digit number means it was conventionally grown
  
• A five-digit number beginning in "9" means it is organic
  
• A five-digit number beginning in "8" means it was genetically modified.
  

...and now you know.

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Although no genetically modified plants have been approved for human consumption, more and more of these crops are being developed and acknowledged as potentially offering huge human health benefits. For instance, they have seen enhanced nutrition in the form of zeaxanthin in potatoes, omega-3 fatty acid in soybeans, and stearidonic acid (SDA) in canola.

However, there is promise for a genetically modified tomato that has a high concentration of flavonoids, which are compounds that are getting a lot of press these days for their antioxidant properties. A study by BASF, TNO, and two universitiesin Holland and Germany has demonstrated (in mice, of course) that these GM tomatoes reduce human C-reactive protein (CRP), a protein that is associated with inflammation, diabetes, and heart diease.

But no matter if the governments approve something like this, it might take a long time for general consumer acceptance.

The FDA is getting ready to approve a new genetically modified salmon which grows twice as fast as normal farm-raised salmon. The trick is altering a gene that controls the production of growth hormones. The company behind the technology is Aqua Bounty, and they say that the modification of the growth hormone does not affect taste or raise any health concerns. What do you think? Are you ready for super big GM salmon on your shelves?

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The European Union has developed a proposal to allow foods that have up to 0.9% genetically modified material to be sold with labels that confirm them as organic. The EU says that this measure, which would go into effect by 2009, is being proposed to protect organic farmers against the "risk of GM contamination." The commissioner for agriculture and rural development claimed that this move would make it easier for consumers to identify organic products, presumably by making them more similar to non-organic items.

Current guidelines stipulate that organic products cannot contain genetically modified substances "in any quantity." Environmental and organic groups are protesting the action, saying that "organic" labeled products should contain no more than 0.1% GM material, the lowest amount that can be detected both reliably and consistently. The EU should support organic farming, but not by lowering the standards of the industry.

 

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