"genetically modified" news and stories

In the bubbling debate between genetically modified foods and organic ones, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack reportedly called for a truce in an open letter released just before the clocks struck 2011. Agricultural resolution? Not so easy, Tom.

"Complexity surrounds American agriculture today," he begins. True. By the end of 2010, federal courts had barred use of Monsanto's Roundup Ready alfalfa, even though planting continued while the USDA kept working on its Environmental Impact Statement [EIS] on the genetically engineered (GE) crop, which it completed two weeks prior to Vilsack's letter. A federal court in San Francisco ordered removal of a test plot of GE sugar beets. And the Food and Drug Administration remained indecisive over approval of GE salmon, the would-be first genetically engineered animal, which may or may not be labeled.

Vilsack doesn't appear to be pro or con for either but believes the two can cohabit. "As a regulatory agency, sound science and decisions based on this science are our priority, and science strongly supports the safety of GE alfalfa," he writes.

All you pro-organics who just felt a scrunch in your brow, follow this next line: "But agricultural issues are always complex and rarely lend themselves to simple solutions. Therefore, we have an obligation to carefully consider USDA's 2,300-page EIS, which acknowledges the potential of cross-fertilization to non-GE alfalfa."

A non-GE farmer can hope.

As we reported back in June, genetically modified Atlantic salmon are on the fast-track to your dinner plate. Massachusetts-based biotech company, AquaBounty Technologies is expected to get the final FDA nod of approval for a salmon that has been genetically tweaked to boost productivity thanks to a growth-hormone gene from a Chinook salmon and a genetic "on switch" from an ocean pout.

If approved, the salmon would be the first genetically modified animal approved for human consumption. A coalition of environmental groups, including Food & Water Watch and Center for Food Safety, say the move is alarming and are strongly urging the FDA to reject the fish.

Last week, government scientists spurred debate over genetically modifying animals for food by going on record to say the AquaBounty salmon was safe to eat and posed no threat to the environment, according to a Washington Post article.

Speed-to-market isn't just a slogan for manufacturing product. The concept is now being applied to genetically modified Atlantic salmon that grow to maturity in a 16 to 18 months, rather than the typical three years needed for conventionally farmed salmon.

According to an article in The New York Times, a Massachusetts-based biotech company, AquaBounty Technologies, has boosted the salmon's productivity by enhancing the fish with a growth-hormone gene from a Chinook salmon and a "genetic on-switch" from a related species, the ocean pout. That on-switch allows the salmon to continue making growth hormones during cold weather, something non-genetically modified salmon do not do.

According to a company press release, the Center for Veterinary Medicine (an agency within the FDA) has completed reviewing several sections of AquaBounty's application. The company has been seeking FDA approval for many years, and says it expects the formal process for approval of the genetically modified salmon to go forward.

AquaBounty says the genetically modified salmon will be made up of sterile females grown in closed-containment tanks, eliminating the risk of escapement or accidental reproduction with wild salmon.

I love bread, but I don't let myself eat too much of it. The reason? Like so many other people in the US, I am concerned about my waistline. Don't get me wrong, I eat bread. I just try to eat it in moderation. However my days of limited bread consumption may soon be over, as cereal scientists are working on creating a kind of wheat that produces flour with fewer available calories.

When I first saw this article at Inventor Spot, I was mighty skeptical. The title and early portion of the article make it seem as though the wheat being developed actually has fewer calories. However, as I read further, I realized that the wheat simply has fewer available calories. Because of the way the wheat is genetically altered, a portion of the calories are indigestible by our stomach acids and acts more like dietary fiber.

I know that the wheat currently available is genetically modified, but it's not the kind of GM wherein genes from another species is introduced. Instead, certain aspects of the wheat's genetic information have been turned off. Cereal scientists are working on growing this wheat by natural breeding rather than genetic modification.

If you're wondering where I got all this information, I have a secret weapon. My friend the cereal scientist explained Inventor Spot's article, albeit in pretty technical language. If you want to read what he has to say on this subject, just continue reading after the jump.

Have you ever wondered what those PLU (price look up) codes mean on the stickers that come affixed to your fruits and vegetables? The folks over at Sprig.com have put together a video that walks you through the basics of how to read the codes. When the code is printed with just four digits, it means that you are holding a conventionally grow product. Organic products have a five digit code that always starts with the number nine. Genetically modified produce also has a five digit number, but it always starts with the number eight.

Now you can tell with just a glance if the apple you just picked out of the bin is conventional, organic or GMO. This is particularly handy for those times when the display has gotten a little messy and you can't tell exactly where one pile ends and another starts.

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