I've been very concerned about the current popular effort to denigrate "Genetically Modified Organisms" or GMO food. Genetic modification, in effect, accelerates the process of cross-breeding to achieve specialized hybrids which have helped feed the world. There have been no proven cases of sickness or disease specifically caused by the genetic modification of foods. But the mystique seems to continue!
I was very impressed by this op-ed by Michael Gerson in the Union Tribune that was a reprint from the Washington Post Corporate irresponsibility over GMOs - The Washington Post
Michael explained the problem much better than I ever could, and his main point is that now many large, mainstream companies such as Chipotle & Whole Foods are "cashing-in" on the concept and are helping to promote the fear of GMO foods. Yes, anything to discriminate their business from the others, and be able to extract a premium price over their competitors seems like good business. Michael points out that the National Academy of Sciences, the American Medical Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the World Health Organization all conclude that GMOs are safe to eat. How many leading organizations need to say something is OK to cancel out one bit of "junk science" that says it isn't OK? (see this link)
Yes, there may be other reasons to not want to use GMO food. For example, it is possible that pollen from a GMO crop could get infused into wild plants. It could damage habitat and put endangered plants or animals at risk for extinction. However, it doesn't make sense to avoid all GMO food based upon that rationale.
Should those of us who believe GMO food is safe now boycott businesses such as Chipotle & Whole Foods? Should we go out of our way to buy GMO foods? Somehow, I think that very few people would jump on that bandwagon! At first the anti-GMO crowd were just a few "junk science" believers who came up with clever terms such as "FrankenFood" --but now Anti-GMO has the power of large businesses with huge marketing muscle to help spread even more "fear" among the masses. The movement is going to end up hurting the world! Gonna be tough to stop!
I'm also ashamed of Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports. I have been a supporter and subscriber to Consumer Reports continuously since around 1970, and believe in their causes. In this GMO cause, however, the leadership of CU has lost their way and gone off the deep end! By insisting on GMO labeling, CU adds credence to the fears that GMO food might be in some way dangerous to eat. It is clear that CU knows there is no danger, but pushes anyway for disclosure. There are many dangerous things hiding in our foods that we do need labeling for, or have them removed. By fighting for GMO labeling, CU loses the political capital needed to push for protecting our food supply against the much more dangerous chemicals, such as pesticides, heavy metals, or even the amount of Neu5GC in our red meat, which UC San Diego has shown to be the cause of many of the cancers as we get older.
CU should refrain from trying to paint all GMO foods with the same brush. If a specific GMO food or food additive is determined to be harmful, then CU should advocate to have it removed from our food supply or the amount identified on labels. Meanwhile GMO foods have saved the world from famine and malnutrition.
I was very impressed by this op-ed by Michael Gerson in the Union Tribune that was a reprint from the Washington Post Corporate irresponsibility over GMOs - The Washington Post
Michael explained the problem much better than I ever could, and his main point is that now many large, mainstream companies such as Chipotle & Whole Foods are "cashing-in" on the concept and are helping to promote the fear of GMO foods. Yes, anything to discriminate their business from the others, and be able to extract a premium price over their competitors seems like good business. Michael points out that the National Academy of Sciences, the American Medical Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the World Health Organization all conclude that GMOs are safe to eat. How many leading organizations need to say something is OK to cancel out one bit of "junk science" that says it isn't OK? (see this link)
Yes, there may be other reasons to not want to use GMO food. For example, it is possible that pollen from a GMO crop could get infused into wild plants. It could damage habitat and put endangered plants or animals at risk for extinction. However, it doesn't make sense to avoid all GMO food based upon that rationale.
Should those of us who believe GMO food is safe now boycott businesses such as Chipotle & Whole Foods? Should we go out of our way to buy GMO foods? Somehow, I think that very few people would jump on that bandwagon! At first the anti-GMO crowd were just a few "junk science" believers who came up with clever terms such as "FrankenFood" --but now Anti-GMO has the power of large businesses with huge marketing muscle to help spread even more "fear" among the masses. The movement is going to end up hurting the world! Gonna be tough to stop!
I'm also ashamed of Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports. I have been a supporter and subscriber to Consumer Reports continuously since around 1970, and believe in their causes. In this GMO cause, however, the leadership of CU has lost their way and gone off the deep end! By insisting on GMO labeling, CU adds credence to the fears that GMO food might be in some way dangerous to eat. It is clear that CU knows there is no danger, but pushes anyway for disclosure. There are many dangerous things hiding in our foods that we do need labeling for, or have them removed. By fighting for GMO labeling, CU loses the political capital needed to push for protecting our food supply against the much more dangerous chemicals, such as pesticides, heavy metals, or even the amount of Neu5GC in our red meat, which UC San Diego has shown to be the cause of many of the cancers as we get older.
CU should refrain from trying to paint all GMO foods with the same brush. If a specific GMO food or food additive is determined to be harmful, then CU should advocate to have it removed from our food supply or the amount identified on labels. Meanwhile GMO foods have saved the world from famine and malnutrition.
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