January 2008 - Frankenfoods

"The bottom line... is that we are confronted with the most powerful technology the world has ever known, and it is being rapidly deployed with almost no thought whatsoever to its consequences," said Suzanne Wuerthele, Ph.D., EPA risk-assessment expert.

"We're skeptical of the benefits of this technology, and we're concerned about the risks. We think there are better alternatives to solving challenges in agriculture, and the public should have a say in how the technology is used and developed," states Jane Rissler, Ph.D., former biotechnology regulator with the EPA, now with the Union of Concerned Scientists.

"Labeling is the first step, because it gives people the right to choose. Without labeling, there's no way to trace any health effects, and there is no way to protect consumers," Richard Wolfson, Ph.D., Canadian chairman of the Consumer Right to Know Campaign believes.

These statements refer to genetically-engineered crops, also called genetically-modified organisms, or GMOs. Before you skip over the rest of this article and move on to something more interesting, here are a few more reasons why each and every one of us (anyone who eats food) needs to be aware and concerned about our food supply.

In 2000, an estimated one-quarter of ALL cropland in the US was planted with GMOs including soybean, corn and cotton. Alarmingly, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) not only doesn't require labeling of these "Frankenfoods," but testing of GMOs is not required either. All the FDA needs is the manufacturer's word that they are safe.

"There is no meaningful, scientifically-credible process across all federal government agencies to evaluate the hazards of genetically-engineered organisms," says Wuerthele.

Isn't it amazing that a potato chip bag label is required to show that salt is an ingredient, but not that the potatoes used contain their own genetically made pesticide? What about folks with specific nutritional requirements such as vegetarian and vegans, or those with dietary restrictions governed by religion? How about those people with severe allergies to foods such as nuts?

Researchers tested this issue by splicing DNA from the Brazil nut into soybeans. This modified bean was then tested on people who were sensitive to Brazil nuts but not to soybeans, and the Brazil nut gene triggered the allergic reaction. Shouldn't this particular issue be important enough to require labeling of all GMOs?

Non-organic milk in the US contains Monsanto's recombinant bovine growth hormone, or rBGH. Milk from cows injected with rBGH contains higher levels of a growth factor that has been associated with an increased risk of both breast and gastrointestinal cancers in humans. RBGH-produced milk has always been prohibited in Canada and Europe.

Until next month, Chew On This: I personally am uneasy about eating any food (potatoes, for instance) that is an EPA-registered pesticide. A genetically-engineered pesticide can't be scrubbed or peeled off and remains in each and every bite.

"Let food be your medicine," sums up Sue Cosgrove's stance on health and wellness. She believes nutrient-dense and biologically-alive sustenance is not only nature's best prevention, but also nature's best cure for many maladies.