interesting bio-tech potato article

[majorcatfish]

found this today very interesting reading
heres the link.

http://news.yahoo.com/idaho-spud-giant-bets-biotech-potatoes-074033796.html

 

[digitS']

I have just now finished reading that, Major'!

It is interesting how Monsanto was stopped in their GE potato venture 12 years ago. Now, this - no crossing the "species line" spud.

Will it fly . . . or, since McDonald's really seems to hold the reins - fry?

Steve

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

well, i like the idea of not crossing the gene line into other flora and fauna like Monsanto and other companies keep trying to do. i still think it needs some trials. how does it taste? they could find they shut off the part that gives a potato it's taste! i don't fully trust the FDA on their thinking that all GMO stuff is pretty much the same nutrient wise. after all these potatoes are supposed to have a lower content of a cancer causing agent. so something else is probably higher or lower to make up for it.

i found it interesting that CA has a law that fries and potato chips need to be labeled as containing a cancer causing element. why doesn't my bag of Lays have this on it! i'll have to check the bag of fries i bought last night to see if that is labeled too!

eta: maybe they don't do that label thing for other states. just in CA.

 

[digitS']

After reading thru the health info on acrylamide in Wikipedia (I know, I know) this line stood out for me:

". . . home-cooked food tends to contribute far less to overall acrylamide levels than food that was industrially prepared, and that avoiding overcooking is one of the best ways to minimize exposure at home."

Home grown might do it also for lots of modern risks. And, these aren't just "modern" risks. When we turn over our diet to a food industry look what happens:

During the 19th century, lead was commonly added to mustard and tobacco; candy and chocolate; wine; and lead was used to color cheese. Of course, water was added to milk and since that was done, chalk could be thrown in to make it white again. All this without the knowledge of the consumer unless they could somehow fathom it out from circumstantial evidence like early death. Or, as Thoreau suggests, "Some circumstantial evidence is very strong, as when you find a trout in the milk."

Genetic engineering may be about to change how you might find a trout in cows milk.

Steve

 

[so lucky]

I sometimes read the comments on articles such as this. It just amazes me that people like Michael Taylor are allowed to choose what I eat. How self-serving can a person be??

 

[hoodat]

A year or so ago I bought a bag of Green Giant gold potatos that were on sale. I found out why they were on sale. I prefer goldens because they have a richer, more complex taste but those had absolutely no taste at all. I don't know if they were gene modified or not but I suspect they were. Incidentally I haven't bought any Green Giant brand ANYTHING since then. If I can't trust a company I just won't deal with them.

 

[baymule]

Very intresting article. I will just raise all our potatoes, no more store bought. I don't want GMO's and it pi**es me off that our food is tampered with and not labeled. If those who believe GMO's are the cat's meow want to eat frankenfood, then they are welcome to it. But I don't want it and I want GMO's labled for what they are.

 

[so lucky]

I googled Green Giant to try to get an answer if they use GMO or not. People who tour the plant/farm come away with the belief that they don't use GMO's. Their impression is that GG provides farmers with the seed to grow their preferred varieties, which they have developed themselves, and not GMO. But I couldn't find a statement from GG saying they don't use GMO. There were several articles making blanket statements about all major vegetable producers using GMO's, but no sources cited. Of course, I didn't spend a lot of time looking..........