Bash us old Hippies all you want. I don't know who coined the phrase "You are what you eat", but I learned that somewhere around 1972, when I went Vegetarian. Boy, did I feel better after a couple of months!
Back then, you could be pretty sure that your veggies, at worst, had a bit of pesticide residue on them, and they assured us that if we washed them good with soap, it would come off. We didn't pay much attention to that though, didn't buy, we grew and preserved for winter.
While I'm writing this, I'm looking for links, and as I read, I'm slumping lower and lower in my chair, muttering "Oh man, oh man..."
Let's eat. I'm fixing pork and spinach soufle tonight.
Back in the days, a neighbor would ask if we wanted to help with the hog killing. We'd say yes, and off we'd go.
I'll spare you the details, just say that we only ate meat when we knew the beast prior to it's packaging. We grew a lot of stuff, and bred a lot of stuff, but it never occured to me that you could cross a pig with spinach.
We'd help, and directly, some packaged pig would arrive, and if we had worked real good, sometimes ther'd be some tenderloin. In the vernacular, "Well, I never." I am behind the times. There's been pigaches since 2002, and who knew? And I guess I'm not as ranty about them as I am about this:
GM goes feral.
(Caution, my dial up buddies, it's a large pdf Yes, you nerds, for some of us, 267 kb is a large file! It can cause Old Putey to lock up. )
So what the hell is going on?
The first report into the extent to which genetically engineered organisms have 'leaked' into the environment - released today - reveals a disturbing picture of widespread contamination, illegal planting and negative agricultural side effects.
Leaks everywhere, it seems. Particularly in those pesky underdeveloped countries.
- Pork meat from genetically engineered pigs being sold to consumers
- Ordinary crops being contaminated with GE crops containing pharmaceuticals
- Growing and international distribution of illegal antibiotic resistant Maize seeds
Aren't we suposed to choose which antibiotics we ingest? With the recommendation of our doctors?
Antibiotic resistance
From the UN.
Horizontal gene transfer and antibiotic resistance is a food safety concern because many first-generation GM crops were created using antibiotic-resistant marker genes. If these genes could be transferred from a food product into the cells of the body or to bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract this could lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, with adverse health consequences. Although scientists believe the probability of transfer is extremely low (GM Science Review Panel), the use of antibiotic-resistant genes has been discouraged by an FAO and WHO expert panel (2000) and other bodies. Researchers have developed methods to eliminate antibiotic-resistant markers from genetically engineered plants (Box 20).
So have they, or have they not developed methods to eliminate antibiotic-resistant markers from genetically engineered plants?
Back to the list.....
- Planting of outlawed GE crops which have been smuggled into countries
- Mixing of unapproved GE crops in food, including shipments of food aid
- Inadvertent mixing of different GE strains even in high profile scientific field trials
How bad is it?
The report reveals 113 such cases worldwide, involving 39 countries - twice as many countries as are officially allowed to grow GM crops since they were first commercialised in 1996.
Now here's an interesting little table...it's an
Overview on the state of legal protection regarding import and labelling of genetically engineered organisms for food and feed in major countries of commodity imports and exports
By far, we export the most soybeans and grain. We allow GM imports, aproval required, yet do not require that end products be labeled. And with the battle in the Senate brewing, we may soon lose what little labeling we do have!
Nor are we a member of Bio -safety Protocol.
Here are all the Greenpeace Biosafety Protocol 2006 reports.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS says
Xenotransplantation poses benefits for human recipients of cells, tissues and organs, but also poses hazards to those recipients and to the human population. These hazards stem from the possibility that pigs and humans might more easily transmit diseases to one another, and that pigs might serve as hosts for the evolution of new human pathogens. There is also the possibility that products from animals developed for xenotransplantation could enter the human food supply, posing food safety hazards.
What to do, what to do?
UK Shopper's Guide to GM I wish we had one of those! There are numerous books on the subject, and may be (google) a US list, I will have to look more.
A man named Dr. Patrick Dixon says
Many people are worried about food safety.
and asks,
Why all the fuss? Last year 62,000 mutated animals were born in the UK as a result of gene experiments, many with added human genes. Human genes have been added to cows, pigs, rabbits, sheep and fish. The pigs grow fast but are arthritic, impotent and blind. snip
How do you prove these new foods are healthy for humans without long term tests? Who is going to volunteer? What about the effect on pregnant mothers?
The UN answers.
A rigorous pre-market safety assessment of foods derived from GM animals should provide sufficient safety assurance. The use of post-market surveillance as an instrument to gain information on the potential long-term or unexpected adverse and beneficial effects of food either GM animal-derived or traditional should be further explored.
It always infuriates me when some organization thinks it's ok to test things on me without my knowledge.
And you thought you were a human, not a Guinea Pig.
Need some cheering up? Check out these 2 guys.
And action always cheers me up. You?