Yesterday, we talked on all the Food Nation Radio Network sites about the intent of some citrus growers to genetically modify their crops to protect against a citrus blight called Greening. Three main options (with subcategories) were presented by researchers: modifying with frog genes, moth genes or other plant genes. Plant gene options include the snowdrop plant and the spinach plant, among others.
The snowdrop was used to modify potatoes by a Hungarian researcher, Arpad Pusztai back in 1995. He tested the potatoes on rats and found that a diet of his GM potatoes was causing intestinal damage and immune system problems in the rats.
One of the field trials being conducted on GM citrus is with spinach genes. While it is being hailed as “good enough for Popeye” the same concerns about the “dirty” process currently in use for genetic modification and lack of appropriate testing continue to be concerns for consumers.
Over 90% of Americans want genetically modified food to be labeled, although corporations and the politicians they fund have been largely hiding this information from the citizens they serve.
From the Food Nation Radio Interview Archives: Elizabeth Dougherty spoke with Dr, Kirk Azevedo, a former Monsanto employee about the GM process. He describes some of the unintended results of genetic modification. Here’s what he had to say:
