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Saturday, December 22, 2012

May I have some genetically altered salmon please?


The FDA has approved genetically altered salmon as safe to sell. This makes those who create the altered salmon happy and honks off traditionalists, especially those who catch salmon the old fashioned way.

Now genetically modified food is not exactly new. We have done that with grains; soybeans, corn etc for years, those make our side dishes. Also, with the same arguments being given forth. Ag departments of been dealing with purebred and hybrid flora and fauna for years before folk got excited about it; or maybe the did – too long ago.

Buy it as far as I’m concerned if the science has been done. Of course, the problem with that argument is that the science is never done as we see new studies coming out everyday telling what is safe and what is not safe.

The main issue is seems to me is simple but often ignored. Just label the stuff and let people deal with it themselves. Labeling is a good idea and allows folk to make informed or uninformed choices depending on the ability and desire to read. The FDA seems to miss that simple point and says it doesn’t have to be labeled. Label it and move on.

1 comment:

  1. It is understandable that consumers distrust the introduction of genetically modified foods.
    (We ancients remember thalidamide for sleep and diethylstilbestrol for big chickens). Whether to
    make a crop more resistant, an animal grow quicker, more fat, less fat-the mechanics of
    genetic tinkering need to be better understood in terms of long range effect. I'm all for science and love to eat salmon...but Frankenfish?

    ReplyDelete