A new campaign is underway to convince consumers that GMO foods are actually cool, contrary to the way that many consumers currently perceive them as threats to their health.
New GM crop wave may ease Frankenfood frightGM researchers have produced the Arctic apple, which browns and darkens at a very slow rate. “Making apples that could be processed in such a way without browning could be a real boon for the industry. And if the apples are received well … Arctic avocados, pears and even lettuce could be next.”
Golden bananas and Golden rice are getting closer to food industry access. The bananas, loaded with nutrients, carry tremendous health benefit implications for Third World countries. Likewise, Golden rice offers a lifeline to the millions of children that die every decade from vitamin A deficiency. In addition, Golden rice can help prevent millions of children from going blind within the same time frame.
Note that many foods turn color or otherwise show signs of degradation so that it is easy to see when they are past their prime, and therefore less desirable for consumption. Breeding that feature out of them makes it much more difficult to judge their suitability for consumption. This reminds me of the practice of sealing beef or other red meat into plastic bags in an atmosphere of carbon monoxide so that the meat does not turn green as it spoils — it continues to show a bright, red color, so that consumers will buy it, even after it has spoiled.
The Golden rice is another absurdity. If kids are going blind because their parents can't afford to purchase foods that contain vitamin A, or a cheap vitamin A supplement, does anyone really believe that they will be able to purchase higher-priced Golden rice?
Tex
