Saturday, August 16, 2014

Untested Unlabeled Genes in Your Food: It's Your Right to Know

The article linked below gives some interesting context that helps us to understand partly why the scientific consensus on GMO foods is that the insertion of specific genes into a plant pose no substantially differential risk to human health. We know that genomic disruptions from biotechnology are dwarfed by those caused by the millions of unknown and uncharacterized genes introduced into conventional and organic foods by hybridization, and crossing with wild relatives. (Or even through the use of radiation or mutagenic chemicals used in accordance with USDA organic standards). The numerous toxins whose genes are hidden betwixt sequences of thousands of DNA  base pairs have all along been much more of a threat than the very few and specific well known Bt and glyphosate resistant genes we have inserted in the staple crops we eat every day.