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from
Holt Times, March 6, 2003
Feeding on Frankenfood An Editorial
by Veronica Armandiez
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Everyone has heard the story of the dangerous Frankenstein monster that a mad scientist created in his laboratory. Did you know, though, that real scientists in today’s laboratories are conducting experiments that could make some foods dangerous? Yes, it is true. You are eating the results of their experiments. Beware of "Frankenfood"!
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Many foods in grocery stores today are the result of genetic engineering. Scientists take a gene from one living thing and play around with it to create a new gene. Then they make copies of the new gene and put them into another plant or animal. The United States leads the world in production of genetically altered, or bioengineered, foods. More than 35 percent of our corn and nearly 55 percent of our soybeans are Frankenfood. These two crops find their way into all kinds of food products. You eat them in tortilla chips, corn muffins, taco shells, and "veggie" burgers. Babies even drink them in their formula.
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If you were not aware of these facts, it may be because food makers and chemical companies have tried to hide them from you. The United States government has been slow to require product labeling that could protect consumers from the possible harmful effects of bioengineered foods. Most shoppers do not know about the Frankenfood already on their supermarket shelves. We have a right to know exactly what we are eating—and what we are feeding our children. It is clear that we should not be feeding them genetically engineered food until the long-term effects are known.
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Food producers say that scientists have found no evidence that Frankenfood is not safe. On the other hand, they have little evidence that it is safe. The Food and Drug Administration does not test genetically altered food. It simply asks food makers whether they have tested the products themselves.
Some scientists worry that food with genetically altered ingredients might be dangerous for people with food allergies. They also fear that tinkering with genes might make food less nutritious and higher in natural toxins or poisons. We already know that one form of genetically altered corn produces pollen that can kill monarch butterflies. No one knows the long-term effects of these crops, so why risk it?
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