Frankenmeat - blech! And NO labels letting consumers know that's what they're eating!

[Triana]

If the Wall Street bailout was hard to swallow, the government is preparing a Halloween trick that just may be impossible to stomach.

The Food and Drug Administration is opening the way for grocery stores to sell food made from genetically engineered animals. And the agency is proposing that these products, called “Frankenfoods” by some, be sold to you without your knowledge.

Sign our online petition ( https://secure.consumersunion.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=NIMF_Frankenfood ) demanding that food from genetically engineered animals be labeled. We have the right to know what we are eating!

Genetically engineered animals are not a far-off, exotic concept. It’s happening right now. Goats are engineered with spider genes to produce silk in their milk. And pigs carry mouse and bacterial DNA to improve their digestion.

The jury is still out on whether food from these animals is safe for humans or the environment. And the ethics of such changes have yet to be considered.

The FDA says they will conduct a safety review before these foods can be sold for human consumption. But consumers won’t know if they’re buying genetically engineered food, because the agency isn’t going to require a label.

We know what’s in the can of soup we buy because the label tells us. Shouldn’t we know if the meat we buy comes from a pig with another animal’s genes, or whether our milk has insect DNA in it?

Sign our petition and show the FDA that Americans want to know what’s in their food!
https://secure.consumersunion.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=NIMF_Frankenfood

We have until Nov. 18 to collect signatures. Please forward this email on to others so they can sign too. Let’s stop this Halloween trick before it starts.

Sincerely,
Jean Halloran
NotInMyFood.org
A project of Consumers Union
101 Truman Ave.
Yonkers, NY 10703

[SammyWinstonJack]

1. K&R

[Horse with no Name]

2. Well to be honest

They know we won't be reading labels much longer anyway...just price tags.:(

[TwilightGardener]

3. Well, I'm more concerned about the animals' welfare, in this case, because hell, you could

eat a spider or a mouse and it won't hurt you--what's the difference if a little DNA from them are in a pig's cells?

[Gato Moteado]

5. did you come up with that conclusion using sound scientific judgement?

sorry, but i don't want to eat genetically modified organisms of any kind. we don't know what the long term effects to our bodies are from some of the proteins found in genetically modified vegetables. these are proteins that our bodies are not equipped to deal with properly. who knows what the make up of genetically modified meats are like? i doubt it's just "a little dna" from a spider or a mouse. i'm not willing to be a guinea pig.

[TwilightGardener]

10. No--it's common sense. I could put a (non-venemous) spider on top of my next pork chop

and eat it and nothing would happen--I would digest the proteins, they would break down into amino acids I could use, and the rest would exit--only real risk that I can see is allergic reaction. Spiders and mice aren't made of plutonium, for chrissakes, we're all pretty much made of the same stuff, DNA-wise. And all organisms are "genetically modified" because of evolution and mutations. Fast or slow, every creature and plant on earth is being "modified".

[Gato Moteado]

18. your idea of common sense and my idea of common sense are two completely different things.....

....look, GMO foods might be safe to eat. the fact of the matter is that we just don't know. corporations, with their lackeys now in charge of regulatory committees that are supposed to protect consumers, are able to skirt regulations and the need for thorough testing so that they can get their products on the market faster and make more money.

and the scientific testing of GMO food would not include putting a spider on top of a pork chop and eating it to prove that meat from genetically modified pigs is safe to eat. i don't mean any disrespect, but that's one of the most ridiculous things i've heard in DU ever. seriously. is that the kind of thing that passes for scientific research in your opinion?

with your brand of "common sense" and scientific process, a person might very well say, "hey, chlorine bleach is safe for me to smell and so is ammonia and they're both good products to clean and disinfect my house....so that means it's totally safe to mix chlorine bleach and ammonia and carry it around in a bucket to clean my house. the fumes won't hurt me a bit."

i'm no geneticist or biologist, but from what i've read, GMO foods contain some complex proteins that our bodies have never had to deal with and don't know how to process completely. what are the long term effects of these proteins? who knows? could be harmless. but they also could cause cancer with long term exposure. i don't want to be a guinea pig for agri-bio companies. why would you?

you say all organisms are genetically modified because of evolution. while it's true that species on earth evolve because of genetic diversity and external events that could cause mutation in the genetics of certain organisms, pigs would never be able to cross with insects or even mice. laboratories are creating genetic mutations that could never occur in nature. and they're not doing it through sexual reproduction (obviously), but rather gene splicing. this is not natural. this is not evolution. we have no clue what they are creating. why would you want to put it in your body?

finally, and this is off the topic of GM animals, aren't you afraid of the production of terminator seeds and the dangers they pose to the world's food supply when the pollen from these GM crops is carried by wind onto other farms and so on and so on and so on? do you want monsanto to own your food supply some day?

[TwilightGardener]

28. I'm not opposed to labeling, I'm just not all that concerned, because

we're all carbon-based life forms eating other carbon-based life forms--we're all, in the end, made of A, C, G, and T. I doubt there's a DNA combination from food that could somehow survive our digestive processes intact and "take over" and mutate our own cellular DNA--plant and animal protein cells don't behave like viruses and prions.

[bvar22]

33. ALL spider s are venemous, but I agree in principle.

However, I don't trust our food supply, and would prefer to eat natural, locally grown foods.
I'm more worried about contamination and lack of nutrients due to Factory Farming, Processing, Preservation, and Importation from countries that don't have laws concerning pesticides, fertilizers, and handling.

The only way to know for sure is to grow your own.
Even the stuff at the local Farmers Market can't be trusted.
Some people who sell at the local Farmers Markets will use MORE pesticides than a commercial factory farm if their crop is threatened....even some who insist that they are organic.

[TwilightGardener]

35. Ah, true, I guess, about the spiders--that's how they kill their prey. Just meant

the ones strongly toxic to humans. Anyhoo, I read somewhere that we've all probably eaten a spider somewhere along the way in life, as well a host of other insects--gack. And I know what you mean about local farmers--the ones I know (living in a farming town, and having worked in the grain business) fling chemicals around like they're as harmless as water. THAT'S more of a concern to me right now than GM. And interestingly, one of the most immediate toxic dangers from grain is perfectly natural, perfectly organic, perfectly evolved mold toxins (such as aflatoxin and fumonisin)--grain is sampled and tested for that, but it's not always foolproof--there was that dog-food problem a year or so ago.

[deaniac21]

4. Are you against stem cell research?

[Gato Moteado]

6. what does stemcell research have to do with not properly labeling foods?

i'm confused. i don't see the connection.

[Horse with no Name]

7. Me either..

:wtf:

[Trillo]

32. Oh, wow. That's a deep question regarding the internal hierarchy

of a particular mind's thinking.

We all know the right was against stem cell research, which is clearly linked to GMOs, and the left made lots of scientific hay about them, and particularly Bush, being against it.

The OP is calling for signatures for a LABELING law for items which contain GMOs, which if enacted into law allows each person who buys a food item to make up their own mind whether they want to eat it, or a similar product sans GMO, in a labeling environment of fuller disclosure regarding both products contents.

The right supported Forcing an issue against GMO by outlawing a subset of it that might be medically beneficial to humans allegedly because of their objection to abortion and support of 'right to life'. (BTW, I either don't specifically recall or never saw it publicly framed as a anti-GMO issue by the right, even though at some level, that may have been a partial basis)

Force versus choice. That appears to me to be the issue in your question, given the GMO logical overlaps it contains.

So, where do you stand on the issue of force versus choice?

[deaniac21]

37. I'm for stem cell research, abortion and frankenfoods.

Including frankfurters.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

8. I See No Reason For The Label.

The foods are safe and the meat is the same as any other meat. Not sure why you'd say "Blech!".

[MadHound]

20. Sorry, it isn't the same, and there are dangers to the person who consumes this meat

What if you're allergic to spinach?
<http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/GEessays/GMpigsveggenes.html>

Or any other substance that gets spliced into an animal's DNA, peanuts, etc.

Then there is the matter of toxins created within GE animals, toxins that can kill you
<http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/geNoDNA.htm>

Then there is the simple fact that there has been no long term studies of the effects of eating GE foods. Is that really wise?

Sorry, but you're wrong on this one.

[Marrah_G]

21. We usually agree on things, but not this time!

I want to know if what I am buying is a GE product.

[RedLetterRev]

9. K/R

We really don't know yet what the implications are of flinging genes together. We don't have a full understanding of any one genome. The technology, it seems to me, is awfully nascent to be serving up for supper.

I don't want it; I ain't eatin' it. What's next on the menu? South Park's monkeys with four asses? Thanks just the same. They can keep it.

I grow my own veg organically from non-GM, heirloom seed and there are several organic beef farms in my county. GM foods are ruining agriculture and causing hunger and blight all over the world. One of my fondest hopes is that Monsanto, Cargill, Sygenta, and ADM are put out of business once and for all because of their piracy and meddling.

[mainegreen]

11. Meh. As long as it is not made illegal to add a 'Not genetically modifed' label.

Once they pass that, I'll go get my pitchfork and torches.

[CrispyQ]

12. Vegetable GMOs don't have to be labeled either.

Corn, soy, potatoes - if you've eaten any of these non-organic products, then it's highly likely you ingetsted GMOs. And with cross-contamination, it's getting harder & harder for organic farms to avoid contamination.

Food labeling in this country is a fucking joke. We have a right to know what we are eating in all of our food & where our food comes from!

Lot's of good info here: http: //www.organicconsumers.org/

[Triana]

14. I try to stick to organic, non GMO, locally grown - or I don't eat it.

Of course in a restaurant, you have no idea where their food came from - but I hate eating out for that, among other reasons - unless they're a stated organic, non-GMO restaurant who source their stuff locally whenever possible, and there are a few.

[midnight]

13. We don't know enough about this science......

"The current generation of genetically modified (GM) crops unnecessarily risks the health of the population and the environment.
Present knowledge is not sufficient to safely and predictably modify the plant genome, and the risks of serious side-effects far outweigh the benefits.

We urge you to stop feeding the products of this infant science to our population and ban the release of these crops into the environment where they can never be recalled. "

-from an Open Letter by the Independent Scientists', read at the Joint International GMO Opposition Day, April 8, 2006 http://www.organicconsumers.org/gelink.cfm

[Triana]

16. that's my problem with it - it hasn't been around long enough or researched enough

....to know what it does to the environment or humans OR animals.

To me, this is a type of dangerous willful ignorance - just like the Republicans practice.

[Gato Moteado]

29. exactly!

it's the old "oh yeah, i trust corporations fully....they have my best interests at heart". i've actually heard freeper types say shit like this.

[Greyhound]

15. Done. K&R

:kick: &R

[garlicmilkshake]

17. Every molecule of food we eat whether animal or vegetable has been genetically modified for millions

of years. This is a lot of simple-minded hysteria with no real basis in fact.

[Gato Moteado]

22. i had to look at your profile to see if you were a geneticist or biologist.....

...because you made your assertion with such authority.

but, nope, your profile offered no evidence that you were a genetecist or biologist. i didn't think so. you're just spouting truisms.

[garlicmilkshake]

27. You object to truisms? I thought that was a republican trait...

:eyes:

[Gato Moteado]

30. no, i object to your statement that GMO =evolution

and therefore GMO=safe

the first statement is obviously not true. the second statement has yet to be determined.

[MadHound]

23. True, but

The gene splicing has come about through the natural process of evolution, or at worst, hybridization. Genetically engineered foods are a much more radical step, with direct splicing of two entirely different sets of DNA. Spinach with pigs, fish with strawberries. The results of this are really unpredictable, but already evidence is starting to show that there could be problems <http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/geNoDNA.htm>

[Gato Moteado]

26. there you go with your facts

who needs facts and evidence?

if your gut tells you that GMO is equivalent to evolution or natural selection then it must be so.

sheesh...you intellectuals with your facts and stuff.

[progressoid]

19. Bio-Steel

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/889951.stm

Stronger and more flexible than steel, spider silk offers a lightweight alternative to carbon fibre.

Up to now it has been impossible to produce "spider fibre" on a commercial scale. Unlike silk worms, spiders are too anti-social to farm successfully. Now a Canadian company claims to be on the verge of producing unlimited quantities of spider silk - in goat's milk.

Using techniques similar to those used to produce Dolly the sheep, scientists at Nexia Biotechnologies in Quebec have bred goats with spider genes.

...

Called Webster and Pete, the world's first "web kids" cannot dangle from the ceiling, nor do they have a taste for flies.

In fact they look like any other goat. But when they mate, it is hoped they will sire nanny goats that produce milk that contains the spider silk protein. This "silk milk" will be used to produce a web-like material called Biosteel. Naturally occurring spider silk is widely recognised as the strongest, toughest fibre known to man.

...

Another advantage of spider silk is that it is compatible with the human body.

That means BioSteel could be used for strong, tough artificial tendons, ligaments and limbs. The new material could also be used to help tissue repair, wound healing and to create super-thin, biodegradable sutures for eye- or neurosurgery.

"The medical need for super-strong, flexible and biodegradable materials is large," said Costas Karatzas, Nexia's Vice President of Research and Development.

[On the Road]

31. Wow -- That is a Great Use of Genetic Engineering

[Trillo]

34. Seems dubious to me, but feel free to explain.

Another advantage of spider silk is that it is compatible with the human body.

That means BioSteel could be used for strong, tough artificial tendons, ligaments and limbs. The new material could also be used to help tissue repair, wound healing and to create super-thin, biodegradable sutures for eye- or neurosurgery.

Please forgive me, but if spider silk is compatible with the human body, why would the human body degrade ("biodegradable") it? Perhaps I just don't understand how it works, but biodegradable sutures are said to be "eaten" up by the human body over a period of time. They dissolve because they are "rejected" by the body, and by the time the body's defenses dissolve them, the wound they closed has healed.

"Compatible with the human body" implies, to me at least, that the human body won't eat up the sutures, but rather, would build upon and repair them just like the host's other tissues,

Perhaps you can clear this apparent disparity up?

[progressoid]

38. Speculation

I assume they are only speculating what applications it might have.

Does seem odd that the same material would be used for eye sutures and bullet proof vests.

[wryter2000]

24. Am I the only one who thought Al Franken? n/t

n/t

[MadHound]

25. Time for people to start getting to know where their food comes from

Start buying from your local farmers, CSA's farmers' markets, etc. That way you can be certain where your food comes from and what is in it.

[bvar22]

36. Farmers Markets have less regulation and oversight than Wal-Mart.

The only way to know for sure is to grow your own.
Even the stuff at the local Farmers Markets can't be completely trusted.
Some people who sell at the local Farmers Markets will use MORE pesticides than a commercial factory farm if their crop is threatened....even some who insist that they are organic.

It happens. I've seen it.
I grow my own.

[Theres-a]

39. K & R nt