Along the Fencerow

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BRADLEY GOERING
I recently came across several articles on genetically modified foods and how this affects the United States’ trade with foreign countries. It is a tough sell to them-as well as various groups of people in our own backyard.

A few months ago I read an article in a running magazine from a nutritionist-the human kind-describing how organic foods were better because they had more nutritional value. I think what she meant to say was that organic and non-organic foods were of equal value nutritionally, but the organic foods are grown without the use of pesticides.

As I read the article, my frustration level rose because it was obvious she had not done her homework.

Did you know that in the 1970s, microorganisms were genetically altered to improve the efficiency of fermentations and to produce natural food ingredients?

Then in the ’90s a hormone was introduced to the dairy industry so that cows would be able to increase milk production. Since the mid-1990s, the Food and Drug Administration has approved more than 40 biotech foods.

Chances are, a person can’t pick up many products at a grocery store that haven’t been genetically modified in some fashion.

Today we see that technology in the perishable-food industry allows fruits and vegetables to have a better appearance, taste better, reduce allergic reactions, and have a longer shelf life than in previous decades.

The possibilities of biotechnology around the corner are endless, but the changes are being developed cautiously. Corn and soybeans may soon have a boost of energy with higher protein content to improve their nutritional value. Milk is being looked at to reduce allergic factors while improving its nutritional value and shelf life are being studied.

Microorganisms are even being altered so that people with immune disorders might be treated by injecting these organisms into the intestinal tract of such persons.

These organisms will produce the enzymes these persons cannot, and create antibodies to fight off certain viruses.

Biotechnology in agriculture is not without controversies and political maneuvering. Society will choose what will be allowed and what will stay on the shelf. Some folks will favor “natural” foods and medicines, and some will favor bio-technology to assist them with their daily lives.

Some tough decisions lie ahead.

Bradley Goering can be reached by telephone at 620-327-4941, or by e-mail at bgoering@thecsb.com.

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