By Mandy Feder —
The subject of genetically modified and genetically engineered foods was heavy on my mind last weekend when I pulled up to the roadside farm stand, grabbed a bag and loaded up with delicious fruit.
I typically eat pretty healthy, mostly because I like the taste better than heavily processed foods.
Why mess with a good thing anyway?
I”ll tell you why. Good can become better, even great.
This particular farm stand just happened to have my favorite modified fruit — pluots.
Pluots are a perfect cross of plums and apricots.
I mean if Willy Wonka could have invented a fruit, I think it would be the pluot. In addition to being delicious, pluots are heavily fortified with vitamin C and have no sodium or cholesterol.
Pluots are actually a cross-breed and not truly considered to be genetically engineered.
But heck, I guess I”ve been snacking on modified foods of one kind or another ever since I can remember. Maybe you have, too.
I have enjoyed the juicy, sweet hybrid called the tangelo for decades at least.
And how about mixing it up with multi-colored carrots? They are not just festive in salads, but according to some researchers the duo that unleashed carrots in a variety that rivals colors in a crayon box, also claims the carrots allow people to absorb 40 percent more calcium than your average carrot.
That”s OK though, I prefer my carrots au natural.
I don”t have too much interest in the graisin, Japan”s National Institute of Genetics genetically re-programmed raisin. It tastes just like a raisin, but it is giant, thus the name.
Roughly 65 percent of processed foods in grocery stores have genetically modified ingredients.
Some baby food and animal foods contain genetically modified ingredients.
Arguments about genetically modified or engineered foods are not limited to health issues at all.
Some people who are opposed to the practice also cite ethical reasoning. It”s the idea that we should not mess with Mother Nature.
Demand for research about and creation of these foods was driven in large part by world hunger issues.
The high demand for an increased food supply brought genetically engineered or modified foods to the table.
People want to know what they are putting in their bodies and that”s good.
When forming an opinion about modified foods I think it”s best to do so with an open mind.
I hear many heated debates about Proposition 37, the initiative that would require labeling of “raw or processed food offered for sale to consumers if the food is made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways.”
Exempt from the requirement foods that are “certified organic; unintentionally produced with genetically engineered material; made from animals fed or injected with genetically engineered material but not genetically engineered themselves; processed with or containing only small amounts of genetically engineered ingredients; administered for treatment of medical conditions; sold for immediate consumption such as in a restaurant; or alcoholic beverages.”
There are many different types of modifications or engineering. Develop a real understanding of the differences and research the subject prior to voting.
Mandy Feder is the Managing Editor at Lake County Publishing. She can be reached at mandyfeder@yahoo.com or 263-5636 ext. 32. Follow on Twitter @mandyfeder1.
