Showing posts with label GM Potatoes. Show all posts

Sunday, 22 March 2015

No More Bruised or Brown Apples and Potatoes

FDA approves genetically engineered potatoes and apples as safe for consumption.

This post is on Healthwise

March 20, 2015

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and KEITH RIDLER, Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Potatoes that won't bruise and apples that won't brown are a step closer to grocery store aisles.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the genetically engineered foods as safe, saying they are as nutritious as their conventional counterparts.

The approval covers six varieties of potatoes by Boise, Idaho-based J. R. Simplot Co. and two varieties of apples from the Canadian company Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc.

Simplot's potatoes go by the trade name "Innate," while Okanagan's apples are called "Arctic Apples."

The agency's review process is voluntary, and both companies asked for a review to ensure their products met safety standards.

Aware of potential resistance to its genetically modified potatoes, Simplot officials note that Innate potato traits come exclusively from domestic potato varieties.

http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/03/20/fda-approves-genetically-engineered-potatoes-apples-as-safe

FDA approves genetically engineered potatoes, apples as safe

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and KEITH RIDLER

March 20, 2015 7:27 PM

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Potatoes that won't bruise and apples that won't brown are a step closer to grocery store aisles, but some food suppliers say they don't want any part of it and others are staying silent.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the genetically engineered foods, saying they are "as safe and nutritious as their conventional counterparts."

The approval covers six varieties of potatoes by Boise, Idaho-based J. R. Simplot Co. and two varieties of apples from the Canadian company Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc.

Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, refers to food grown from seeds that are genetically engineered in a lab. Aware of potential resistance from consumers, Simplot officials say Innate potato traits come exclusively from genes from domestic potato varieties.

However, one of the company's oldest business partners — McDonald's — said it won't use the potatoes.

"McDonald's USA does not source GMO potatoes nor do we have current plans to change our sourcing practice," the company said in a statement Friday.

Burger King and Wendy's declined to comment.

Okanagan, based in British Columbia, wants to make apples a more convenient snack with its non-browning version. The company says bagged apples wouldn't have to be washed in antioxidants like they are now, a process that can affect taste. Company founder Neal Carter said Okanagan wants to see bagged apples become as prolific as bagged baby carrots.

"We know that in a convenience-driven world, a whole apple is too big of a commitment," Carter said.

The apples are dubbed Arctic Apples, and Carter said he wants them to be labeled as such. The first two varieties will be Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. Carter said there won't be significant plantings until 2017.

Simplot calls its potatoes Innate and the varieties selected include Ranger Russet, Russet Burbank and Atlantic.

"We're trying to improve potatoes so everyone gets a better experience, just like it's right out of the field," said Haven Baker, vice president of plant sciences for Simplot.

But it could be years before the average customer is able to buy one. The company has about 400 acres of Innate potatoes in storage from the 2014 harvest that it plans to deliver to growers, packers and shippers to be sent to a tightly-controlled network for use in small-scale test markets.

The company said those markets haven't been determined, and it's not clear how the potatoes will be labeled. The company said it's not selling Innate seed potatoes on the open market.

ConAgra, a major French fry and potato supplier through Lamb Weston to restaurant chains, said it won't use the potatoes.

"All Lamb Weston frozen potato products are made with non-GMO potatoes, in line with customer demand," a company statement said.

Food supplier McCain in a statement said its policy is to not use GMO potatoes. But the company also said it recognized the challenge of producing affordable food to meet demand and planned to monitor and possibly participate in research.

"Regulatory compliance and consumer acceptance for the use of any new technology will guide our actions," the company said.

Simplot says its potatoes will have 70 percent less acrylamide, a chemical that can be created when potatoes are cooked at high temperatures. And it's touting that as a health benefit, as some studies have shown acrylamide to be a potential carcinogen, though the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health says scientists "do not yet know with any certainty" whether the substance can be harmful in food.

The FDA in its approval Friday noted that acrylamide has been found to be a carcinogenic in rodents.

Simplot says its potatoes have 40 percent less bruising from impacts and pressure during harvest and storage then conventional potatoes, which the company said could reduce the more than 3 billion pounds of potatoes discarded yearly by consumers.

The FDA's review process is voluntary, but both companies asked for one. To review, FDA compares safety and data of the GMO food in comparison to conventional variety.

Gregory Jaffe, biotechnology director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, in a statement Friday objected to the voluntary system for approving GMOs and said legislation is needed to make it mandatory.

____

Jalonick reported from Washington. AP Food Industry Writer Candice Choi contributed in New York

http://news.yahoo.com/fda-approves-genetically-engineered-potatoes-apples-safe-150919612--finance.html

Go to Healthwise for more articles

MUST WATCH - “The Future of Food”

—GMOs, Gene Patenting, and the Corporatization of Our Food Supply

Monday, 13 January 2014

No GMO: UK to Conduct Absolutely No GMO Trials in 2014

by Christina Sarich
January 10th, 2014

Though GM wheat and potatoes have been trialed in the UK in recent years, 2014 will mark the first year that no GMO trials will occur in places like Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

The director of GM Freeze, Helene Paul says, “We’re celebrating a GM-free 2014 in UK fields – long may it continue. We congratulate the millions of UK farmers and shoppers standing up for what is right for their businesses and families, and we’re standing right beside them.” This will be the first year since 2007 that no trials will be conducted and that none are expected.

According to the UK government “Defra currently has no [GM trial] applications under consideration.” As more people in the UK, including farmers and consumers rally to tell their government that they aren’t interested in GM foods, the mega-giants of the food industry have started to finally pay attention. GMO trials have come to a halt in numerous countries throughout Europe. Trials in France, Poland, Italy, and elsewhere have been completely stopped. This includes transgenic GMO trees recently planted in Saint-Cyr-en-Val, near Orléans that were recently destroyed due to activist insistence.

“No matter what it says, the GM industry just hasn’t produced anything UK farmers can use or that consumers want. Instead the industry colludes with the Government to rig public dialogues, botch consultations, remove necessary regulations and proposes using public money to force pro-GM “education” onto the curriculum.

The aims of the GM wheat trial were never clear, despite the legal requirement for this information to be public before consent for such trials can be granted. We know that over the longer term GM crops cause more problems for farmers than they solve, and GM Freeze still wonders why the many risks were taken for such an unclear goal – unless it was simply to attract funding for further GM research and development. Of course it is also possible the consent given was the result of an assessment process that lacked the necessary rigour to comply with the law.

In any case we hope that the science establishment in the UK has learned that there is plenty of important and highly productive non-GM research needed, and the UK should be aiming to emerge as a centre of excellence in these areas rather than pursuing unnecessary GM crops that no one wants.

This success comes despite the fact that the biotech industry heavily supports Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson, who even said people who supported the GMO-labeling movement were ‘wicked.’

Thursday, 9 February 2012

GMOs - Linked to Cancer ...

Don't Eat it: Linked to Cancer and Gets into Your Blood

Posted By Dr. Mercola | February 07 2012 | 227,596 views

Story at-a-glance

Genetically modified crops will be phased out from being grown in Boulder County, where the Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee voted to no longer allow GMOs on county-owned land
The decision to transition out GM crops came from a recommendation from the county's Food and Agriculture Policy Council, and was in large part influenced by a turnout of 250 residents at a public meeting, most of whom voiced their opinion against GMOs
The health effects of eating genetically engineered foods are largely unknown, but research to date suggests they may play a role in cancer, birth defects, lung damage, organ disruption, allergies, DNA damage and more
A 2012 California Ballot Initiative is underway that would require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods and food ingredients. If California voters pass this ballot initiative, it will likely be the beginning of the end for genetically engineered food in the U.S. -- find out how you can get involved

By Dr. Mercola

In November 2011, about 250 Boulder County residents attended a public meeting to discuss the planting of GM (genetically modified) crops on county-owned land.

Their turnout, together with an anti-GMO (genetically modified organism) recommendation from the county's Food and Agriculture Policy Council, led county officials to vote for a phase out of genetically engineered crops on open space.

This is a powerful testimony to the influence residents can have on their local regulations when they stand together for a cause; you, too, can work toward enacting such a phase out in your area as well.

Boulder Residents, County Officials Say "No" to GMOs

Boulder's Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee voted 5-4 in support of the Food and Agriculture Policy Council's recommendation to phase out the planting of GM crops on the county's open space.

Currently, about 16,000 acres of county-owned land are planted with genetically engineered corn; the new rule will mean these crops will be transitioned out in favor of traditional GMO-free farming practices.

The area has been a hot-spot for GMO debate since 2009, when local farmers wanted to plant genetically engineered sugar beets in the county.

Following public outcry, County commissioners delayed the farmers' request. Since then, a local survey showed that 56 percent of Boulder County residents supported a ban on GM crops, and now their voices have been heard.¹ As reported by the Boulder Daily Camera², Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee member John Nibarger said:

"There's the voters' side of this, and there's the farmers' side of this … I think we heard rather strongly ... (that a lot of voters) don't want to see GM crops."

Americans Already Eating GM Foods, While Other Countries Have Banned Them

GM corn, soybeans, canola, and sugar beets have made their way into approximately 80 percent of current U.S. processed grocery store items, now that up to 90 percent of several U.S. grown crops are grown with genetically engineered seed. So if you live in the United States, you have most certainly already been exposed to GM foods -- most likely a lot of them.

This is why Boulder's move to phase out GM crops is such a breath of fresh air, as finally a governing body in the United States is stepping up to protect its residents from this massive, uncontrolled experiment -- a move that has already taken place in other parts of the world, and in four counties in California and a city in Maine.

Genetically engineered seeds are banned in Hungary, as they are in several other European countries, such as Germany and Ireland. Peru is also following the precautionary principle, and has even passed a law that bans genetically modified ingredients within the nation for 10 years.³

The issue of protecting farmland from invading GMOs is a serious one, so much so that Hungary recently destroyed nearly 1,000 acres of corn crops because they were found to be mistakenly grown with GM seeds. The discovery that the farmland was planted with GM seeds came when the season was already underway, so the harvest was completely lost.

What would prompt the Hungarian government to take such a drastic step?

Perhaps it is the fact that GM crops simply cannot be contained, and inevitably will contaminate the environment with GM DNA. Or it could be that they do not want superweeds, triggered by the overuse of Roundup herbicide on GM Roundup Ready crops, overtaking their farmland the way they are now doing in the United States. Then again, it could be the unknown threats to human health -- and the fact that new research shows toxins from GM crops are now appearing in human blood -- that made them think twice.

The other, and more serious issue, is the hidden one. Nearly all GM crops are designed with genes to resist a potent herbicide called Round Up or glyphosate. The newest science is showing that glyphosate is actually FAR more dangerous than people realize. It just is not widely appreciated yet, and the U.S. is spreading massive amounts of it every year.

The consequences of this chemical abuse will have profoundly devastating consequences and the longer we wait to remove this toxin the worse it will be.

Either way, they, and a growing number of people around the world, are clearly well educated about the dangers of GM foods … which is a lesson the U.S. government still needs to learn.

Genetically Engineered "Pesticide" Toxin Now Found in Human Blood

Upwards of 65 percent of U.S. corn crops contain a special gene added that allows them to produce an insecticide. This way, when bugs attempt to eat the corn they're killed right away (specifically their stomach is split open) because the plant contains an invisible, built-in pesticide shield.

The particular gene added to most corn crops is a type of Bt-toxin -- produced from Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria. Genetic engineers remove the gene that produces the Bt in bacteria and insert it into the DNA of corn (and cotton) plants. They claim that Bt-toxin is quickly destroyed in human stomachs -- and even if it survived, it won't cause reactions in humans or mammals...

But studies are now showing that this is not the case, as Bt toxin is readily passing into the human bloodstream and animal studies have already shown that Bt-toxin does cause health effects in animals, including potentially humans. As Jeffrey Smith, executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, wrote:

"Mice fed natural Bt-toxin showed significant immune responses and caused them to become sensitive to other formerly harmless compounds. This suggests that Bt-toxin might make a person allergic to a wide range of substances. Farm workers and others have also had reactions to natural Bt-toxin, and authorities acknowledge that "People with compromised immune systems or preexisting allergies may be particularly susceptible to the effects of Bt."

In fact, when natural Bt was sprayed over areas around Vancouver and Washington State to fight gypsy moths, about 500 people reported reactions—mostly allergy or flu-like symptoms. Six people had to go to the emergency room.

… The Bt-toxin produced in the GM plants is probably more dangerous than in its natural spray form. In the plants, the toxin is about 3,000-5,000 times more concentrated than the spray, it doesn't wash off the plants like the spray does, and it is designed to be more toxic than the natural version. In fact, the GM toxin has properties of known allergens and fails all three GM allergy tests recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and others."
It's reasons such as this why the precautionary principle should absolutely be used in regard to exposing humans and the environment to GM crops. Unfortunately, it appears Cry1Ab, a specific type of Bt toxin from GM corn, is already quite prevalent in humans; upon testing 69 pregnant and non-pregnant women who were eating a typical Canadian diet (which included foods such as GM soy, corn and potatoes), researchers found Bt toxin in:

93 percent of maternal blood samples

80 percent of fetal blood samples

67 percent of non-pregnant women blood samples

Other potential dangers have also been uncovered, including:

GM peas caused lung damage in mice	Offspring of rats fed GM soy showed a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce
GM potatoes may cause cancer in rats	Male mice fed GM soy had damaged young sperm cells⁴
Bacteria in your gut can take up DNA from GM food	The embryo offspring of GM soy-fed mice had altered DNA functioning
GM foods lead to significant organ disruptions in rats and mice, specifically the kidney, liver, heart and spleen	Several U.S. farmers reported sterility or fertility problems among pigs and cows fed on GM corn varieties
Bt corn caused a wide variety of immune responses in mice, commonly associated with diseases such as arthritis, Lou Gehrig's disease, osteoporosis, and inflammatory bowel disease	Investigators in India have documented fertility problems, abortions, premature births, and other serious health issues, including deaths, among buffaloes fed GM cottonseed products

Intense Lobbying Efforts Aim to Keep Americans in the Dark about GM Foods

The food and agriculture biotechnology industry has spent more than $572 million in campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures in just over a decade, according to an analysis by Food & Water Watch.⁵ Key among the goals of this intense lobbying effort is to prevent GM food labeling and keep Americans in the dark about the contents of their food. The analysis states:

"The food and agriculture biotechnology industry has been flexing its financial political muscle to ease the regulatory oversight of genetically modified foods. Lobbying efforts for some of these firms and groups have included approval of cloned food and genetically engineered food, animals and livestock.

Companies are also fighting to eliminate or prevent labeling on genetically modified foods in the United States and preventing other countries from regulating genetically modified foods. These efforts have dovetailed with lobbying to tighten intellectual property law protections over patented seeds and animals in attempts to further benefit the biotech industry."
Over 95 percent of Americans polled said they think GM foods should require a label, stating it's an ethical issue and consumers should be able to make an informed choi

Like Europeans, Americans are suspicious of GM foods, and a large part of why many continue to buy them is because they are unaware that they're already in the food. A prominent GM food label would be a death sentence to U.S. GM crops, which are right now enjoying a free for all when it comes to entering the food market.

Industry lobbying is clearly working, as to date biotech companies have evaded mandatory labeling laws (although a new California initiative may change all of that). They also succeeded in getting GM alfalfa approved, which quite literally threatens the entire organic industry.

A large part of the problem, and one of the reasons why the United States has not taken a precautionary stance the way other countries have, is that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are heavily influenced by biotech giant Monsanto. In the first quarter of 2011 alone, Monsanto spent $1.4 million on lobbying the federal government -- and this was a drop from a year earlier, when they spent $2.5 million during the same quarter.

The FDA, the USDA, and the U.S. Trade Representative all have a special set of revolving doors leading straight to Monsanto, which has allowed this transnational giant to gain phenomenal authority and influence, as well as get their genetically engineered crops planted on the lion's share of U.S. farmland.

However, just as changes in Boulder could prove to be a tipping point that begins a trend toward eliminating GM crops from American soil, a 2012 ballot initiative has been launched in California, which will require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods and food ingredients -- also an important step toward ultimately eliminating these toxic foods from the market.

You Can Join the Fight Against GMOs

The people of Boulder County have made it clear that they will not tolerate GM crops on their local land; now you, too, can let your opinion be heard. Several organizations, including Mercola.com, the Organic Consumers Association, the Institute for Responsible Technology, and the Environmental Working Group, are working to generate a tipping point of consumer rejection to make GMOs a thing of the past.

Here's how you can get involved:

If you live in California and are willing to attend a short training session and then start collecting petition signatures (you will be part of a team of 2-4 people) for the California Ballot Initiative, sign up here. (For more information see: The California Ballot Initiative: Taking Down Monsanto.) Also remember to share this information with family and friends in California!

Whether you live in California or not, please donate money to this historic effort

Talk to organic producers and stores and ask them to actively support the California Ballot. It may be the only chance we have to label genetically engineered foods.

Distribute WIDELY the Non-GMO Shopping Guide to help you identify and avoid foods with GMOs. Look for products (including organic products) that feature the Non-GMO Project Verified Seal to be sure that at-risk ingredients have been tested for GMO content. You can also download the free iPhone application that is available in the iTunes store. You can find it by searching for ShopNoGMO in the applications.

For timely updates, please join the Organic Consumers Association on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter

Look for in-depth coverage of the issue at the Institute for Responsible Technology, subscribe to Spilling the Beans, and check out their Facebook or Twitter.

You can also join the Non-GMO Project on Facebook, or Twitter

In the meantime, the simplest way to avoid GM foods is to buy whole, certified organic foods. By definition, foods that are certified organic must never intentionally use GM organisms, must be produced without artificial pesticides and fertilizers and come from an animal reared without the routine use of antibiotics, growth promoters or other drugs.

Additionally, grass-fed beef will not have been fed GM corn feed, although now that GM alfalfa is approved, grass-fed will not always mean GMO free.

You can also look for foods that are "non-GMO verified" by the Non-GMO Project.

Important Action Item: Support California's Ballot Initiative to Label GMO's!

In 2007, then-Presidential candidate Obama promised to "immediately" require GM labeling if elected. So far, nothing of the sort has transpired.

Fortunately, 24 US states have (as part of their state governance) something called the Initiative Process, where residents can bring to ballot any law they want enacted, as long as it has sufficient support. California has been busy organizing just such a ballot initiative to get mandatory labeling for genetically engineered foods sold in their state.

The proposed law will be on the ballot for 2012.

Michigan⁶ and Washington are also starting similar campaigns.

Since California is the 8th largest economy in the world, a win for the California Initiative would be a huge step forward, and would affect ingredients and labeling nation-wide. Last month, a coalition of consumer, public health and environmental organizations, food companies, and individuals submitted the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act to the State Attorney General. Now, they need 800,000 signatures to get the Act on next year's ballot.

I urge you to get involved and help in any way you can.

If you live in California, volunteer to gather petition signatures. If you live outside of California, please donate to help support this Initiative and spread the word to everyone you know in California. Be assured that what happens in California will affect the remainder of the U.S., so please support this important state initiative, even if you do not live there!

References:

¹Survey: 56% Would Vote to Ban GMOs on Boulder County Open Space, Daily Camera, November 6, 2011: Laura Snider.
² Second Committee Votes to Phase Out Boulder County GMOs, Daily Camera, November 17, 2011: Laura Snider.
³ Peru Passes Monumental Ten-Year Ban on Genetically Modified Foods, Natural Society, June 24, 2011: Anthony Gucciardi.
⁴ Ultrastructural Analysis of Testes from Mice Fed on Genetically Modified Soybean, European Journal of Histochemistry, October 2004: 48 (4); 448-454, Vecchio, L. et al. (PDF)
⁵ Food and Agriculture Biotechnology Industry Spends More Than Half a Billion Dollars to Influence Congress, FoodAndWaterWatch.org, November 2010. (PDF)
⁶ Michigan GMO Labeling Campaign.

Source: Daily Camera November 17, 2011

Monday, 22 August 2011

GM Crop Adoption In South East Asia To Take Off From 2012

Sameer Mohindru
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
12 Aug 2011 10:12 BST

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--The adoption of genetically modified crops in South East Asia is likely to increase considerably over the next few years as a slew of initiatives involving corn, cotton, sugarcane, potatoes, rice and eggplant start to bear results, an industry executive said Friday.

The spread of GM crops in the region has been slow due to concerns over bio-safety, but there has been a gradual change in that view. Global cultivation of genetically modified crops hit one billion hectares in 2010 but bulk of it has been in North and South America.

Next year is crucial for transgenic crops in the region because commercial planting of new GM varieties is expected in Indonesia and Vietnam, said Randy A. Hautea, global coordinator of International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, an agency that tracks the adoption of GM crops worldwide.

The multi-location trials in both GM corn and GM sugarcane in Indonesia and GM corn in Vietnam are now complete and bio-safety approval for commercial use is expected in 2012, he said on the sidelines of the Asian Food Security Conference.

This will likely be the first commercial cultivation of GM sugarcane anywhere in the world.

Hautea said this is significant because global prices of agricultural commodities are on the rise and an improvement in yields through the use of pest-resistant varieties can limit the need for imports.

He cited the example of the Philippines, which imported 500,000 tons corn annually before it permitted transgenic corn eight years ago, making the country nearly self-sufficient in corn production. Around half the country's yellow corn crop is now the transgenic variety.

Both Indonesia and Vietnam import GM corn from the Americas and local cultivation will be a logical next step, he noted.

Hautea said a large body of research on GM crops in Southeast Asia is being done by government-run institutions as part of national efforts to boost agricultural productivity.

A case in point is developing drought resistance in Indonesia's sugarcane crop through genetic modification, crucial for many islands of Java, he said.

The Indonesian government has also launched field trials for GM potatoes to tackle the Late Blight Disease, using the same technology deployed in Bangladesh and India, Hautea said.

Meanwhile, research on transgenic rice, eggplant and cotton is being conducted in the Philippines.

Growers in Myanmar have been informally planting GM cotton for a few years and in 2010, the government officially allowed its use in the country. Around 75% of Myanmar's cotton growers now use transgenic seeds, Hautea said.

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