Franken Foods Have No Place In The Diet Solutions

"The genetic engineering of foods takes mankind into realms that belong to God and God alone." - Charles, Prince of Wales

Food technology is expanding almost at the rate of the "big bang!" GE foods are everywhere. Today, up to 70 percent of the foods on American grocery shelves are genetically engineered (a number expected to grow to 90% by 2012). Most of the soy, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, dairy foods and yellow squash at your market are genetically engineered. Over one-third of U.S. farmland is planted with genetically-engineered seeds. All food is expected to be genetically engineered in the next ten years. At the end of the twentieth century, there were enough GE crops to cover Great Britain, Taiwan and New York's Central Park! You may be shocked but should you be worried? Genetically engineered foods may contain DNA from widely different species. Plant, animal, insect, even bacterial or viral DNA make up new "improved" foods.

Pros and Cons of the new millennium food supply

There are benefits from genetic engineering:

• GE advocates say that genetic engineering can boost resistance to pests, decreasing the need for harsh pesticide sprays and incidence of plant disease.
• Genetic engineering improves shelf life by altering genes which lead to spoilage.
• GE companies hope to create "super crops" that will feed the Earth's exponentially growing population for generations to come.
• GE foods offer an easy delivery route for drugs and vaccinations.

There's also a price to be paid for GE foods:

• Allergens are transferred at the molecular level. As we add genes into foods from substances that aren't' normally in our food chain, new allergies could run rampant.


• Using genes in GE foods from already known allergens can trigger severe reactions in allergic people.


• Cross-pollination means pollen from GE crops will likely transfer into organic crops located nearby, so even organic foods may be exposed to genetically altered organisms.


• Crops that are genetically engineered to build resistance to pesticides may transfer into neighboring weeds creating "super weeds" which can't be killed by herbicides.


• Research shows bioengineering may destroy healing properties and reduce nutrient content of foods.


• Genetic engineering means animal by-products make their way into vegetarian foods.


• GE foods developed to create their own insecticides or herbicides are especially precarious.


• Genetic engineering may prompt the development of "super" insects, that can resist normal methods of eradication and disturb the ecosystem.

Maybe Darwin was right

Natural selection may be the ultimate key. Nature never does anything without good reason. Plants and animals change naturally with time to adapt to a changing environment. For example, we know many plant species have lengthened their growing season to better use the effects of global warming. Over time, we know plants may become more resistant to certain diseases or the effects of pollution. Recorded studies have shown that some tomatoes grown in polluted areas have actually become stronger, boosting their antioxidant nutrients to protect themselves from harsh conditions

So what can we do to protect ourselves from GE foods?

• Stick with certified organic foods.


• Buy seasonal produce from organic local farmers.


• Avoid non-organic foods that are well known to be genetically modified - soy, canola oil and corn foods.


• Consider consuming organic dairy. Most commercially produced dairy is injected with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), which is a GE hormone.

Deciding on a particular diet can be daunting considering the shear number of strategies out there. That's why it's important to have a resource that will leave you confident and without questions. The Diet Solutions is the perfect step by step guide.

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Biodiversity and Genetic Engineering

Genetic Engineering is a process of artificially modifying plant or animal cells by cutting and splicing DNA from one cell into another for the purpose of transferring desirable qualities that will make a crop resistant to herbicides, insects, or to enhance food value. When genetic engineers insert a new gene into any organism, there are what are called position effects. These effects can lead to unpredictable changes in patterns of gene expressions and genetic functions. The protein product of the inserted gene may carry out unexpected reactions, producing potentially toxic products.Genetically modified foods in U.S. markets include tomatoes, squash, yeast, corn, potatoes, canola and soybeans (which are used in 60 % of all processed foods, such as bread, pasta, candies, ice cream, pies, biscuits, margarine, meat products and vegetarian meat and cheese substitutes). Genetically engineered foods not tested nor labeled as genetically altered could jeopardize our health.

Living organisms are highly complex, and genetic engineers cannot predict all the effects of introducing these new genes. Problems may develop from this process: new toxins and allergens, loss of bio-diversity in seed and crops, or damaging health effects from manipulated food crops. When new genetic information is introduced into plants, bacteria, insects, or animals, it can then be passed into related organisms through naturally occurring processes such as cross-pollination.

It is estimated that 70% of the current genetically modified (GM) harvest is made up of herbicide-resistant crops (HRCs) designed to tolerate high levels of exposure to broad-spectrum herbicides, enabling farmers to spray only one heavy dosage per year, but still this does not break the overall cycle of dependence upon chemical applications.

This process has already created some herbicide-resistant "super weeds" causing many farmers to have to spray even greater quantities of herbicides on their GM crops because the weed species have become even harder to control. Cross-species transfers between fish and tomatoes, or other unrelated species that would not have happened in nature may create new toxins, diseases, and weaknesses that can spread across species barriers. This new combination of host genes and introduced genes have unpredictable effects. These artificially induced characteristics can be passed on to subsequent generations and other related organisms. Transferring animal genes into plants also raises important ethical issues for vegetarians and religious groups.

Another form of genetic engineering is used to create BT crops by inserting a genetically modified gene into a plant gene from a soil organism called Bacillus Thuringiensis (a pest-specific powder used, only when it is needed, by organic farmers and gardeners). This inserted gene causes the plant to produce a substance that makes it toxic to certain insects - creating a built in pesticide - eliminating the need for chemical sprays. However, insects exposed to these transgenic crops over sustained periods of time may develop immunity to BT, and even harsher pesticides will be needed to control the problem.

Genetic engineering companies are carrying out a potentially dangerous global experiment by introducing large numbers of genetically engineered foods into agriculture and food supplies which may have unanticipated and harmful side effects leading to national and/or global food shortages.

More than 50% of the crops developed by biotech companies have been engineered to be resistant to herbicides. This could promote a rapid appearance of resistant insects, destroy the beneficial insects, or alter soil organisms and ecosystems. In addition, the pesticide produced by the plant may be harmful to the health of consumers.

There is no way of knowing the overall, long-term effects of genetically engineered foods on the health of those who eat them. Since most genetically modified foods are not be labeled, manufacturers have already introduced genetically modified ingredients into many of our foods. Labeling should be required for any food that contains a genetically engineered ingredient, or has been produced using GM organisms or enzymes. This would help scientists trace the source of health problems arising from eating these foods. Food scares and epidemics are increasingly commonplace, and in response, the demand for organic food is skyrocketing. Greenpeace has launched a new version of their popular Shopper's Guide, which is an online resource to help you find out whether the food in your shopping basket is GM free go online to Shoppers Guide to GM Foods there are hundreds of products are listed that are genetically modified or have genetically modified ingredients.

The Importance of Biodiversity includes social-cultural, economic, and environmental elements. Genetic biodiversity provides not only healthy crops, it also allows for new plant and seed varieties, maintains soil fertility and its microorganisms, and makes soil and water conservation a priority. Agricultural diversity maintains our bio-diverse plants, seeds, animal food sources, croplands, pastures, range lands and the microbial and fungal sources necessary for healthy soil. Another growing objection to genetic engineering is that we don't need to figure out how to grow more food.

According to the Institute for Food Development Policy, nearly one third of the worlds land area is used for food production and we already grow more than enough to feed everyone. If the vitality, biodiversity, and health of our soil and crops can be improved, plants would be naturally resistant to pests and disease. We need to educate our farmers about the benefits of bio-diversity, soil sustainability, plant and animal health, natural pesticides, composting, and companion planting.

It has been estimated that only 1% of pesticides applied to crops reach the insects they are designed to kill; the other 99% pollutes the air, soil, food, water, kills wildlife, ruining the vitality of the soil. In the past it has been acceptable for farmers and gardeners to buy and spread chemicals and pesticides over their crops instead of understanding the mechanisms of sustainable organic growing methods, and the importance of biodiversity. As consumers demand more organic foods and growing methods, governments, agribusinesses, giant chemical companies, farmers, and home gardeners will be motivated to eliminate the use of genetically altered seeds and plants, carcinogenic pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Hopefully, this will grow to include the livestock and fisheries industries currently using antibiotics, chemical food additives, growth regulators, and hormones.

"When the planes still swoop down and aerial spray a field in order to kill a predator insect with pesticides, we are in the Dark Ages of commerce. Maybe one thousandth of this aerial insecticide actually prevents the infestation. The balance goes to the leaves, into the soil, into the water, into all forms of wildlife, into our selves. What is good for the balance sheet is wasteful of resources and harmful to life."
-Paul Hawkin from The Ecology of Commerce

Frank and Vicky Giannangelo
Copyright (c) 2008 Giannangelo Farms Southwest

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