We all like a fright from time to time, whether on a scary ride at the amusement park or in a horror movie. Here are some scary facts that I hope scare you into waking up!
War of the Worlds
One thing is for sure: we are not eating the same food our grandparents ate. Science continues to invade our diet in the wrong way. I have no objections when good husbandry, is used to develop a better more abundant crop yield, after all things like that have moved farming forward for centuries. Where I draw the line (that some people like to pretend is blurred) is when some so-called clever boffin uses a chicken gene to cross with a tomato to create a tomato that has longer shelf life. These mad scientists often use world hunger as an excuse for their excesses. But none of these "breakthroughs" have done one jot to improve the plight of the starving people of the 3rd world. On the contrary, GM seeds are almost always non-reproducing thus causing the poor farmer to go back each year to the seed producers for 100% of his seed. In-fact many GM seed companies force the farmer to sign a contract committing him to buying again and again from these people. Hasn't the western 1st world raped and pillaged the African Continent enough?
Why can't we spend money on developing their irrigation, and give them free seed for those prepared to farm the land and so they can feed their own people.with dignity.
Sleeping Giant
America often embraces new technology, which in some cases can put them on the cutting edge of science and for which I applaud them. This "Can Do" approach has much to be admired in this jaded world of ours.
The down side of this whole hearted approach is when the trusting American consumer blindly believes that American companies would never do something to hurt its own people.
Pandora's Box
That blind trust is now being tested to the limit when on January 16th the FDA approved the sale and use of meat and milk from cloned animals. No labeling is required, since they have deemed the clones to be identical to non-cloned animals. This not science fiction.
it is really is happening, but I wonder if I was to do a straw poll across America how many people would be aware of this fact?
I thought back to another scientific contribution to our food chain. Remember DDT? In 1948, a Nobel Prize was awarded for the discovery of its use as a pesticide. Farmers around the world applied it indiscriminately to increase food yields. Then, in 1962, the biologist Rachel Carson published Silent Spring. This ground-breaking book outlined DDT's potential carcinogenic effects on humans, and its negative impact on the environment.
Finally, in 1972 the US banned its use. Today, in spite of numerous research publications defining DDT's health and environmental hazards, it is still being used in some parts of the world. Will cloned animals and GM crops follow in the footsteps of DDT?
In A Shopping Aisle near You?
Again I want to point out in America that many Genetically Modified grains are used in food stuffs and unlike many European countries no labeling is required. What will the long term effects of these GM Foods be? Currently in the US, 89 percent of all soybeans, 83 percent of cotton, and 61 percent of corn are genetically modified varieties.
I would rather see the FDA take the same route as parts of Europe. Even under extreme world pressure due to trade agreements, many European regions have chosen to say no to Genetically Modified food and this is why many American grains currently have a European import ban placed on them.
I am angry as hell and I'm not going to take any more!
A famous line from a movie.but are you? Are you?
Currently we show science far too much respect given its chequered track record.
We need to offer a more robust healthy skepticism, a re-introduction of common-sense in our lives. These scientists should not be allow to do any thing they like just because they can. If they reject normal ethical or morel standards then tighter legal control needs to be placed upon them.
Even many scientists argue that there is more than enough food in the world and that the hunger crisis is caused by problems in food distribution and politics, not production, so people should not be offered food that may carry some degree of risk.
When it comes to playing with DNA in our food chain, it should be "guilty until proven innocent" instead of "innocent until proven guilty." Acting hastily in the approval of genetically modified food products is no way to sustain a planet.
Kevin Anthony Ashton is an internationally experienced Chef of 30 years who now wants to shares his recipes, culinary advice, opinions on food issues and humorous tales with you.
He writes a weekly column for Birmingham's Sunday Mercury (estimated readership 500,000) and is also a member of The Guild Of Food Writers & the British Culinary Federation. Kevin's food blog www.wannabetvchef.blog.co.uk
continues to grow in popularity. His food articles have appeared in newspapers and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic including Chicago Sun Times, Hotline Magazine, YesChef, Chef's Magazine, and Reuters.
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