Genetic Engineering does indeed have problems

Paul Cherubini cherubini at mindspring.com
Tue Feb 22 16:46:09 EST 2000


Chris J. Durden wrote:

> GM/GE products are different from traditionally selected foods because
> they are patentable life forms!

Chris, that seems to be an economic designation that does not tell us whether or not 
the newest GE/GM crops now in production would be more likely to fail 
special food safety tests as compared to traditionally selected foods.

Similarly, even though some GMO food crops now on the market like Bt corn
have been federally registered as pesticides with the EPA, that scary
designation does not tell us whether or not Bt corn
would be more likely to fail special food safety tests
as compared to traditionally selected hybrid corn.

> I am willing to take my chances with non patented food but I would like
> some safety tests done first on food that is different enough to be
> patentable.

When you say "different enough" this doesn't explain what's biologically
different about the GMO food crops now in production that would make them
inherently more likely to fail special food safety tests as compared to
traditionally selected food crops.

The reason this distinction is important is that we must consider just what
special "food safety tests" might be conducted. If there is no inherent
difference between GMO foods and traditionally selected ones, alot 
of traditionally selected food crops that we have safely eaten for years 
might fail those special safety tests with the same frequency as the GMO
foods now in production if they were tested side by side. 

Paul Cherubini


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