Sep 18, 2008 10:51 pm US/Central
In The Know: Not Sure About Franken-Food
(WCCO)
The U.S. government will begin considering proposals to sell genetically engineered animals as food. Parts of one animal used to alter another animal, and then served on a plate. Don Shelby said some folks are scared witless at the thought of Franken-food.
Proponents of genetic engineering say they can grow fish faster, make pigs grow fatter with cattle genes spliced onto their DNA. There could be a cholesterol-free egg in your supermarket soon.
Scientists who like the idea, like the money they'll make, and add that it could solve world hunger as an additional benefit. Folks opposed are afraid genetically altered food might have an unforeseen effect on their health, not to mention the natural order of things.
But, it should be noted, that cross-breeding of animals' DNA has been going on for a long time, but not in a lab, out in the back forty.
We love hybridized corn -- there really isn't much that hasn't been hybridized in one way or another in the super market.
The state apple, the Honeycrisp, is a cultivar, the offspring of two, maybe three parents. In fact, the Honeycrisp doesn't even know for sure who its father is.
The public comment period will be open for 60 days. I expect to see "Yuk" and "Yikes" and "Run for your lives, the monster is loose upon the land."
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