GM crops attacked by ignorance again.

Science and Technology
1

This story] about a decision by Whole Foods to label all GM products within 5 years once again demonstrates how a single catch phrase can create such an emotional response among a scientifically illiterate public. Man has been genetically modifying crops for hundred if not thousands of years through selective breeding and no one raised concerns before.
The term Frankenfood has been coined to generate fear of these products. Ironically the scariest looking Frankenfood I have ever seen is one that was genetically modified the old fashioned way through selective breeding. Take a look at this Cauiflower.

2

It’s the Green Slime.
Run for your lives.

psik

3

Rather than whether something is ‘genetically modified’ which of course virtually all human foods are through selective breeding anyway, I think that it’s a better idea to label foods by where they come from, by country, province, and farm. Currently, I’ve seen country or state listed only by companies trying to take advantage of patriotic labelling like ‘Florida Oranges’ but nothing more than that. Well, except for some alcoholic products, when they come from a smaller brewery/distillery.

4

I’ve been staging a one person argument with my not so skeptical atheist and theist friends about this issue. It gives me yet another reason to boycott Whole Foods. They are just playing into ignorant paranoia.

5

I agree that the fear mongering about GM foods is dumb. However, having seen an interview with the CEO of Whole Foods, he is such a Tea Party nut that there’s no way I’d ever patronize them.
Occam

6
I agree that the fear mongering about GM foods is dumb. However, having seen an interview with the CEO of Whole Foods, he is such a Tea Party nut that there's no way I'd ever patronize them. Occam
Which was my original reason for not shopping there....ever.
7

Regardless of what any hippies may have to say about it, that plant in Mac’s pic is freaking cool looking. Hell, I’m in favor of genetically engineering our food just so we can make it all look cool. Like neon green, fractal cauliflower. It’s just too bad cauliflower is nasty tasting.

8

I took that picture at a farmers market in Pennsylvania. We bought the mutant cauliflower to try it out and it wasn’t bad but I like cauliflower so that’s not saying much.

9

I’ve thought that it would be pretty cool to GM some osage oranges to make them edible. They would certainly make a unique fruit.
Not to mention GMing some Chestnut trees to finally give them resistance to their blight fungus.

10

I looked that green cauliflower up. It’s called Romanesco broccoli and dates to at least the 16th century. Neat huh?

11

I don’t like cooked cauliflower, but I do like it raw. I do like broccoli though–raw or cooked. Does that funny looking cauliflower taste like broccoli or cauliflower?

12
It’s just too bad cauliflower is nasty tasting.
A good chedder cheese topping...freshly grated of course...goes a long way towards dealing with that problem. ;)
13

Cauliflower and broccoli (raw or cooked) are fine but mild in flavor. The one that’s really worthwhile is brussel sprouts. Only my mother-in-law and I liked it. Unfortunately, since she died I don’t bother cooking it.
Occam

14
I don't like cooked cauliflower, but I do like it raw. I do like broccoli though--raw or cooked. Does that funny looking cauliflower taste like broccoli or cauliflower?
It tasted more like cauliflower but with a hint of broccoli. This entire family of vegetables has aways interested me especially with the GM controversy. It turns out that neither broccoli, cauliflower nor brussel sprouts existed before man came along and started tinkering with things. They are all man made organisms derived through selective breeding from a form of cabbage and now they look and taste nothing like their ancestor. They are all "Frankenfoods" that were created the old fashioned way but no one ever voiced any concern about them. In fact many of the people who scream chicken little fears about GM crops probably eat these items regularly and think of them as healthy "superfoods".
15
I looked that green cauliflower up. It's called Romanesco broccoli and dates to at least the 16th century. Neat huh?
Cool. I thought it was a much more recent breed. Thanks for the info DM.
16

EOC, I’ve tried everything. Cheese, soy, teriyaki, sriracha, everything I can think of and cauliflower still tastes nasty. Broccoli’s good though. Especially with a little of the aforementioned soy or teriyaki. Or, even better, peanut sauce.

17

The GE debate is going to get another issue in the next few years: completely artificial genome algae, then multi-cell plants, then animals made to order. Synthetic genomics - Wikipedia http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/347263/description/Factory_of_Life