Fwd: Genetically Engineered foods accepted in US Survey-Food less nutritious

[Guest guest]

Subj: Engineered foods -- common in the food supply

10/17/03 11:04:26 AM Pacific Daylight Time

turner

 

 

The following story simply amazes me. The problems and dangers of genetically

engineered plants and animals (and mixtures thereof) to produce " efficient

handling and long shelf life " is very dangerous. The problems are without end

including the spread of these Frankenstein like plants that will readily crowd

out natural plants.

 

While I have little regard for most of Europe they, at least, are fighting the

spread of GM foods. While our giant agricultural companies are marketing these

engineered foods and dangerous foods, like highly promoted soy products, much of

it on the sly so that you do not even know you are eating it.

 

The real problem is that the true value of our food supply is dwindling. In many

cases you would have to eat as much as 30% more food to get the same number of

vitamins and minerals that the vegetables and fruits would have contained just a

decade ago. You would find it hard to believe how much the vitamin and mineral

content of food has declined over the last fifty years.

 

What we need to improve our methods of farming and husbandry, not get involved

with making engineering plastic presentation foods. The following story tells

you how much progress GM is making and says absolutley nothing about the dangers

of GM or genetically engineered foods --- that tells you clearly where the

industry is headed. Source materials are at the conclusion of the article.

Regards, Terry

 

" ... To sell GM foods to consumers, stress the benefits

 

 

Most Americans don't know they are eating genetically modified (GM) foods,

although consumer awareness of GM foods is growing. Those are some of the

findings from a nationwide telephone survey of 1,200 randomly selected

Americans, released today by the Food Policy Institute at Rutgers' Cook College.

The study also found that the way to improve the chance that consumers will

embrace GM foods may be to stress the environmental benefits and make the

resulting foods more attractive to consumers.

 

The study found about half of the respondents (52%) were aware genetically

modified food products are currently for sale in supermarkets, an increase since

2001 when a similar FPI study found only 41% of respondents were aware of them.

Just 26% of Americans believe they have ever eaten GM foods.

 

When asked directly, 49% of Americans report that they approve of plant-based GM

foods, down 9% from 2001. About one quarter (27%) approve of animal-based GM

foods, unchanged from 2001.

 

The study found, however, that simply mentioning potential benefits of GM foods

significantly increased approval ratings. For example, of those who disapproved

of plant-based GM food products, 30% said they would purchase a GM product if it

contained less fat and 24% said they'd buy it if it tasted better than ordinary

food.

 

Consumers also said they favor GM foods that offer environmental benefits; a

third (31%) of those who initially disapproved of plant-based GM food products

said they would be willing to buy a GM product grown in a more environmentally

friendly way than ordinary food. Almost half (44%) of those who initially

disapproved of plant-based GM food products said they would be willing to

purchase them if they contained less pesticide residue than ordinary food.

Reduction in pesticide use is one of the main benefits conferred by some of the

existing GM corn and cotton crops that are already widely planted.

 

Lower prices, interestingly, were not a selling point for GM foods. Only 12% of

those who initially disapproved of plant-based GM technology said they would buy

GM foods if they were cheaper than ordinary foods.

 

Another interesting finding is that early in the interviews, before the issue of

genetic modification was raised, respondents were asked to say in their own

words what information they would like to see on food labels. Almost no one said

they would like to see labels contain information about whether the food has GM

ingredients (less than 1%), FPI reports. Yet, later, when asked directly if they

would like to see GM food labels, the overwhelming majority of Americans (94%)

said that they would.

 

Americans' basic knowledge about farming and food production was also found to

be low. Only about half (55%) of Americans know that most of the corn grown in

the US is used to feed animals such as cows, less than half (46%) recognize that

sugar is not the sweetener used in most processed foods, and 16% incorrectly

believe that peanuts grow on trees.

 

The study was funded by a grant from USDA under the Initiative for Future

Agriculture and Food Systems Program (IFAFS). Copies can be downloaded for free

at the Food Policy Institute Web site: www.foodpolicyinstitute.org 10/15/2003

07:04 a.m.CDT ... "

 

see also

http://www.agriculture.com/default.sph/AgNews.class?FNC=goDetail__ANewsindex_htm\

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