Cuties. . . Genetically modified or not?

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MemphisKitten
MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was just curious if the Cuties mini oranges are genetically engineered, or if they really do grow that way. Are they a specific type of fruit, like a mandarin orange, or am I way off? If you can back up your answer with some proof, that would be helpful. Thank you! :flowerforyou:

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  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Pretty much everything you eat has been genetically modified to be what it is. 99.9% of the population of North America would never touch our fruits, veggies, grains etc in it's original natural form.
  • oOMusicBabii
    oOMusicBabii Posts: 494
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    They claim to not be GMO but a natural hybrid...I remember reading an article on it once because anti-GMO people were tearing the company apart. I'll Google around and see if I can find it.

    All I know, and care about is that they are tasty.
  • disasterman
    disasterman Posts: 746 Member
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    They are clementines. Probably a human-engineered hybrid but not genetically engineered in the way you might be thinking i.e. inserting genes from another species in a lab or something.
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
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    They are clemntine oranges which is a type of mandarin orange. GMO, I don't know. Probably.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,871 Member
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    They are clementines with a cute name.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clementine

    All living matter is genetically modified, including people.
  • emmy3111
    emmy3111 Posts: 482 Member
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    They're not "genetically modified", instead they're produced using selective breeding - you take plants that exhibit the desirable traits (ie: smaller, sweeter, easier to peel fruit) and cross pollinate these selected plants to get more of the traits you desire... they do this with plants and animals everywhere - it's not altering the genetic makeup, it's just controlling which traits enter the gene pool to begin with.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
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    Proof that brand naming is an effective sales technique.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
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    But, but...GMO!!OMG (I just realized that's a palindrome) :laugh:
  • WickedGarden
    WickedGarden Posts: 944 Member
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    i read an article where it said that the guy who modified the hybrid of the clementine/mandarin orange, basically trademarked the name 'Cuties' for marketing purposes: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304373804577521241458781700.html

    they are NOT GMO: http://shop.cutiescitrus.com/faqs/ (half way down, before the 'QUALITY" section)
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
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    Thanks guys for helping me out on this! :wink:
  • annieferguson
    annieferguson Posts: 1
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    This one goes out to Mokey41 and acogg:

    Mokey41: Pretty much everything you eat has been genetically modified to be what it is.

    Actually, no. Not 'everything' has been genetically modified.. 80-90 percent of >processed foods< /contain/ genetically modified ingredients, i.e, GM corn or soybean oil, though GMOs are banned widely across the world. What big agri companies such as Dow and Monsanto are doing is putting genetically modified ingredients IN the food, without being labeled. Pretty much any ingredient that says corn syrup/oil or soybean oil is genetically modified.

    This goes for your meat too. The animals you consume also consumed genetically modified corn feed before they were slaughtered to be on your plate.

    Didn't know this? Because in the United States of America they do not require labels on genetically modified foods. Not only do they not require labels, but the FDA and USDA have /never/ done a long term (or short term) study on the consumption of genetically modified foods by humans. They put them on the market without even knowing the effects of them. The first ever long term lifetime study of GM consumption by rats was done in September of 2012. Up to 60% of rats died prematurely, and developed large tumors. These rats were fed nk603, the monsanto variety of GM corn grown widely across america and fed to humans and animals.

    The only way to avoid GMOs is to look for the "GMO Free Project" label that specifically states that it is non GMO. You can also buy local and organic produce, where you know your food is grown and will most likely be able to get in contact with your farmers.


    acogg: All living matter is genetically modified, including people.

    Absolutely not. I don't have the time to explain to you the science behind the nature of life, but if you seriously think all life is made from splicing one gene from one animal to the gene of another animal, in essence, two completely different types of life to obtain a desired trait, then you seriously do not understand the definition of genetically modified organisms or the concept of conception and creation.

    Cuties most likely fall under the selective breeding category. They do not take genes from other life forms like fish or garlic to become smaller.

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