Should GMO ingredients be labeled as such on food products?

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  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    edited April 2015
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    selecting for traits is a (slow) form of genetic modification
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    Too bad we can't GMO people. It would solve a lot of the worlds problems.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    Too bad we can't GMO people. It would solve a lot of the worlds problems.

    whew thats a whole nother can of worms there...

  • j75j75
    j75j75 Posts: 854 Member
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    selecting for traits is a (slow) form of genetic modification

    Was this in response to me?
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    j75j75 wrote: »
    selecting for traits is a (slow) form of genetic modification

    Was this in response to me?

    nope

  • j75j75
    j75j75 Posts: 854 Member
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    j75j75 wrote: »
    selecting for traits is a (slow) form of genetic modification

    Was this in response to me?

    nope

    Ah, ok
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Too bad we can't GMO people. It would solve a lot of the worlds problems.

    Except we totally can and totally do.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    I would like to know what you people think would be left unlabeled? we have only been "breeding" crops for hundreds of years now, thats the origional GMing process people.....

    It's not the same thing. Not even close.


    Yeah, hybridization vs genetic modification. Actually, I'd rather take my chances with GMO if I had to choose, but I'd rather not have either.

    Humans wouldn't even be here without hybridization. We didn't spring fully formed from the mind of Zeus...

    Speak for yourself, puny mortal.

    :smiley:

    :drinker:
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Too bad we can't GMO people. It would solve a lot of the worlds problems.

    We're almost there...

    http://www.nature.com/news/chinese-scientists-genetically-modify-human-embryos-1.17378

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    selecting for traits is a (slow) form of genetic modification

    Speed matters.

    And it only allows for a small subset of genetic modifications.

    They're not the same thing.
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
    edited April 2015
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    3bambi3 wrote: »
    I'm against anything that Monsanto wants to do.

    So you're against feeding the poor in underdeveloped countries?
    Yeah, I'm sure a company that has sued small farmers 150 times and won every case just wants to feed the poor. No one wants to feed the poor, bro. Maybe your local church does but on a global scale it's not reality. And the problem extends far beyond just food crops.

    Newsflash: GMO crops are for the rich (people who commute the kids to soccer practice and buy 24-pack frozen hamburger patties to tailgate at an SEC football game)

    ***Breaking News*** You probably eat more food that has been imported from an impoverished country that so desperately needs Monsanto to save them

    The only concern Monsanto has is $$$, not health or the environment.

    If you like them, fine. But please do better than that "feed the poor" nonsense. It's offensive.

    The only thing offensive here is your ignorance.

    I'm guessing you've never heard of Norman Borlaug. He genetically modified wheat to make is sustainable in poor climates. He won the Nobel Prize for his work and has saved millions of lives.

    http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1970/borlaug-bio.html

    Oh, and lots of insulin is made from GMO bacteria.

    But yeah, GMOs are the devil.
  • j75j75
    j75j75 Posts: 854 Member
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    j75j75 wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    I would like to know what you people think would be left unlabeled? we have only been "breeding" crops for hundreds of years now, thats the origional GMing process people.....

    It's not the same thing. Not even close.


    Yeah, hybridization vs genetic modification. Actually, I'd rather take my chances with GMO if I had to choose, but I'd rather not have either.

    How do you feel about plant grafting?

    I wasn't talking about hybridization in general, more in specific cases in the mid 20th century where certain crops were hybridized to obtain higher yield per acre. With hybridization (unlike GMO), you can't control what occurs as a side mutation in addition to the mutation that you intend.

    Ah ok, cool. Plant grafting is pretty awesome. When I was a kid my grandfather worked for the Department of Agriculture and used to do all sorts of things with the trees in our backyard. He successfully grafted a mandarin limb, a tangerine limb and a valencia orange limb onto a navel tree. Plus he grafted a lemon and a lime tree. It was pretty cool to grow up learning about that, and the fruit was delicious :)
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    3bambi3 wrote: »
    I'm guessing you've never heard of Norman Borlaug. He genetically modified wheat to make is sustainable in poor climates. He won the Nobel Prize for his work and has saved millions of lives.

    No, he did not. There is no GMO wheat in commercial production anywhere in the world.
  • lynndot1
    lynndot1 Posts: 114 Member
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    It's been said, but once we start the "GMO Free" wars it's going to turn into another round of "Gluten free!" "Vegan!" etc labeling on foods that seem to be no brainers. When I see vegetables on the shelf with "Gluten free" labels on them, hilarious. People who have serious gluten allergies were reading ingredient lists long before "gluten free" started popping up on food labels. Once you start labeling something as "-free" you imply to consumers yours is somehow better than the unlabeled one next to it...even if the unlabeled one is the exact same thing. It's crafty marketing, and it works. Hence why people will pay extra for "hormone free" chicken when growth hormones are illegal in the poultry industry.

    Anyway something to keep in mind is the only GM crops in the American market are: Corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, sugar beets, alfalfa, papaya, some apples, and squash. That's it. How much do you want to bet we'll start seeing things like "GMO Free Strawberries!" on the shelf next to unlabeled strawberries? And how much do you want to bet people will assume that means strawberries are a GMO crop and any unlabeled ones are somehow "dangerous" or worse?

    Ignoring the fact that we have enough science behind GMOs (which is another topic entirely and has already been touched on by other people in this thread), I just think it's hilarious what people believe and assume when it comes to labels. Advertising is all about what they want the consumer to infer.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    lynndot1 wrote: »
    It's been said, but once we start the "GMO Free" wars it's going to turn into another round of "Gluten free!" "Vegan!" etc labeling on foods that seem to be no brainers. When I see vegetables on the shelf with "Gluten free" labels on them, hilarious. People who have serious gluten allergies were reading ingredient lists long before "gluten free" started popping up on food labels. Once you start labeling something as "-free" you imply to consumers yours is somehow better than the unlabeled one next to it...even if the unlabeled one is the exact same thing. It's crafty marketing, and it works. Hence why people will pay extra for "hormone free" chicken when growth hormones are illegal in the poultry industry.

    Anyway something to keep in mind is the only GM crops in the American market are: Corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, sugar beets, alfalfa, papaya, some apples, and squash. That's it. How much do you want to bet we'll start seeing things like "GMO Free Strawberries!" on the shelf next to unlabeled strawberries? And how much do you want to bet people will assume that means strawberries are a GMO crop and any unlabeled ones are somehow "dangerous" or worse?

    Ignoring the fact that we have enough science behind GMOs (which is another topic entirely and has already been touched on by other people in this thread), I just think it's hilarious what people believe and assume when it comes to labels. Advertising is all about what they want the consumer to infer.

    So, if corn is GMO in the US, then is every product made with corn syrup also GMO? Please say yes because if so then I'm about to enjoy Facebook more than I have in months.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    3bambi3 wrote: »
    I'm guessing you've never heard of Norman Borlaug. He genetically modified wheat to make is sustainable in poor climates. He won the Nobel Prize for his work and has saved millions of lives.

    No, he did not. There is no GMO wheat in commercial production anywhere in the world.

    it kinda says he did.

    No, it doesn't.

    Hybridization is not the same as GMO.