We’ve all seen it before – the massive, globe-like apples at the grocery store, strawberries the size of your fist, and peaches that give James and his peach a run for their money. Genetically modified food, or fruit in particular, is ubiquitous in our grocery stores. We're so used to seeing it around, that organic produce looks languid in comparison. But the second you put that GM strawberry in your mouth, you will the difference. Unlike the dewy rubies you used to pick from your backyard, the GM variety lacks that tangy, fragrant strawberry flavor you grew up with.
So main concern when I heard that genetically altered salmon would be hitting my local seafood counter was what the hell it would taste like. I have unnerving visions of pallid, flavorless sushi and bland lox bagels. What do you think it'll taste like?
I haven't taste it yet. I can't say anything about until i taste it.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a lot of confusion and mis-information about GM from both sides of the argument. I've recently started to research GM foods to see what all the fuss is about and I've learned some interesting perspectives on the use of GM food. If we separate GM foods into two types we might actually be better off. 1) The major use of GM by the big companies is to make foods/seeds that can withstand the chemicals that are used to keep the crops healthy to allow us to produce enough food to get to market -- this likely accounts for the bland taste of many of them since this is not the priority. 2) The 2nd group would be GM foods that were modified soley to increase flavor, size, texture, nutrients, etc. so that the food itself is improved but doesn't need chemicals to get it to market -- foods grown in a hydroponic or aeroponic system would fit this bill. Since most of these improvements could be accomplished naturally in these systems, GM could focus on very specific improvements to the species/crop itself to insure its survival into the future (we have a problem with vanishing varieties of crops that we need to insure a healthy source of plant types into the future that GM could help with). This is where GM could be most beneficial an would do no harm to the plant itself or to the humans who consume it. The fear mongering about GM creating some kind of 'Monster Food' is just that, but using it just to make it less susceptible to chemicals, can't be the best and highest use of the technology either. There is a happy medium somewhere there that we need to discuss to get the best out of all options available to provided better quality food for the future.
ReplyDeletePS: If the GM salmon was developed without considering taste, texture, etc. why bother doing it, the product will fail in the marketplace anyway. Also, large, healthy, tasty, nutritious fruits & vegetables can be produced organically as well, so we don't need GM to do that. Systems using hydroponics and especially using aeroponics do exist that can produce high quality, high volumes, of fresh daily produce, that use NO chemicals or pesticides, but have a very high nutrient content, so there is no need for GM intervention. We just need to start using these systems to produce this high quality food in high volumes to lower prices and feed more people. The Vertical Farm is the ideal place for this. I have developed a system that has all these benefits but can produce up to 15,000+ lbs of fresh vegetables, DAILY per acre, all year (current greenhouses produce an average of 200 lbs/day/acre)..... This is what we need for the VF projects around North America to be viable financially and nutritionally. ADD all the advantages of the Vertical Farm, the use of very little water and the advantages listed above and we have a solution, not just to feed North America with better fresh food but to perhaps even Feed the World --- Literally!......
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