Monday, October 03, 2005
When is a tomato not a tomato?
The Minnesota Biotech Association MNBIO was founded in 1991 as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association to serve as the eyes, ears and voice of biotechnology in Minnesota. (see http://www.medicalalley.org/). Jeffrey Smith in Seeds of Deception (2003, p. 199) tells about Bill Lashmett who saw a demonstration of GMO tomatoes at a convention of MNBIO. Six tomatoes were shown, all about the same size and color. One was picked seven days before, another 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 120 days and the final 150 days before. The tomatoes had new genes in their DNA to keep them looking fresh.
Lashmett, a man in his 60s, stood up and asked: "As a biochemist, I have a problem. If this doesn't rot or decay in 150 days, then what have you done with the nutrient value?" He didn't receive an answer, but two young men walked up to him and escorted him out of the conference session. One of the young men said, "We're not interested in nutrient value. What we're interested in is if it's picked now, will a housewife buy it in 180 days?" Lashmett was astounded.
Lashmett has become an opponent of GMOs and a proponent of natural foods for animals and humans. He describes how he watched cattle choose between Bt (genetically modified) corn and natural shelled corn. "The cows sniffed it [the Bt corn], withdrew, and walked over to the next trough, which contained fifty pounds of natural shelled corn. The cows finished it off. The next group of cows did the same thing." The same experiment was conducted on other farms in Northwest Iowa in 1998 and again in 1999. Identical trials with hogs showed the same results, also for two years in a row. Lashmett says that "animals have a natural sense to eat what is good for them and avoid what isn't." (see complete story in naturalsolutionsradio.com)
Lashmett, a man in his 60s, stood up and asked: "As a biochemist, I have a problem. If this doesn't rot or decay in 150 days, then what have you done with the nutrient value?" He didn't receive an answer, but two young men walked up to him and escorted him out of the conference session. One of the young men said, "We're not interested in nutrient value. What we're interested in is if it's picked now, will a housewife buy it in 180 days?" Lashmett was astounded.
Lashmett has become an opponent of GMOs and a proponent of natural foods for animals and humans. He describes how he watched cattle choose between Bt (genetically modified) corn and natural shelled corn. "The cows sniffed it [the Bt corn], withdrew, and walked over to the next trough, which contained fifty pounds of natural shelled corn. The cows finished it off. The next group of cows did the same thing." The same experiment was conducted on other farms in Northwest Iowa in 1998 and again in 1999. Identical trials with hogs showed the same results, also for two years in a row. Lashmett says that "animals have a natural sense to eat what is good for them and avoid what isn't." (see complete story in naturalsolutionsradio.com)
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