Kellogg’s CEO has said, “If you’re a cash-strapped household, you can save money by eating cereal for dinner!” But most major food companies’ cereal labels say, usually below the ingredients list somewhere, that it’s “bioengineered.” So, what the hecky heck is up with that!?
The last half century has moved us into the next phase of food production. We have moved away from natural, raised dirt-farm food, backyard gardens, and hybrids to the new era of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) foods and Bioengineered food. If you’re interested in what you’re consuming, here are some highlights…
Hybrid food
Many moons ago, farmers experimented with food to produce bigger, better crops. Hybrid crops are just intermixing of the existing genes in a species to achieve the right variety. Hybridization does not involve the addition of a foreign gene in the organism. For example, sweet oranges are not a native fruit. It originated in southeast Asia thousands of years ago. It is a hybrid combination of Pomelo and Mandarin. Then experimenting with food moved from the farmer to the chemist to now the geneticist. In the 70s, they started in earnest genetic experiments, and then in 1994, the “flavor saver tomato” was approved by the FDA.
Organically Grown
Food is grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or genetically modified components. Organic food may not be chemical-free, but considerably lower than those found in produce manufactured with synthetic chemicals. In NH, the Department of Agriculture ended the state-run organic certification program, impacting NH farmers on the cusp of this year’s growing season! One does wonder what is going on… Contact your state representative and ask them to get this program back!
VEGAN
Vegan is a diet of plants such as vegetables, grains, nuts, and fruits. Vegans do not eat food from animals including dairy products and eggs. So if you’re on a vegan diet and buy Remilk because it’s advertised as non-dairy, you could be drinking proteins from actual cows injected into the concoction… never mind all the little creatures and bugs gobbled up in the combines to harvest soy and other plant products, but I digress… The point is you may believe you’re eating a Vegan diet, but the foods that are bioengineered may use proteins derived from animals.
Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)
Genetically modified and genetically engineered foods or crops are often used interchangeably. Genetic modification can refer to several methods such as selection, hybridization, and induced mutation. It can also cover some aspects of traditional breeding if it causes alterations in the genetic composition of the organism. Therefore, only the lab staff knows what “it” is…
BIOENGINEERED
Good luck trying to figure out what “bioengineered” means in food. They won’t and don’t have to tell you. Everything from soup to candy now lists “bioengineered” as an ingredient.
The Standard defines bioengineered foods as those that contain detectable genetic material modified through in vitro recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) techniques! What?
The term “bioengineered” is more specific than GMOs and is, thus, preferred by scientists. GMOs are a little more challenging to define as several techniques can alter the genes of a crop. For instance, breeding for productivity, hardiness, shape, size, and flavor, though not done in vitro, can still change the genes of a food crop. Several techniques in modern agriculture can fall under the genetically modified label if you have a deep understanding of biotechnology and food science.
BIOENGINEERED AND GMO
Instead of using the more popular term “GMO,” food manufacturers now use “bioengineered” or “derived from bioengineering” as per the new federal standard. Former Agricultural Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the regulation in 2018.
We want to thank Julie P. for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.
Genetic engineering is only a type of genetic modification that entails a targeted change in the genome to achieve a specific characteristic using biotechnology. In essence, all “bioengineered” organisms are GMOs, but not the other way around. Some internet sources might use these two terms interchangeably, but there is a difference between these two concepts. GMOs are organisms—plants, animals, or microorganisms—that have their genetic material altered in a way that does not occur naturally, either by mating or natural recombination. Bioengineered products, on the other hand, use biotechnology to produce a desirable characteristic in organisms. For instance, golden rice has been bioengineered to produce healthy amounts of vitamin A—the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS) site for more.
It won’t be long before they try to rid the world of farming in the name of the “climate” because (they claim) livestock are causing too much CO2, methane, nitrogen, and other elements the globalists believe are causing a climate catastrophe. Dirt farmers are also poisoning the planet and water, they say.
Many folks have returned to backyard farming and gardens, but hold the phone! A new study claims that unless you are following their rules your rooftop or backyard farm must be carefully planned to avoid climate impact. That a backyard farm has more carbon footprint than traditional farming!? They can’t and won’t pick a lane.
The links at the bottom of this study go to their findings, which are a surefire cure for insomnia.
I’m not a geneticist or chemist, but I try to be aware of the foodstuff being sold to us. Some of the bioengineered foodstuffs may be great, but who really knows? How did we get from listing every chemical in food to the obscure word “bioengineered: is beyond me. What exactly is in the food that is bioengineered? Anybodies guess. This is criminal, in my opinion. We are beyond the age of worrying about added preservatives, flavors, chemicals, and fillers to a world devoid of consumer knowledge and information. Do your research and decide how far you trust these people to know if it is safe or better and if there are long-term effects.
Do you believe the globalist, WHO, and WEF people are lining up for Remilk and Impossible burgers? Frankly, I’m a bit snake bit about anything “lab” government-run…
Buy local, save a farm…
Other “No Farms, No Food” Granitegrok articles
Local farm resources to get you started
NH farm bureau https://www.nhfarmbureau.org/
NH farmers markets
https://www.visitnh.gov/things-to-do/food-drink/farmers-markets
https://extension.unh.edu/resource/nh-farm-network
