the difference between Organic and Genetically Engineered sugar beets

[donsu]

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/oca/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=12700


Stop Genetically Engineered Sugar Beets


GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SUGAR TO HIT STORES IN 2008 (scroll to the bottom of this page to take action) Background Information: American Crystal, a large Wyoming-based sugar company, who ironically have launched an "organic" line of their sugar,and several other leading U.S. sugar providers have announced they will be sourcing their sugar from genetically engineered (GE) sugar beets beginning this year and arriving in stores in 2008. Like GE corn and GE soy, products containing GE sugar will not be labeled as such.

Since half of the granulated sugar in the U.S. comes from sugar beets, a move towards biotech beets marks a dramatic alteration of the U.S. food supply. These sugars, along with GE corn and soy, are found in many conventional food products, so consumers will be exposed to genetically engineered ingredients in just about every non-organic multiple-ingredient product they purchase.

The GE sugar beet is designed to withstand strong doses of Monsanto's controversial broad spectrum Roundup herbicide. Studies indicate farmers planting "Roundup Ready" corn and soy spray large amounts of the herbicide, contaminating both soil and water. Farmers planting GE sugar beets are told they may be able to apply the herbicide up to five times per year. Sugar beets are grown on 1.4 million acres by 12,000 farmers in the U.S. from Oregon to Minnesota.

Meanwhile candy companies like Hershey's are urging farmers not to plant GE sugar beets, noting that consumer surveys suggest resistance to the product. In addition the European Union has not approved GE sugar beets for human consumption.
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just another way to mess up the body's system and cause doctors and pharma barons to rake in more money.

this tampered with beet sugar will be in everything and it WILL NOT BE ON THE LABLE

organic raised genetically engineered sugar beets is NOT organic raised sugar beets.

[GardeningGal]

1. It's very disturbing

that they don't have to label it in the ingredients as genetically modified. I guess the only solution will be to not use any sugar.

[donsu]

use cane sugar - that is all I use

nt

[gollygee]

10. Me too

There's enough garbage in the world.

[Kelly Rupert]

2. Let's do a bit of comparison.

Natural, pure sucrose:


Biotech frankensugar:

[Warpy]

6. Exactly, the opposition shouldn't be to the sucrose

because sucrose is sucrose. It should be to the environmental catastrophe caused by overuse of herbicides.

[Kelly Rupert]

8. Right on the money. n/t

[donsu]

7. pure sucrose made from what source

so you think "modified" is an empty word, added for what reason?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. It comes from sunshine.

Via a process leading genetic scientists call "photosynthesis."

"so you think "modified" is an empty word, added for what reason?"

It's added, because the sugar beets are modified to provide glyphosate resistance.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. So what's the difference?

[Kelly Rupert]

4. There isn't any. n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. Yeah, I know.

I'm seeing if the OP bothered to read the article.

[tabatha]

11. sucrose still sucrose?

WHAT DO YOU CALL A SUGAR BEET CROSSED WITH A FISH?

In the wild and wacky world of genetic engineering you call it "new and improved"!!

As if we don't have enough trouble with our food supply from "orthodox" sources, the attempt by mankind to interfere with the fundamental blueprint designed by nature, is both dangerous and frightening. The lack of long term testing, (and in some cases short term testing) the fact that these foods do not need to be labeled, and the fact that they could be downright dangerous, is not getting the attention it deserves.

....

The problem is that when they put a single new gene into an organism, it isn't a perfectly controlled process. Quite often, unexpected effects occur. These effects can cause food that is produced to be allergenic or toxic or reduce it's nutritional value. It isn't like surgery, per se, it is a very sloppy, random process.

....

Here are some facts about the L-Tryptophan fiasco that you may not be aware of. Tryptophan was produced by Showa Denko (a Japanese chemical company) for many years as a nutritional supplement for the health food industry. They basically used a fermentation process to produce natural bacteria for their product. Then they decided that by genetically engineering the bacteria they could produce tryptophan more effectively. The FDA allowed them to put the genetically engineered product on the market without further testing. They argued that the tryptophan was still tryptophan, just produced by another method. They felt it was "the same thing". They put it on the market and within a few months 1,500 people had been permanently disabled by it. Seven were killed. The genetic manipulation that caused the bacteria to produce more tryptophan also caused them to produce a powerful toxin which was present in the final tryptophan product. The toxin alters the functioning of the immune system causing a wide variety of problems.


http://www.naturalrearing.com/articles/MarinaZacharias/GeneticEngineering.html

[pansypoo53219]

12. just more

better living thru chemistry!

[kestrel91316]

13. GMOs cannot be labeled organic in the US. Period. They are

shooting themsleves in the foot.

[Solon]

14. One is patented and the other isn't.

In addition to encouraging contamination of groundwater and soil using a toxic substance.