GMOs

Scientist ‘Makes History’ by Eating 1st-Ever CRISPR Gene-Edited Meal

A lot of people are willing to spend a few extra bucks to buy organic produce and antibiotic-free meat these days, while others aren’t too worried about eating foods made with genetically modified ingredients or sprayed with pesticides. Well, it seems that scientists recently made history when they served up – and ate – the first full-meal consisting of genetically engineered food using CRISPR technology.

Genetically Modified Mustard Steps Closer to Approval in India

A panel of scientists with India’s Ministry of Environment said in a risk assessment of genetically modified mustard that the crop does not “pose any risk of causing any adverse effects on human and animal health and safety.” [1]
Mustard oil accounts for more than 10% of India’s cooking requirement of approximately 21 million metric tons.
The scientists have spoken, but not everyone is convinced that the information is accurate.

Even Legal Levels of Glyphosate Herbicide may Harm Freshwater Ecosystems

Glyphosate, a controversial ingredient found in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, is showing up in streams, rivers, and other aquatic systems around the world due to runoff. Unfortunately, this may be damaging a type of green macroalgae that is common in streams, a new Brazilian study published in the journal Phycologia shows. [1]

Millions Spent, No One Served: Who Is to Blame for the Failure of GMO Golden Rice?

By Angelika Hilbeck and Hans Herren | Independent Science News | August 10, 2016 The recent Nobel laureates’ letter accusing Greenpeace of a “crime against humanity” for opposing genetically modified (GMO) golden rice reveals a deep division not only between civil societies and some science circles but also within the science community – a division […]

Could Cockroach Milk be the Next Superfood?

When you think of superfoods, you probably think of pomegranates, pickles, kombucha, turmeric … most of that good stuff. But that if someone suggested to you that milk from a big, disgusting insect most people try to kill was the source of the next big superfood?
If you’ve spent your life stomping on cockroaches (or running from them screaming, like I do), this story might not appeal to you, but here goes nothing.

Unauthorized GMO Wheat Found in Washington State

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials said last week that an unapproved variety of wheat was found growing in a Washington state field, though there are no signs that it made its way into commercial grain shipments.
The Monsanto-produced wheat is a RoundUp-resistant variety that was never commercially released. USDA officials said it was discovered in a farmer’s planted field. Department officials are in the process of testing the farmer’s wheat harvest for the GMO variety, but so far none has been found.