For some time now it has become fashionable to fight genetically modified foods. But this hardly stopped their development.
1. "Frankenfish". Instead of regular salmon
At the moment, "frankenryba" is being investigated by the US Food and Drug Administration. The brainchild of AquaBounty threatens to develop a market for transgenic fish “identical to the common Atlantic salmon”.
It sounds like a win-win business model, but ecologists say that if GMO salmon somehow gets into normal environmental conditions, it will begin to reduce the Atlantic salmon population even more. In addition, the long-term prospects for the impact on human health are not yet known for certain.
2. Purple tomatoes. A focus on antioxidants
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Immediately reminiscent of the "Simpsons" episode with tomatoes crossed with tobacco, isn't it? But in reality, everything is more prosaic.
In regular tomatoes, the dark color is given to tomatoes by the pigment anthocyanin, a well-known antioxidant also found in blueberries and cranberries, which helps the body fight cancer and other diseases.
“In these tomatoes, you can get the same chemicals found in blueberries or cranberries,” says Professor Katy Martin, one of the curators of the artificial tomato project.
New research, however, is showing that high levels of antioxidants can be harmful to people with certain types of cancer. GMO critics also find something to say: “Nature has already come up with all the foods we really need,” says Michelle Simon, founder of EatDrinkPolitics.com, activist.
3. Super pigs. Genetic changes in pig manure
Typical pig feed in the United States, Canada, and many other countries consists of corn and other grains that even humans know are not very good to digest. Phosphorus in these crops is a separate issue, and the resulting pig manure can be toxic to waterways and the environment around farmlands.
"The problem is not the pigs," says Katie Holtslander of Beyond Factory Farming. "The problem is industrialization and mass rearing of pigs, which only feeds them for mass." The phytase nutritional supplement is designed to help the pig digest and absorb phosphorus without harm. And, of course, all this does not apply to wild pigs, which are not fed with grain.
4. Apple 2.0. More beautiful
So far, this development looks the least necessary and is also awaiting approval from the Santiran Oversight Office. Okanagan Specialty Fruits has introduced a genetic supplement that keeps apples from darkening no matter how long ago they were cut.
The US Apple Association does not yet know how to relate to this. “These apples may not pose a threat to health, but the question is how the buyer will perceive this innovation. How will his attitude towards apples change in general? Is it really necessary? - comments Wendy Brannen.
5. Cabbage scorpion. Instead of pesticides
Scholars from Beijing, China have taken it a step further, deciding to follow the best traditions of Asian sophistication.
They have developed a strain of cabbage that contains its own poison that poisons harmful caterpillars without the help of pesticides or external chemicals. Caterpillars attacking cabbage die, and in relation to humans, the toxin, according to scientists, is harmless.
6. Killer corn. Able to defend herself
While most of the genetically modified corn has been used in animal feed, ethanol, and processed foods, this particular species has been on US shelves since 2012. It is derived from the genes of three beta toxins that make corn an insecticide by itself.
What does it mean? For example, if the ears of corn are attacked by some nasty thing like insects or parasites, the corn itself can defend itself. Moreover, it contains the so-called. the Roundup Ready gene, which makes corn resistant to herbicides and agricultural chemicals.
7. Finally, breast milk. Now from ordinary cows
Animals learn human skills
Of course, we are used to thinking that feeding offspring, at least in the first stages of life, is something that a person copes with better than an animal. In China, however, much is being done to ensure that dairy cows can compete with their mothers in feeding the human calf.
Chinese scientists introduced human genes into cow embryos back in 2011, creating cows whose milk "is identical to the human species and has the same immunostimulatory and antibacterial qualities as breast milk."
The product is still being tested, but animal advocates, as you can imagine, do not share the scientists' enthusiasm. During two experiments, 10 of the 42 calves tested died shortly after birth. A spokesman for the UK's Royal Society for the Protection of Animals said the organization was "extremely concerned" about how the cows were produced.
The Chinese, on the other hand, cite the high protein and substances in human breast milk. As for the question of the safety of such milk for health, the point will not be put here, it seems, for a long time. Genetically modified milk is just ahead of extensive clinical trials.