Whatchya eatin? Do you know? Or, do you just think you know? Let me tell you, from what I'm reading...you don't know. And it's somewhat frightening. According to an article in the New York Times, by Marian Burros, we really don't necessarily know what we're eating - thanks to the wonders of modern science. It's genetic engineering to the rescue, to make our food a "more abundant, less expensive and more nutritious food supply." This from a country that pays farmers NOT to grow food. But the way the men in white coats achieve this modern miracle, is by shooting the DNA of one thing into another. "Transgenic" is what they call the finished product, which can include genetic samplings from viruses to insects, injected into fruits and vegetables. Dr. Rebecca Goldburg, a scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund, was quoted in the Times article as saying, "They are producing foods that have never before been eaten by human beings." Mmmmm, makes you hungry, doesn't it? According to that article, soy beans lead the league in this genetic altering. And you'd be amazed how many soy-based products there are on the grocery store shelves. You may already be ingesting these strange strains. Some of the things are likely more healthy than they would be if they were made out of the real thing, such as Bac-os, those yummy little "bacon bits" for salads...which are actually soy-based. More obvious products, such as soy milk and soy based baby formula also contain the by-products of this wonder of technology. But soy is not the only experimental substance, as corn is being injected with the strange DNA strands as well, meaning that some corn-based products also contain the results of genetic engineering. And, proving that nothing is sacred, that list includes such modern American staples as Frito's. What is the harm, some might ask. After all, as my good friend in the desert suggested, you can make, say flounder tomatoes. Or any number of strange and wonderful combinations. Well, one of the concerns is allergies. I mean, if you know you are, say, allergic to fish, you wouldn't eat it. But what if the DNA of that fish, which carries some of the original product's characteristics along with it, was injected into tomatoes? Or asparagus? Or broccoli? You wouldn't really know what you were eating, and you may have a reaction. Depending on how bad the allergy, the reaction could be a violent one (and, no, I don't mean standing up with a meat axe and screaming "I hate broccoli!"...since some of us might already do that anyway). Not only would you not know, you may already be eating these products, wondering why you're a little queasy after eating something that never bothered you before. One of the other concerns, which actually has happened as a result of genetic engineering, is that the introduction of new genes into the pool may create stronger weeds, and, eventually, insects. They may become resistant to our various herbicides and pesticides, making them much harder, if not impossible to control. Just last year I wrote about a farming concern in Belgium that had treated a crop with genes that were highly resistant to a certain pesticide, so that they could flood the fields with the weed killer without harming the product they were attempting to grow. Well, from the "It's Not Nice To Fool With Mother Nature" File, the new genetic material made its way into the weeds, which also, much to the chagrin of the farmers, became super resistant to the herbicides. Now they are right back where they started, with the super weeds and super crops competing for the same space, and the workers are right back on their hands and knees, pulling those damn weeds! The real concern, as pointed out by Dr. Goldburg, is that we don't know how the human machine will react to the introduction of these new products, or what the long range outcome will be. There are currently no laws in this country requiring manufacturers to identify when a product on our grocery shelves is chock full of foreign DNA. Sure, it says "canned peas," but how can you be sure? There is currently a movement afoot to push for labeling of such products. Nebraska and Maine may be the first states to require it, although there has been no indication that the FDA might be interested in requiring this information. According to the article, soy beans, tomatoes, squash and corn are already being produced with injected DNA. Nuts, a variety of fruits and vegetables...even fish, are on the table. Fish. That just doesn't sound right, does it? Say it with me: FISH...Injected with what? One wonders. How about a lovely cream sauce? Yes, then all you would have to do is filet the bugger and heat it up, and your meal would be complete. Maybe even pre-stuffed with wild rice. Then again, why don't we just grow and eat food? Is that so hard a concept to understand? It has, after all, worked for thousands of years. And leave the DNA alone...