Question on GMO feed

[mpruett]

Organics Unlimited produces certified organic chicken and livestock feeds. They also introduced a line of soy-free chicken feed.

GMO is a catchall phrase. It basically means any living being that has DNA that is different from its parent(s). This can happen in nature, by selective breeding or in a lab.

GE-Genetically Engineered plants are created in a lab. The process of gene sharing or "mating" is removed. DNA is introduced from a completely unrelated organism. The result is one that could not occur in nature. For example-a fish cannot (without human assistance) pass its genes to a tomato. By definition, GE crops, plants etc. are GMOs but not all GMOs are GEs.

I am greatly concerned about the GE process and the foods and plants it creates. Because of this concern, I raise as much of my own food as possible. I do not believe that just because something can or can't be proved by our current understanding, that it makes processes safe for us. I will err on the side of caution. Does anyone remember when cigarette smoking could not be "proven" to cause lung cancer? Now, cigarette packs and cases all must be labeled with various warnings-including one that specifically says" Caution-cigarette smoking causes lung cancer..."

 

[Cindy in PA]

Organics Unlimited produces certified organic chicken and livestock feeds. They also introduced a line of soy-free chicken feed.

GMO is a catchall phrase. It basically means any living being that has DNA that is different from its parent(s). This can happen in nature, by selective breeding or in a lab.

GE-Genetically Engineered plants are created in a lab. The process of gene sharing or "mating" is removed. DNA is introduced from a completely unrelated organism. The result is one that could not occur in nature. For example-a fish cannot (without human assistance) pass its genes to a tomato. By definition, GE crops, plants etc. are GMOs but not all GMOs are GEs.

I am greatly concerned about the GE process and the foods and plants it creates. Because of this concern, I raise as much of my own food as possible. I do not believe that just because something can or can't be proved by our current understanding, that it makes processes safe for us. I will err on the side of caution. Does anyone remember when cigarette smoking could not be "proven" to cause lung cancer? Now, cigarette packs and cases all must be labeled with various warnings-including one that specifically says" Caution-cigarette smoking causes lung cancer..."

I just picked up my first bags of Organic Unlimited soy free pellets & the girls love them. I had used a locally produced transitional organic mash & also Natures Best Organic. The local stuff seemed to be going downhill, Nature's Best has soy & I tried Agway's Hearty Hen, but the GMO stuff always draws me back to organic. I have to travel 25 miles for the feed, but if it works out I will continue to do so. Do you use Organic Unlimited?

 

[Summerlove]

Organics Unlimited produces certified organic chicken and livestock feeds. They also introduced a line of soy-free chicken feed.

GMO is a catchall phrase. It basically means any living being that has DNA that is different from its parent(s). This can happen in nature, by selective breeding or in a lab.

GE-Genetically Engineered plants are created in a lab. The process of gene sharing or "mating" is removed. DNA is introduced from a completely unrelated organism. The result is one that could not occur in nature. For example-a fish cannot (without human assistance) pass its genes to a tomato. By definition, GE crops, plants etc. are GMOs but not all GMOs are GEs.

I am greatly concerned about the GE process and the foods and plants it creates. Because of this concern, I raise as much of my own food as possible. I do not believe that just because something can or can't be proved by our current understanding, that it makes processes safe for us. I will err on the side of caution. Does anyone remember when cigarette smoking could not be "proven" to cause lung cancer? Now, cigarette packs and cases all must be labeled with various warnings-including one that specifically says" Caution-cigarette smoking causes lung cancer..."

GMO is GE
Genetically Modified Organism

Hybrid's occur in nature...

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/queen-of-green/faqs/food/understanding-gmo/

I do agree with you though. Just because it hasn't been "proven" to be bad for you doesn't mean its good for you.

I don't care if you think GMO's are good or bad. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. I simply want to see it labelled. If you want to eat it you can. If you don't want to you don't have to.

 

[mpruett]

Yes. I have to make a 42 mile round trip but I feel it is worth it for me. I have used the feed for 3 years and my hens seem to love it. Earlier this year, I switched to their non-soy chicken feed and my hens eat it just as readily.

 

[mpruett]

GMO is GE
Genetically Modified Organism

Hybrid's occur in nature...

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/queen-of-green/faqs/food/understanding-gmo/

I do agree with you though. Just because it hasn't been "proven" to be bad for you doesn't mean its good for you.

I don't care if you think GMO's are good or bad. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. I simply want to see it labelled. If you want to eat it you can. If you don't want to you don't have to.

Yes. I agree. Hybrids occur in nature and I want to see GMO and GE modified food labeled.

 

[Tarac]

You see how this discussion is quickly getting out of hand.  I mean you can say x doesn't prove y doesn't prove z all day long.  But looking at the whole picture and not just one part of it:
1. The Western countries with the most vaccines [US] have the most infant deaths.  The country with the least [Japan, Sweden] have the least. [And Sweden has a BIG third world population ].
2. Most vaccine preventable deadly diseases were almost already eliminated before the vaccine for them was administered.  Simply by washing hands and not dumping chamber pots into the street.
3. Assuming 85% percent of the population does get vaccinated, your child need not get vaccinated due to herd immunity.

I don't think it's out of hand, it's very good that in this country we can have open and honest discourse whether or not we agree.

My point is that we should not go around attacking something we don't understand simply because we don't understand it.

All of your remaining points fall into the same logical pitfall. You can dismiss it if you want, I was simply demonstrating why you will not be able to produce a sound argument using a canonical logical fallacy. Correlation does not imply causation no matter how many ways you write it.

My personal choice is simply to be judicious about which GMOs I choose to be involved with. I know that there are both bad and good and as a molecular biologist I do understand the process and the gray areas- believe it or not it is lumped into the ethical considerations we are sworn by.

Just know that you draw conclusions from assumptions, that this is a classical mistake in thought process and that without sound reasoning it won't matter if you are actually right or wrong because the logic isn't sound so it is easy to dismiss. The goal was to demonstrate why that happened so that you know where all those associations you are trying to make fall short and why that is not going to win over those of us who rely on organized, sound reasoning to make decisions. No harm intended, just explaining as a stats teacher would.

 

[ellandeeranch]

Quote:

So true. In my mind it's because the sciences have become so technical that it is difficult to convey what is actually going on to the public so there is a big information gap that just keeps growing. It's frustrating.

I go back to Einstein on this one, and it's been my mantra for 3 decades teaching high school chemistry/biology/physics:

"There is nothing so complex that it cannot be explained simply. Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

The problem I have seen in the last ten years or so is that many people will not even listen to the simple explanation if it lasts longer than what they can see on Fox, CNN, Headline News, MSNBC, ABC...the list goes on.

It does take a few minutes to explain GMO principles, anabolic/catabolic proces....oops...how we digest food and rebuild ourselves.

I'll admit that I have only made a perfunctory....oops...quick look at the peer-refereed research journa....oops...stuff scientists have studied and double-checked.

It doesn't look like GMO food studies have shown immediate, overwhelming danger so far. The devil's in the details, of course, and it sure seems like a lot of universities I would trust are still studying data and reporting what they find.

I can respect both views on GMO's, but then again I'm a moderate in most areas of my life.

If you want to stay away from GMO's until a more complete story emerges, I can sure understand your concerns.

If you want to live a GMO-only lifestyle because you want to make a smaller carbon footprint, I can sure understand your concerns.

I am not worried in either direction. I give my chickens feed from the feed store, but I give them tons of greens and sprouts I grow myself. I process them myself, and I enjoy the food. I'll still eat a Frankenchicken Cornish X at a nice restaurant. We moderates have the luxury of speaking fluently from both sides of our mouths.

Maybe I'm not so much an Einsteinian as I am Shakespearist in the GMO world. Is it "much ado about nothing?"

But, if you're against GMO's because huge mega-corporations are McDonaldizing the planet, that's another story, and please let me know when you're having the next march. I'm in. I'm tired to flying/driving/cruising to a new city, and seeing a Starbucks/WalMart/Panera within 1/4 mile of arrival.

Sorry, but I just can't get worked up over this debate, but I like to watch both sides bring up their points.

Richard in Neenach, California

 

[Tarac]

I agree completely. I don't see a need other than cost-control for much of the engineering the "antis" take issue with and don't feel the need to eat a giant red and flavorless tomato. I stick with my tasty local produce as much as possible. But I also know how said engineering really works and as long as the gene being inserted isn't inherently dangerous I'm not going to be alarmed and certainly not try to use this as a reason to disqualify very useful, beneficial examples from my life. Maybe if our education system was stronger than our need for quick fix media the problem would be solved. As so many things are in life, this is not a black or white issue and if people would bother to be more discerning about their sources and informed about what they criticize it might not be treated as such. I have absolutely no issue with labeling food as to it's background.

Well said Richard.

 

[cstronks]

You do realize BT is a NATURALLY occurring bacteria?
Do you also realize this study used flawed methods, and has been discredited?

Have you noticed how EASY it is to show these studies are just desperate attempts to demonize GMO crops?
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumerinformation/gmfoods/fsanzresponsetostudy5185.cfm

I would love to see your degree in science lol. So why inject BT into animals at levels that are unnatural? By the way, capitalizing things does not make you right, it just looks foolish.

 

[Michael Apple]

Quote:

If you want to stay away from GMO's until a more complete story emerges, I can sure understand your concerns.

If you want to live a GMO-only lifestyle because you want to make a smaller carbon footprint, I can sure understand your concerns.


Richard in Neenach, California

If you teach High School then you should at least know that humans are a carbon based species. We emit carbon and we consume carbon. Without enough carbon we would die. So "making a smaller carbon footprint" would require mass genocide or suicide of all living things. You might want to let those kids in the classroom know that instead of parroting popularized nonsense.