| Issue date: March 19, 2000
Also this week:
 Vote
in our new National Debate
: Should the Boy Scouts remove gay troop leaders?
Guestbook commentary on genetic engineering
Debate results: America's
newest food fight
By Phil Lempert
 mericans,
now adept at reading everything from fat content to calcium levels
on food labels, are demanding one more piece of information: whether
the food has been "genetically modified.''
| FINAL RESULTS |
| Should it be legal to sell genetically modified fruits and vegetables without special labels? |
| YES |
NO |
| 21% |
79% |
| Watch for controversy over genetically modified foods to grow
now that big companies such as Frito-Lay and Gerber have banned
them. |
USA WEEKEND's latest National Debate vote, in which 79% say they
want such labels, comes at a time when pressure is mounting on the
issue of what consumers should be told about foods, from corn to
cornflakes. "It is not a question if it can be done,'' says Philip
J. Regal, of the University of Minnesota's College of Biological
Sciences. "The question is whether we want to."
Food is genetically modified by injecting the seed of a crop with
a gene from another organism to make the crop more desirable (more
resistant to disease, weeds or water, for example). In 1999, genetically
engineered crops -- including 35% of corn and 55% of soybeans --
were grown on an estimated 25% of U.S. cropland.
Natural-food advocates and environmentalists say not enough testing
has been done to determine if genetically modified foods are a health
threat. Plus, they fear cross-pollinating different organisms could
damage the environment.
Outcry over genetically modifying foods is escalating amid several
recent developments. Last month, Frito-Lay announced it would stop
using genetically altered corn in all of its products. Gerber and
Heinz took similar actions last summer for baby foods.
In January, representatives of more than 130 countries ratified
a U.N.-sponsored Biosafety Protocol to share information about genetically
modified organisms and require exporters to get approval from the
importing nation.
This spring, genetic engineering tops the list of issues shareholders
are demanding to have addressed at corporate meetings.
For now, to avoid foods with genetically modified ingredients,
buy certified-organic products or products made by companies that
have publicly declared their non-use.
Contributing Editor Phil Lempert is a correspondent for the "Today"
show and "Discovery Health Network."
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