Frankenfoods!

[Dakota]

Would any genetically engineered food be considered a 'Frankenfood?' So, basically everything from the store? I guess I'm not exactly sure what Frankenfoods are...

FrankenFoods.com Main Page


^ Could somebody help the dummy out?

[vraiblonde]

There is no such thing as "Frankenfood". That's something the Granolas made up so you'd spend a fortune on organic chicken and vegetables, and because they like something to bawl about.

Genetic engineering has produced the hardy veggies we enjoy today, and assorted hybrids that are more nutritious than their originals. Because of genetic engineering, vegetables are more available outside their local area. Genetic engineering also produces plants that are more disease, weed and pest resistant, which means they are less expensive and lower-income folks have better access to fresh foods.

So don't buy into the hype. GM foods are just the boogeyman du jour among the hysteria set.

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

Originally Posted by vraiblonde

There is no such thing as "Frankenfood".

Prob'ly not, but I remember one year a while back; my Dad had a garden.
He grew strawberries the size of tomatoes and succhini (sp?) the size of a newborn baby. No joke.

[Dakota]

Thanks V...

I don't even know why I give a crap about this but I see the term tossed around a health and fitness forum I tend to read and also in the comment section of articles. After reading a little bit on it, it just seemed to me that everything sold in a store qualifies (by their definition) as a 'Frankenfood.’

[vraiblonde]

Originally Posted by Dakota

After reading a little bit on it, it just seemed to me that everything sold in a store qualifies (by their definition) as a 'Frankenfood.’

Most of the veggies you get at the Farmer's Market qualify as Frankenfoods as well. You can grow your own non-hybrid or GM veggies, but have fun finding the seeds. And have fun trying to keep them pest and fungus free. Not to mention you'll be disappointed when you don't get those nice plump gorgeous red tomatoes you're hoping for.

[Crewdawg141]

Originally Posted by vraiblonde

Most of the veggies you get at the Farmer's Market qualify as Frankenfoods as well. You can grow your own non-hybrid or GM veggies, but have fun finding the seeds. And have fun trying to keep them pest and fungus free. Not to mention you'll be disappointed when you don't get those nice plump gorgeous red tomatoes you're hoping for.

Heirloom varieties have so much more flavor IMHO than store bought. As for finding seeds go to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds - 1400 heirloom garden seeds! I know that there are a few other companies that sell non-gmo seeds or heirloom varieties but I have never dealt with them. I have purchased from the company whose link is above and do not have any complaints about their service at all. Also if you do not mind going to the SMRFM in Cheltenham, I know that there are some sellers of both heirloom tomato plants and fruits later in the season. Personally I buy my tomato plants from there as opposed to buying seeds and starting them at home (save time and effort while supporting a local grower).

I have not had any issues with the plants and any abnormal pests or issues, and there are natural ways of treating most pests to stay organic. As for the colors, if you can accept the fact that we (the collective buying public) have been trained that a tomato is red, a pumpkin is orange, etc and can have an open enough mind that nature has created so many more varieties and colors of things than just what you find in the local grocery store then I think that you will enjoy growing different varieties and tasting your bounty come harvest time.

[Dakota]

Crew,

You could, perhaps, grew a few items and be organic, to some degree, but realistically, nobody excludes *ALL* (by definition) Frankenfoods from their diet.

Pretty much everything we buy at the store is in some way chemically engineered. I saw a posting on a health/fitness board where a member recommended a few of the WW's meals and somebody quoted the post saying they don't eat "Frankenfoods." I actually thought it was some made up name to describe their disdain for WW meals but after seeing it mentioned time and time again, I googled it. My original opinion that it pretty much contains everything still remains the same.

[jazz lady (Premo)]

There is a big difference between selective breeding to get the traits you want in a food from something that is already present IN the food and genetic engineering which artificially adds some trait not normally found in a food source. THAT is what is called "Frankenfood."

Man has been breeding desired traits into foods/animals for a long time - hence all the hybridized seeds/plants and animal breeds we have now. They are not natural in the sense is you cannot breed them to reproduce the same traits in their offspring without artificial means but the traits are naturally occurring in that source.

Does the corn we have now look anything like the corn the Indians grew? Not by a long short. But by selectively breeding the desired traits (disease resistance, more corn kernels, etc.) we now have a plant that is far superior.

Genetic engineering may accomplish the same sort of thing a lot more quickly but the potential for introducing undesirable traits (allergens, toxins, etc.) is exponentially greater because these things are not naturally occurring and thus there is no way to predict the side effects without extensive testing.

A long read but a pretty good write-up, although it can get pretty techical at times, about this subject:

Genetically modified food - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Crewdawg141]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Crew,

You could, perhaps, grew a few items and be organic, to some degree, but realistically, nobody excludes *ALL* (by definition) Frankenfoods from their diet.

Pretty much everything we buy at the store is in some way chemically engineered. I saw a posting on a health/fitness board where a member recommended a few of the WW's meals and somebody quoted the post saying they don't eat "Frankenfoods." I actually thought it was some made up name to describe their disdain for WW meals but after seeing it mentioned time and time again, I googled it. My original opinion that it pretty much contains everything still remains the same.

Yes, I agree that we (consumers) cannot escape GMOs. The only way that you could do that is if you had the financial resources and time to grow everything on your own. I can pray that I hit the Powerball, but until then I will eat GMOs like the rest of the consumers. Vrai's comment was what actually pulled me into the thread - the alleged challenges of finding and growing non-GMO seeds. Matter of factly I just ordered my seeds today to try some different plant this year.

[Dakota]

Thanks Jazz - I started to read that the other night and got sleepy.

Crew,

Let me know how your plants turn out. Last year, I bought some squash, melons, etc. from the Amish and although I got some veggies, they were very small.