Regarding genetically manipulated (Bt) sweet corn: every cell of the corn plant contains a gene that causes the cell to produce a toxin that kills certain insect larvae. The gene is from a bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). This bacterium is related to other bacteria that cause food poisoning in humans. Although humans are said not to have the receptor that would make them sick from ingesting Bt toxin, I personally do not want to be a guinea pig in a giant experiment to confirm this.

I do not want Bt sweet corn to be marketed, but if it is, it should be labeled so that consumers have the choice of whether or not to eat sweet corn that has been genetically engineered to produce its own insecticide.--Tom

In a message dated 3/28/2012 3:22:35 P.M. Central Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-pink-slime-safety-20120328,0,946287.story

Social media turn up heat on food industry

(EDITED)

This week Beef Products Inc. announced the temporary shutdown of three of its four plants that produce a chemically treated recovered beef dubbed pink slime. Public outcry from consumers, parents and school district officials, triggered by YouTube videos and online petitions, drove industry and government to respond.

The website Change.org hosted a petition by mom urging the USDA to stop buying the beef for school lunches.

In 10 days she made the USDA, the meat industry and major retailers all back away from it.

Other food campaigns galvanized Wal-Mart to refuse genetically modified sweet corn.

Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield Organic, is one of the organizers of Just Label It, a campaign that's urging the FDA to label genetically modified foods. "I can tell you the White House is watching," he said of the Just Label It petition that has gathered more than 1 million supporters. "I've had meetings with folks there including the president and the first lady, and when I sit down, it's clear they have been tracking when the numbers got to 400, 500 and 600,000. I've never seen any period like this before."

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