What is a Frankenfood?



Remember the book Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, about a budding young scientist named Frankenstein? Dr. Frankenstein wished to create the perfect, most exquisite human being that ever existed. Instead, young Frankenstein created a ghastly, awful, abhorrent monster. Dr. Frankenstein never imagined that his attempts at improving the human being would result in a literal catastrophe of science and philosophy. Frankenstein mixed his chemicals with various cadaver body parts exactly as he should, certain that he had anticipated every conceivable mishap, but nonetheless he created something completely unlike his desired effect: he produced an abomination — much like the results of the efforts of GMO manufacturers and geneticists.

Frankenfood is a term I chose to describe GMOs to emphasize the Frankenstein-like effects that I believe GMOs are inflicting on our health, society and the planet. GMO scientists imagine, like Dr. Frankenstein, that they can outthink nature’s intelligence and improve on nature’s evolutionary efforts by creating better foods through unnatural, artificial genetic processes. GMOs are not what they are proposed to be by genetic seed producers like Monsanto that position themselves as sustainable agriculture companies. Many scientific studies to date show unforeseen health problems in humans, other mammals and plants, and to the environment: toxic, allergic, immunologic, cardiac, intestinal, renal, hepatic and other negative health effects that result directly from the consumption of GMOs. However, science should not be the only criteria used to make sound decisions affecting one’s health or environment. Public consensus should always be a part of decision-making that affects the lives of either the one or the many.

Dr. Frankenstein had a misguided but noble purpose when he conceived of creating a more perfect human being. The GMO industry may or may not have some noble purpose behind their efforts to control the source of all food on this planet: seeds. It seems, however, based on readily available studies and industry papers about the GMO controversy, the GMO experiment is currently a disastrous failure. Like Frankenstein’s monster was to Dr. Frankenstein, GMOs may well be the death of us.

 Genetically modified foods include corn and soy products, cottonseed, canola oil, papaya, alfalfa, sugar beets, aspartame and milk. This list is destined to grow unless properly regulated. GMOs are foods produced from seeds that have been artificially modified by geneticists in a laboratory. A gene gun is used to blast desired genes, which carry the potential for certain genetic traits, into the genes of seeds such as corn or soy. The goal of GMO geneticists is to manipulate “normal” or non-GMO food seeds to produce superior foods. Admittedly a tempting concept, but as nature and science would have it, there is a deceitful side to the creation of these “superior” foods — these Frankenfoods.

GMO scientists claim genetic modification will increase food crop yields and thus reduce world hunger and food costs, and improve the nutritional quality of our current food supply. They make other questionable and unsubstantiated claims as well. Sadly, current research, albeit limited and inconclusive for the most part, still suggests that GMOs have inferior nutritional quality, GMO crops yields are not greater and world hunger will not be reduced by GMO technology. We currently produce an average of 4.5 pounds of food per person per day on the planet; the real problem is getting the food to the mouths of people in need.

Frankenfoods represent what can happen, and what is already happening, when mankind attempts to reinvent the “blade of grass.” Nature, in all of its brilliance, offers wondrous beauties that we often take for granted — from the skies, oceans, rivers and lakes to the animals and plants, including the grains, fruits and vegetables that help sustain us. Contrary to GMO geneticists’ claims, GMOs are not naturally produced and never can be as pro-GMO geneticists would have us believe.  Shooting strawberry genes into salmon or tomatoes with gene guns is not a natural genetic change!

Adaptation is a term used by biologists to describe the process whereby living organisms, like you and me and our ancestors, cope with changes in our external environments and internal physiologies. For example, if our human ancestors lived in a cold environment, those early hominids having genetically superior cold weather tolerance would live, procreate and pass on that trait, while those lacking that trait would die off and not pass on their inferior genetic traits. Anthropologists, scientists who study evolution, believe that human beings, as well as other animals and plants, have evolved in this similar manner of continuous adaptation to their environments since the first documented genetic human, Homo habilis, evolved around 2.3 million years ago.  The fundamental process of genetic evolution has been “reinvented” by modern-day geneticists, and in terms of Frankenfoods, I predict will be disastrous.

Domestication of plants has been occurring for over 10,000 years, and has resulted in a certain homeostasis and natural perfection. Nature has designed the evolutionary process to allow for natural development of organisms that match, and keep pace, with spontaneous and gradual genetic alterations in their genes as well as environmental influences. It is simply impossible for the type of gene manipulation induced by geneticists in a laboratory to match nature’s perfection. I am not claiming that there is no benefit in society for genetic manipulation of foods; what I am saying is that Frankenfoods should be considered unsafe until proven otherwise and that genetic manipulation needs more time to develop to a real science.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to improve upon nature. Scientific advancement, in particular genetic modification of foods, may have a place in our lives given the right context, and once rigorous human safety and environmental impact studies have been conducted. At this point in time, however, it simply cannot be claimed that GMOs, as a whole, are safe for our bodies or our planet. Scientific evolution and progress always involves setbacks and controversies. What is occurring in the political, economic, agricultural and health sectors will inevitably shift our perception of the world and our health…I fear for the worse.

Posted on February 7, 2014 and filed under Chappaqua/Mt-Kisco Patch, Examiner Newspaper, GMO, News 12, QA, The Journal News.