Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Shea Tisdale" <shea AT sheatisdale.com>]

Actually broccoli itself is a genetically modified food.  It did not exist
in nature and probably would not have.  It was created by a family member of
none other than Albert R. Broccoli (of James Bond fame) by crossing a pea
plant with a cauliflower plant.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/03/03/db0302.xml&s
Sheet=/portal/2004/03/03/ixportal.html

As far the genetically modified foods argument goes, I see this food as a
triumph.  Scientists have identified numerous compounds in the broccoli
plant, especially baby broccoli, that have cancer fighting properties.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=9


> -----Original Message-----
> From: internetworkers-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:internetworkers-
> bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Ian Meyer
> Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2004 5:45 PM
> To: Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/
> Subject: Re: [internetworkers] Genetically modified foods - (was
> fahrenheit911,at a theater near you!)
> 
> interesting...
> 
> along those lines, something probably similarly derived we sell at the
> HT this weird broccoli/asparagus hybrid that is tall stalks like
> asparagus but has small florets on the top, and also broccaflower (i
> think), the white broccoli (or is it green cauliflower? i don't
> remember...)
> 
> well, this is definitely a can of worms that i think im going to back
> away from now and leave alone, but i don't think i'll be buying any
> orange cauliflowers, i'll stick to my carrots :p
> 
> ~ian
> 
> Lee Haslup wrote:
> 
> > The problem with applying common sense to the definition of GM is that
> > the process is rather like peeling an onion.  You can always take off
> > the next layer and, when you are done, there is nothing left.
> > Farmers have been tinkering with the genomes of their species as long
> > as there has been agriculture.  They are always on the lookout for
> > mutants or related species that can be used for hybridization.
> > Whether the mutation is accidental or created by chemicals or
> > radiation doesn't matter to the genome.  Hybridization (especially
> > crossing with related species) introduces a huge number of new genes,
> > most of which need to be eliminated by repeated back-crossing with the
> > standard stock.  The idea being to eliminate as many of the extraneous
> > genes as possible while keeping the few (often two or three) genes
> > that give the desired traits.  In the meanwhile you create a genetic
> > glissando of intermediate hybrids.
> >
> > For an example of this process, consider the orange cauliflower that
> > was bred from a mutant that someone found in a field in Canada.  The
> > original  mutant has tons of beta carotene but is difficult to grow,
> > tends to be rather small and not that tasty.  After several
> > generations of crossing with agriculturally better plants the new
> > orange cauliflower will soon be available at your corner grocery
> > store.  It's difficult to say how it will differ genetically from a
> > typical cauliflower but it will have at least one "defective" gene
> > that regulates the production of beta carotene.
> >
> > News stories chosen at random (by Google) :
> >   http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/1999/990707.htm
> >
> > http://keyetv.com/nationalwire/OrangeCauliflower-aa/
> > resources_news_html
> >
> > Since the genetic attribute that was desired (that one gene) was known
> > fairly early in the process, the same result could have been achieved
> > by splicing it into a normal cauliflower.  The resulting plant would
> > be a GM food.  It would actually be more of a known commodity (from a
> > genetic point of view) since one can't know what other genes came
> > along from the mutant.  Nonetheless, the (real) hybrid cauliflower is
> > likely to show up fairly soon in the "organic" foods section of the
> > supermarket while its (hypothetical) GM cousin would be a frankenfood.
> > People would worry that it might escape from the farm at any minute
> > and start growing in the cracks in the sidewalks and crowding out the
> > crabgrass in the lawn.
> >
> > BigLee
> >
> > Ian Meyer wrote:
> >
> >> the genes were modified, were they not?
> >>
> >> sounds to me like whatever rules there are for the definition of GM
> >> need to be more common sense and less legalese
> >>
> >> ~ian
> >>
> >>
> >> On Jun 24, 2004, at 11:14 AM, Michael Best wrote:
> >>
> >>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>> From: Ian Meyer [mailto:ianmeyer AT mac.com]
> >>>>
> >>>> yeah, a rule like, if you say is isn't GM, then it can't be GM.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Regarding herbicide resistance, I remember reading an article about
> >>> some of
> >>> the different cases of this.  Apparently, in one case, the company
> >>> used
> >>> radiation to randomly alter DNA in seeds and then tested the
> >>> resulting
> >>> plants for herbicide resistance.  After many tries they found what
> >>> they
> >>> wanted.  Because of the method used, this particular plant was not
> >>> considered genetically modified.
> >>>
> >>> -- Michael Best
> >>>
> >>> ---
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> >
> >
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