Spudzilla!!!!!1111!!eleventy

[roo_ster]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/08/business/genetically-modified-potato-from-simplot-approved-by-usda.html

A potato genetically engineered to reduce the amounts of a potentially harmful ingredient in French fries and potato chips has been approved for commercial planting, the Department of Agriculture announced on Friday.

The potato’s DNA has been altered so that less of a chemical called acrylamide, which is suspected of causing cancer in people, is produced when the potato is fried.

The new potato also resists bruising, a characteristic long sought by potato growers and processors for financial reasons. Potatoes bruised during harvesting, shipping or storage can lose value or become unusable.

Sounds like a good idea.

What I would like to see is the policy of irradiating fresh fruits and veggies become nigh-universal, like it is for potatoes.  Makes them last much longer without any fancy genetic juggling.

[brimic]

Doug Gurian-Sherman, a plant pathologist and senior scientist at the Center for Food Safety, an advocacy group, said that the technique used to silence the genes, called RNA interference, was still not well understood.

“We think this is a really premature approval of a technology that is not being adequately regulated,” he said, adding that his group might try to get a court to reverse the approval of the potato.

Bullshit!
This exact technology has been around for at least 20 years and is very well understood, and has gone through very rigorous testing looking for anything that could be harmful.

http://californiaagriculture.ucanr.org/landingpage.cfm?article=ca.v054n04p6
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rhetoric/105H16/cofp/tmrcofp.html

All that this process entails is sticking an anti-sense codon in where  a normal gene resides.. anti-sense codon being the same gene but backwards in sequence. When the gene is turned on, the anti-sense gene produces mRNA that is the exact opposite of tge sense gene mRNA, which binds to sense mRNA, preventing it from translating the coded enzyme.

[Boomhauer]

It's a dude with a hyphenated last name at a bull**it hippy "advocacy group" that is against GMO crops, what are you expecting, honesty?






Edited for language.

[Marnoot]

Oh noes! Teh GOM potaytoes will mutate your childrens!

People that are anti-GMO, anti-vaxxers, etc., block-out any evidence contrary to their pseudo-religious beliefs. I've long ago given up efforts to engage any in debate. If an associate/co-worker/whatever starts going off about vaccines, GMO crops, moon landing, 9/11, I just nod along in a faux-interested manner and extract myself from the conversation expeditiously, it produces the least amount of stress.

Agreed on radiating fruit. Wish they'd do it more with meat as well.

[TommyGunn]

A potato genetically engineered to reduce the amounts of a potentially harmful ingredient in French fries and potato chips has been approved for commercial planting, the Department of Agriculture announced on Friday.

And I bet this potato tastes horrible.

[Scout26]

"No, we want the old cancer causing* potatoes to be used for the fries your kid(s) get at McD's!!!"   Yeah, that's a winning argument....




*-Proof of actual cancer being caused by said potatoes seems to be tenuous at best.  However, the dose makes the poison, so if you feed junior McD's Hashbrowns and fries for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the week, you are probably increasing his risk.   YMMV.