Genetically modified (GM) food and crop stories continue to appear in the popular media across the globe. In the United States, recent news on the topic were dominated by GM food labeling initiatives in various states, efforts in Hawaii to restrict or ban the cultivation of GM crops, and plans by food companies to eliminate GM ingredients from their products.
Chipotle Mexican Grill, a popular chain of restaurants, announced that it would eliminate GM from its ingredients primarily by switching from soybean oil to sunflower oil. Emboldened by a surge in sales recently, presumably because of its avowed pledge to eliminate GMOs from its food, the restaurant chain is also producing animated videos and short films attacking the “industrial agriculture.”
The New York Times carried a lengthy story by its science writer Amy Harmon on the politics of GM crops in the Hawaii County Council and the relentless quest of one council member to learn more about the safety issues of GM crops and his efforts to convince his fellow members on the benefits of this technology who nevertheless voted to ban cultivation of new GM crops in the “big island.”
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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it is considering a request by Dow Agrosciences to deregulate GM corn and soybean tolerant to the herbicide 2,4-D. USDA’s approval is also being sought for non-browning apples, developed by a Canadian biotechnology company Okanagan Specialty Fruits.
Read the full, original article: A look at the recent news from around the world on genetically modified food and crops
