Check out my progress on Frankenfood—Friend or Foe?
In light of a paper deadline looming next week, I thought I would combine business and pleasure this evening and discuss my latest research in tonight’s post. The topic? Biotechnology.
Foods produced by biotechnology are known by many names, from the more formal “genetically modified organisms” to the more pejorative “Frankenfoods.” Regardless of what you call its end-products, biotechnology is the development of new plant or animal products by genetic manipulation to alter nutrient levels or other characteristics. This emerging technology has potential advantages, among them greater crop yields, sweeter-tasting produce, and the focus of my paper, the development of hypoallergenic foods.
With the advances in biotechnology, it may soon be possible for those with otherwise fatal food allergies to enjoy those foods which have been banned from their diets for so long. Indeed, hypoallergenic apples and peanuts are already in development.
However, biotechnology also poses a threat to to those with food allergies in that many genetically-modified foods contain genes from potentially allergenic foods. For example, if a soy-based gene were transferred into a new strain of tomato plant, those allergic to soy might incur an allergic reaction from consuming that tomato.
And so a dilemma has emerged: Are GMOs (Frankenfood) a friend or foe to those with food allergies? The debate continues today in the scientific community.
How do you feel about genetically modified organisms? Do you have any food allergies?
To fuel my frenzied research sessions today, I downed some seriously good eats.
I opted to keep breakfast simple today with a big honkin’ bowl of GoLean.
For lunch, I packed my own version of a Curried Egg Salad, a recipe originally inspired by Clean Eating magazine. My mix included golden raisins, carrots, lemon juice, cashews, and cilantro.
The evening meal was another Ellie recipe, Pesto Potato Salad.
My tweaks:
-I used only red bell pepper rather than both red and yellow. I accidentally ate the yellow one for lunch today (see above).
-I added white beans to the mix for protein.
I’ve actually prepared this recipe before, long before I had even conceived of the idea of the Ellie Project. Just as I remember, I really enjoyed the mix of textures—crunchy peppers with soft potatoes. And, let’s face it—basil makes everything taste better.
Yep, this recipe is available online too: Pesto Potato Salad
Alright, off to write that paper! Toodles.
Filed under: Meals
Caroline Yoder, dietitian-to-be and all-around foodie.
I just read an article about “Frankenfoods” for my contemporary food movements course! More specifically about how and why they have become more popular in the U.S and were rejected early on in Europe. Just personally I would rather go with no GMO’s at all… but I don’t have any food allergies, would be interested to hear from someone who does!
great topic! I don’t know how I feel about the engineered foods
I DO NOT support GMO’s!
do not and will not ever support GMO. your egg salad however, looks delicious!
Allergic to apples?! I can’t imagine…What’s in apples that causes an allergic reaction? I’m actually highly lactose intolerant -just another reason to be vegan
I don’t think messing with nature is a good idea, ever.
I’ve learned about biotechnology of foods in my environmental science class last year– we just touched on it, so I’m not a pro on it, but it was cool to learn about it!
I try to look for non- GMO foods definitely….
pesto/potato– how interesting! I’m going to check out the link for Ellie’s recipes, I’m inspired!
Ah gmos, gmos, gmos. There is so much about it in the news, recently. I just wish there was LESS talk and more ACTION. I am absolutely against it, and feel Monsanto is ruining the purity of food. I could probably go on and on, but i’ll spare the space, and your eyes.. and time ha
Luckily I’m not allergic to anything so I’m not in the market for hypoallergenic products…but I’m not completely on board with “engineered” foods!?
I always make my egg salad with roasted red pepper hummus, it’s delish u have to try it!
I’m severely allergic to shellfish and moderately allergic to coffee, apples (unless they are cooked–applesauce & juice), and turkey. I can’t even eat imitation crab without getting a reaction (or any other food that comes in slight contact with the mere ‘juice’ of shellfish), and I am afraid to even try vegan versions of “shrimp.”
Even so, I’m not really interested in eating GMO or hypoallergenic foods. I don’t want to risk the cross-contamination, like you mentioned in your soy+tomato example. Besides, there are 3209482340983204 other natural, wholesome, delicious foods that I can replace my old favorites (coffee&apples) with. Green tea & pears, anyone?
Ok, I MIGHT be tempted to try a franken version of coffee.
If you ever learn anything else about food allergies, please write a post
I’d love to read more from you!
Interesting topic. While GMOs do have a lot of potential plusses, the allergy caveat is difficult. Fruits and veggies aren’t like regular foods, with an ingredients list. The producers would have to be very specific in their labeling of their GMOs.
i’m not sure that GMOs are great for us; I’m not a big fan at all. there are other methods of crosshybridization that don’t require genetic modification, and i’d be more in support of those.
Thanks so much for bringing this issue up! I love your posts and usually never comment, but this is one subject about which I am passionate. I’m allergic to just about everything, both food and environmental (asthma and hives…endless hives) and because of that, I can’t support GMO’s or the overwhelming use of pesticides/pollution which accompany them. After lots of research in an attempt to minimize my signs and symptoms, a few things kept coming up. With food allergies, the body recognizes a foreign protein as non-self and immunoglobulins memorize that protein in case of future perceived attacks – hence, allergic reactions. GMO’s modify the organism down to what defines it: its base pairs of DNA. Base pairs, in groups of three, make up amino acids. Proteins are polymers (repetitive links) of amino acids. In other words, DNA manipulation has a direct effect on what the organism becomes, specifically what the genetic code now expresses as proteins. Scientists are starting to link the recent outburst of allergies in the past two decades with the introduction of GMO’s. Rapid genetic modification, non-evolutionary change of food we’ve eaten for hundreds of years, might be prompting an immune response in an increasing number of people. In other words, GMO’s themselves could be playing a part, if not the defining role, in the increasing number of what are now considered common allergens – corn, wheat, apples, soy and dairy to name a few. All common GMO’s. Thanks again for giving this issue a shout out
I understand the benefits of some human scientific manipulation of the foods we consume…like you mentioned with the higher crop yields and enhanced flavors, but I am a firm believer in all natural clean eating. I don’t understand why so many of the foods we eat have to be tampered with by scientists who’s main concern is the amount of profit they will be making off the “latest discovery” and not the possible long term health consequences of their “discoveries”.
I am allergic to apples! I have oral-allergy syndrome (so it isn’t the apples themselves, but the pollen transferred to them). Although I am not keen on the ideo of GMO’s, it would be nice to enjoy pink ladys!
I’m allergic to eggs. It’s not as common of an allergy so I have a lot of trouble when I go places and need accomodation.