GMO Potatoes

As of November 19, 2014, the New York Times released an article on the Department of Agriculture's approval of commercially planting G.M.O. potatoes. The reason for this modification was to reduce the amount of a potentially harmful ingredient, acrylamide, in French fries and potato chips, once the potato is fried. This ingredient is suspected of causing cancer in people. This new G.M.O. potato is also bruise proof, something that farmers and processors long sought after for financial purposes. A bruised potato can lose value or become unusable. Consumers are questioning the safety of this new genetically modified potato and may pose an issue for franchise companies such as McDonald's, who buy most of their potatoes from the companies that harvest G.M.O. potatoes. So far about 50 countries as well as the state of Vermont require that G.M.O. based foods be labeled and 20 additional states are considering similar laws.

Consumers these days seem to wave a pitch fork and torch at every new idea that comes their way, especially if its science based. For starters, Americans are anything but healthy and  frying potatoes will eventually clog your arteries regardless of whether they are genetically modified or not. To protest this modification, that is lessening the amount of a toxic cancer provoking ingredient in a widely consumed food, is just ridiculous. Consumers might as well protest conola oil, corn cereals, soy products, and refined sugar too, because they're genetically modified as well. I think we, as American citizens, should be thankful that scientists are looking to reduce toxicity in our foods as safety precautions rather than protesting them. 

Primary Article: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/food-fight-researching-and-debating-the-future-of-g-m-o-s/?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Aw%2C%7B%222%22%3A%22RI%3A18%22%7D&_r=0

Secondary Article: http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/grocery_shopping/crops/23.genetically_modified_potato.html