Canola oil in some foods

[DamonIRB]

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is an insecticide with unusual properties that make it useful for pest control in certain situations.

Bt is a insecticide/pesticide. Monsanto explains, in detail, how they take this soil born bacterium that is commonly used as a commercial pesticide and insert it into the DNA of a plant, confusing the plant, making it think the bacterium is supposed to be there. When a bug eats the plant, they die. Why? Because they have unwittingly ingested a pesticide that lives within the plant that causes their digestive system to shut down. Monsanto has done the same thing with their 'Roundup Ready Crops', but with a herbicide, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which renders the plant immune to glyphosate, the main ingredient in Round Up weed killer.

Exactly where in there website is this? Can you please give the exact link, because I am not finding it. I have found where they describe using Bt to transfer in the genes that are then used by the plant cell to produce the compound that is toxic to the insects, causing them to die when they consume the plant.

Do you realize that you just paraphrased what I said? You used the word "transfer", I used "insert", as that is how Monsanto described it. Otherwise, you said the same thing I said.

Monsanto.com - What is Biotechnology?

Second paragraph on the page, first line.

Sounds like our difference is semantic. If you wish to continue your assault on my intelligence, explaining how much more highly educated you are and therefore much more capable of understanding what a GMO is, great. Have at it. I've had people telling me I was an idiot for years, so you telling me I'm an idiot is nothing new. Ironically though, everyone that says I'm wrong ends up doing exactly what you've done and simply paraphrased what I've said.

Paul - the Arizona Institue for Advanced Medicine is not an anti-GMO establishment and they conduct "hard scientific" research. Colorado State University has one of the most highly regarded biology and botany labs in the country, and is not an anti-GMO establishment. The former medical science advisor to the EPA is not a quack, and certainly isn't someone that promotes conspiracy theories. My apologies if you felt the video was insufficent.

Again, I'll say that my original question concerning the use of canola oil is some finch food was based solely on the interest of my birds and their health. How we went from such a basic question to bashing Damon for being someone concerned about GMO's baffles me. I will concede to the point to your superior intelligence and knowledge, and will post no further on this topic.

Damon

[Nerien]

It's not the "transfer" and "insert" that are the words in question, it's your incorrect use of all the other words, the scientific words, the big, scary, impressive, evil sounding words that are being used incorrectly. Completely incorrectly. Your link to the Monsanto site does NOT say what you put down as a quote. Not at all. Not those words, not that meaning. What you are relating is not at all what the information presented by them says.

Intelligence and education are not the same thing. And as for stupidity--stupidity is a willful act. I have known some incredibly intelligent people, extremely high capability and IQ, who were among the stupidest people to walk the planet. I have known some people of low intelligence level, who were as smart as they could possibly be, because they used every last brain cell they had. I have known some uneducated people who were incredibly intelligent, and some incredibly educated people who were just plain dumb. I would rather be involved with smart people than just intelligent people. As for stupid people, willfully refusing to use whatever is inside their skull, well, good luck to them but don't expect me to help or support. Or stand by and let misinformation be spread. That does no good for anyone.

and btw, Colorado State University Botany dept is where I got my Master's degree.

[Nerien]

we no longer have any idea what it is we are eating. My son has PKU so he must stay away from certain foods high in protein, how do you do that when you have no idea whats in what anymore

Debbie, when my daughter was 4 some doctor diagnosed her with a hidden wheat allergy--no outward allergy symptoms, but it was supposedly interfering with her food absorption, keeping her from gaining weight and growing normally (at 4 years old she weighed 28 pounds and was skinny as a rail, despite eating like a teeny tiny horse.) So we had to go to a wheat-free diet, not celiac, which is gluten free, totally wheat free. Well, the list of possible hidden wheat ingredients took two columns the entire length of a page. Modified food starch, vegetable protein....Did you know that powdered sugar is not just sugar? Some kinds have starch in there, so I had to track down the source and make sure it didn't include wheat starch. Baking powder too, had to get the right kind. Vanilla extract. Some ice creams. Corn chips. French fries. cheese products. bologna. You wouldn't believe all the kinds of foods that shouldn't have wheat in them but do. 'Chicken flavor' in soups. Soy sauce. It became a full-time occupation to keep her wheat free. (And then it turns out, after a year and a half of this, the doctor was a bit of a quack and his diagnosis was completely invalid. Got that straight from the mouth of the Mt Sinai Hospital doctor that Dr. Quack was constantly quoting to support his diagnosis.)

I know the need to be so careful with his diet for PKU, especially while young and growing. I feel for you, I know how difficult it is to keep track of specific ingredients and keep up with the constantly changing ingredients and recipes and processes, and still keep your child from feeling different or deprived.

[debbie276]

I know the need to be so careful with his diet for PKU, especially while young and growing. I feel for you, I know how difficult it is to keep track of specific ingredients and keep up with the constantly changing ingredients and recipes and processes, and still keep your child from feeling different or deprived.

I don't understand how anyone would think it is a good thing to have GMO foods. How is it a good thing not to know what is in the food your eating? It's not only to prevent my child and many more with PKU, peanut allergies etc not to feel different or deprived, it's a matter of will they suffer the very serious consequences of eating the wrong food because no one thinks this is a serious issue.