Not Good News For Rice Eaters!

[Guest AutumnE]

UGH I dont see a post about this and I found this very upsetting considering its one of the few foods I can still eat and enjoy since now I am having trouble with corn, dairy, soy and of course no gluten.

This article is saying this will be the future trend----

"In Davis, near Sacramento, Arcadia Biosciences has planted two experimental plots of genetically engineered rice. One variety is genetically engineered with a barley gene designed to help rice better consume nitrogen-laced fertilizer, which would cut down on the amount that ends up in ground water. The other variety makes it easier for rice to grow in salty conditions.

Arcadia received two of the nine USDA permits issued this year to grow small plots of experimental biotechnology rice in California. Bayer received four USDA permits, including an approval on Sept. 7, two weeks after it divulged its mistake. Another company permit is still pending. The USDA doesn't release locations of such test plots and doesn't comment on biotech permits. "

So even if it is the rice containing it your eating you would never know!

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[Nantzie]

Bastards!

Nancy

[Guest AutumnE]

I fully agree!

I hope its okay to put a link down to another site since its a news site?

[Rusla]

That's nice, now take rice away from us...way to go jerks.

[AndreaB]

Unbelievable.

I assume that organic would be ok.

[Guest AutumnE]

Unbelievable.

I assume that organic would be ok.

I didnt think about organic. I try to avoid buying organic rice since Im paying higher prices for other things anyways but I guess that would be my only option.

[tarnalberry]

While I'm not a fan of GMO's, and stay away from them whenever possible (it's harder than it should be!), and while the GMO process is not as precise as the GMO manufacturers would like us to belive, it's important to keep in mind that there are a lot of genes that go into a barley plant, and that vast majority of them do not code for the protein that bothers us. Inserting a barley gene into rice does not mean that rice will contain gluten-similar proteins. It doesn't rule it out, as the process isn't perfect, and we've already seen instances where the GMO process has put allergenic proteins in another grain - corn - I just want to point out that it isn't a guarantee that it'll be bad for us due to bringing in a barley protein we react to.

(But I hate GMO as it is today for a whole host of other reasons... )

[Guest AutumnE]

Tarnalberry- That may be but there are many celiacs who do not have outward symptoms that would tell them if they had a problem. 3 members of my family do not have obvious symptoms and wouldnt have a clue. Im lucky that I have a very quick reaction and my daughter has a visible reaction now that she never did before dh and yeast infection.

It just makes me sick the way they are tainting everything we eat to make it cheaper for them to produce.

Its not just about gmo products but also we have chemicals in our dairy that is not even legal in canada and the uk that causes early puberty and is linked to breast cancer. We still have transfats but thankfully they have to be labeled now.

[Gamecreature]

As this affects 2.25 million Americans, maybe we should write our representatives?

[tarnalberry]

Tarnalberry- That may be but there are many celiacs who do not have outward symptoms that would tell them if they had a problem.

eh? I don't understand the relation. I probably wasn't clear enough - my point being that the rice, even with a partiuclar barley gene, could be entirely gluten free. There couldn't be a reaction to gluten, in that case, because there wouldn't be any gluten in the rice. Of course, if the nitrogen-fixing genes were near the protein-encoding genes, you could end up with them as well. And so far, GMO companies have a pretty crappy history of testing for these things, though they claim to do so. I was just trying to point out that a few barley genes in rice doesn't necessarily put gluten in that rice.

I agree with you on the food modification, but find people are dismissive if the arguments aren't precise.

[Guest AutumnE]

I understood you, I probably didnt clarify it. I personally wouldnt trust it at all.

**GMO companies have a pretty crappy history of testing for these things, though they claim to do so**

After so many autoimmune diseases popping up on me and finding out so many other foods I cant eat I wake up and am almost afraid to eat. I would need some very strong proof before I would try it. There are just too many slips in the food industry with other things that it scares me like ecoli, listeria in foods that should not contain it. They also use to say oats were okay but I react to them badly and so did my grandfather who we believe had undiagnosed celiac disease.

As this affects 2.25 million Americans, maybe we should write our representatives?

I think this is an wonderful idea but considering its in california I wonder if it would help since Im from michigan. But being voting season that might be a bonus!

Goodnight all

[tarnalberry]

I don't blame you for not trying it! I wouldn't either, and not even for the barley reasons, but for the testing, processing, and control of GMO plants reasons.

I'm actually a little surprised that it's happening in california, as I had read that they were starting to crack down on GMO tests, since it was hurting CA agricultural business, but maybe they haven't gotten anywhere with that, or it was a county by county basis.

[JenKuz]

While I'm not a fan of GMO's, and stay away from them whenever possible (it's harder than it should be!), and while the GMO process is not as precise as the GMO manufacturers would like us to belive, it's important to keep in mind that there are a lot of genes that go into a barley plant, and that vast majority of them do not code for the protein that bothers us. Inserting a barley gene into rice does not mean that rice will contain gluten-similar proteins. It doesn't rule it out, as the process isn't perfect, and we've already seen instances where the GMO process has put allergenic proteins in another grain - corn - I just want to point out that it isn't a guarantee that it'll be bad for us due to bringing in a barley protein we react to.

(But I hate GMO as it is today for a whole host of other reasons... )

Well, if it's a gene having to do with nitrogen, it may well have to do with a barley lectin. I think gliadin is a lectin, right? I read an article about tomato lectins reducing hog nitrogen output...maybe there isn't a connection, but it seems as though there's some nitrogen/lectin thing....anyone know off the top of their head?

[Gamecreature]

Here's the list of members on the Senate committee for Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry:

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My senator isn't one of them, but I'll probably write to several of them anyway. We're the government and we should start taking charge of how it does its job.

[jenvan]

Good Lord. Let's "re-engineer" plants so they can better handle our harmful chemicals. This makes me frustrated for a myriad of reasons too. If it burns you too , join a group to work for awareness and lobbying against this sort of thing...

[skbird]

You're right that one way to avoid it is to buy organic rice. But unfortunately, a lot of gluten free products have rice flour in them that is not necessairly organic - in fact it would be hard to track down where the flour came from.

I wish they'd stop messing with food! I'm pretty sure Lundberg rice won't go this way.

Stephanie

[Guest cassidy]

Guess I need to start buying a box of Uncle Ben's every week so I'll have a stock pile for when I can't eat it. Just kidding!

[Gamecreature]

I wrote to both of my senators and a member of the senate committee on Agriculture (I'd write to my representative, but my previous correspondence with him have proven that he's completely useless - at least my senators seem to take my opinions seriously). I encourage all of you to do it - it's really not that hard. Everyone should take an active role in their government. You're paying for it, after all. Might as well use it once in a while.