McDonald’s, which is one of the largest fast food chains on the planet, has said they will not use the J.R. Simplot Company’s Innate GMO potato, according to Food & Water Watch. Pressure from food safety advocates and the public have forced this move.
The Simplot potato has been genetically altered to silence the expression of genes in the plant that produces sugar and asparagine, which together produce acrylamide, a potential carcinogen when the potato is cooked at high heat. Some food safety advocates are concerned that this manipulation will turn off other genes in the plant, since many genes have the identical stretches of DNA. One of the genes that may be turned off naturally protects the potato against pests.
Wenonah Hauter, director of Food & Water Watch said in a statement, “this victory for consumers is another indication that the food industry recognizes that consumers do not want to eat GMO foods. Many parents are already limiting the amount of fast food that their children eat,and GMO french fries would give them another reason to pass by the golden arches.”
Food & Water Watch submitted over 90,000 petitions asking McDonalds to reject the potatoes. They are now planning to do the same for Burger King. The agency claims that genetically engineered foods are inadequately tested. GMO fries are especially targeted to children, whose bodies are more susceptible to problems in the food they eat.
You can sign the petition to Burger King at the Food & Water Watch web site. The agency calls the Simplot potato “Frankenfries”.
I do not like GMO food genetically engineered foods are inadequately tested and same government body don,t tell you everything.