Fruit-sniffing beagle and chimera chickens

Last night, we watched Homeland Security, a new reality type TV show that follows various employees that fall under the helm of the Department of Homeland Security. There were stories of border guards, immigration officials, USDA inspectors, etc. It was rather interesting to see how tedious some inspections have become in the last seven years. Most people took the inspections as a necessary evil in this age of terror, but some were simply frustrated by the bureaucracy. At an airport, one passenger forgot to declare his lunch that contained an orange, a food item which was sniffed out by a citrus-sniffing beagle and that initiated a search which resulted in a $300 fine. He was forced to pay on the spot else go to court and risk paying up to $50,000 if found guilty. That sounds crazy, but a necessary evil if you consider how much damage was caused by the Mediterranean fruit fly or how much the lowly fire ant has changed life in the South, not to mention the expense and pollution consequences of eradication. I suppose a zero tolerance law is needed, but it just seems like overkill.

By contrast, this evening on the Documentary Channel, we watched a program about genetically engineered foods and their consequences, both to the primary natural species, the environment, and secondary consumers. Here is the Documentary Channel's description of the program:

Life Running Out of Control
2004 -
From the loss of biodiversity to health scares about GM food, the effects of genetic technology are prompting more and more debate. This documentary is an intelligent look at both sides of the issue. Made for ARTE.

The program discussed how companies are creating chimera chickens, chickens with genes modified to eliminate their broody instinct, and vegetables without seeds. Monsanto and other companies like ConAgra are patenting natural crops like turmeric. I try to stay current on the GE debate, but I was not aware that this was happening. The documentary is now five years old, an eternity in the history of GE food. I shudder to think of the schemes and tactics in use today. Late in the program, while they are discussing GE fish, one anti-GMO researcher-activist makes a statement that there is not one law in the United States that prevents companies like Monsanto from creating, marketing, or selling Frankenfish. At the time the documentary was made(and this may still be true-I'm not sure), there were no laws at all concerning GE food. There was no requirement for independent safety testing, no requirement to notify or inform the consumer, and there was no recourse if the promises of safety were lies. Monsanto lied about the safety of DDT, Agent Orange and PCB's, and then when the truth was born out, they tried to cover their tracks and shuck responsibility. Now, we are supposed to trust them that GE food is safe and the answer to the world hunger. Right. Sadly, most Americans are not scientifically minded or interested in genetic engineering or it's consequences. They are perfectly happy with their high fructose corn syrup made from GE corn.

So, it all boils down to this...in the United States, GE food is created, marketed, and sold to us. We eat it without any laws to protect us, but don't try to bring an 100% natural, organically grown orange through customs.

It is an insane world.