Vaccine: Coming to a farm stand near you
Can diseases be warded off by eating GMO corn? Scientists are working to find out.
Thu, May 07 2009 at 9:44 AM EST
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How about a little vaccine with your corn on the cob? I’m wondering if there is going to be any room left for actual corn in corn once scientists get done adding pesticides, fertilizers and now possibly vaccines to the genetic makeup of corn.Meat & Poultry (you need to sign in to see article but registration is free) reports that researchers at Iowa State University are putting vaccine into corn. The goal is to put the vaccine into the corn that the pigs will eat to help stop diseases like swine flu from happening.
“We're trying to figure out which genes from the swine influenza virus to incorporate into corn so those genes, when expressed, would produce protein," said Hank Harris, professor in animal science and one of the researchers on the project. "When the pig consumes that corn, it would serve as a vaccine."
The goal, if things go well, is to have this vaccinated corn available in 5-7 years. Tests need to be done to make sure that the vaccines will work when given to the pigs orally through the corn.
Pigs aren’t the only ones who could “benefit” from this genetically altered corn.
According to the researchers, the corn vaccine would also work in humans when they eat corn or even corn flakes, corn chips, tortillas or anything that contains corn, Harris said.
I’m not to comfortable with this. Will consumers need to fight for “vaccinated corn-free” labels to be put on products that aren’t made from this type of corn, the way they have for the “rBST-free” label on dairy products? Or, if it comes to fruition, will products be unlabled and consumers unaware?
Does this concern anyone else?
Image: Gaetan Lee
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Comments
amicus curiae
05/13/2009 23:10 PM
Amazing that they can decide to remove Folate in case people eat too much?One study! suggested it increased bowel issues in older people..so kids and mums who need it , won't get it..yet some cretin in a lab can suggest something so incredibly dangerous? Bear in mind the flu, any flu strain human pig bird dog whatever Mutates! almost every season, so how idiotic is it to suggest a strain here now , could be added to our food in X years! to "save" us.. yeah dumb and dumber
Jimmy Headstream
05/13/2009 18:52 PM
Putting vaccine's in corn makes just as much sense as using Coal Combustion By-Products (that would be coal fly ash - bottom ash - flue gas de-sulferization products Etc. containing Mercury, Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium and tons of other fine chemicals) as components in Compost and Fertilizer! And that's already being done! Bet you haven't seen any produce labels with that listed as an ingredient!
A.Magnus
05/12/2009 11:42 AM
Until GMO corn became widely used in food processing a couple of decades back, you can guarantee that these new GMO crops will produce their own adverse 'non-side effects' that will be miraculously alleviated by a new batch of drugs which just happen to be already developed by the pharmaceutical industry. No collusion there, right?
Anonymous
05/11/2009 16:48 PM
Give me some dirt and some seeds quick! I'm gonna grow my own produce before they outlaw that, too. I cant even start to comprehend what kind of idots these people are.
Anonymous
05/11/2009 13:50 PM
So those who eat the most corn and pork get the highest doses of vaccines?
Vaccines are the biggest medical con job in history - next to flouridating our water. I'll grow my own organic corn before I'd put any of their toxic chemical food "products" into my body.
Anonymous
05/10/2009 10:09 AM
Why do people keep thinking this is a good idea. Cant we eat pure food without crap genetically built into it in a lab.
If we need a pill or shot we will go to the doctor to get one. What happened to hoeing weeds in the field if the farmer got too many. What happened to bat houses and bird houses to keep down pest?
