A pair of chicken eggs sit on the counter, pearly white, perfectly oval, and flawless in every way. Take these products of nature, gently crack them open, and what do you see? Two golden orbs, each resting in its own translucent nest. Now take the contents of each egg, fling them into a bowl, whip them violently with a fork, and hurl that into a sputtering frying pan. Shake it out onto a plate, and voila – scrambled eggs. This is what happens in radiation breeding, otherwise known as gene scrambling.
In his article, “Useful Mutants, Bred With Radiation,” William J. Broad states that scientists have been “using radiation to scramble the genetic material in crops…for more than half a century.” “Mutants” such as red grapefruit, disease-resistant cocoa, and premium barley have been produced from the experiments of Dr. Pierre Lagoda and his colleagues. These scientists have managed to contribute to the overall improvement of crops, especially in the areas of increasing their yields and their resistance to disease.
My gripe is that these scientists may be making different varieties of produce larger, prettier, and more accessible, but they may not be making it better. Dr. Lagoda makes the claim that, “I’m not doing anything different from what nature does.” However, in the article, “A Better Coneflower?” written by Beth Botts in the Chicago Tribune, Naperville gardener Pat Armstrong makes the observation that, “When a breeder focuses on some particular variation -- yellowness, say, or shortness, or having many more petals -- he throws away the cushion created by thousands of years of evolution that helps make the plant tough and adaptable to local conditions.” The genes of a flower work in rather the same way as a vegetable or a fruit, meaning that something of the product’s makeup is destroyed in the process of radiation breeding. Might there be consequences in downing a pint of beer made from barley that has been genetically enhanced? There is still much to be discovered in the scientific world, and the consequences of radiation breeding may outweigh the benefits.
For example, an article on genetically engineered organisms in the Public Issues Education Project,, directed by Dr. Bruce Lewenstein, stated that, “A novel genetically engineered (GE) food may have the potential to cause new allergic reactions if it contains proteins that the conventional food doesn't have.” A large percentage of the foods that we consume right now are genetically engineered, which could prove hazardous to those of us with allergic reactions. The example that is given in the article is that “people who are allergic to Brazil nuts may also be allergic to a GE soybean containing a Brazil nut protein.”
Don’t get me wrong -- I’m not making the claim that I don’t admire and commend the scientists in their endeavor to cure world hunger by firing gamma rays at produce. However, the bottom line is that we’re dangerously oblivious to the downfalls of genetically manipulating fruits & vegetables, and scientists need to tread carefully in this field.
