Article by Rebecca Stevens

Throughout human history, insects have been part of the human diet in some cultures. Insects can provide protein, vitamins, and can be prepared like mammal meats. In some cultures this is tradition, in some scenarios this is survival. If you enjoy fried crickets or roasted ants, we are not judging you. However, what if the genes of an insect were tampered with in order to produce mammalian growth factors? That's right, an insect with mammalian transgenes. This may sound like science fiction, but a Canadian biotech company is determined to put this on the market and make this a reality.

The company, Future Fields, is pushing a fruit fly genetically modified to produce mammalian growth factors. This GMO fly is named "EntoEngine", also referred to as a "biofactory" by the company. This scheme is touted as an 'environmentally friendly' alternative to traditional meat, a 'solution' to greenhouse emissions on our planet. The intention is to create fake meat products out of these GMO fruit fly proteins.

Yet, do the expenses, risks and energy justify the so-called benefits?

To begin, let’s start with ethical concerns. This GMO meat is made from fruit flies that endure great suffering. The flies are put under constant heat stress as part of the genetic modification process. They must live at higher than natural temperatures with ‘rest breaks’ so they don’t die from the shock of the heat as it alters their proteins. These sentient, helpless fruit flies must experience long periods of torture just for this GMO meat to be created.

How sentient are fruit flies, aren’t they just insects? Well, this article explains a study that demonstrates the fact that fruit flies have sensory neurons in their brains which specifically cause them to avoid excessive heat. Their bodies prefer warm weather, not hot weather. The environment created by them for genetic engineering purposes is not at all in alignment with the conditions their bodies thrive in. This is comparable to the many animals (chickens, cows, pigs, etc) who live in miserable conditions on conventional factory farms. If you’ve ever seen the documentary ‘Earthlings’ you know exactly what I mean. Many people are waking up to this sad reality and beginning to choose meat from animals raised on pastures in their natural habitats instead. Healthier animals, healthier meat (plus no guilty conscience from eating a tortured animal). With all of the humane and ethical ways to produce protein for consumption, why create fake meat from fruit flies that spend their whole lives suffering? Do we want to feed our families by-products of inhumane meat production?

Curious to learn more about the production of these GMO insects? This article by GM Watch outlines more of the hideous details. From the genetic altering of the fruit flies to the risks of them cross-breeding worldwide, the entire process spells an UN-natural disaster.

One of the biggest risks to human health by GM foods, in general, are the unknown health effects. Genetically modified foods are still a relatively new phenomenon. The long-term effects are not entirely known and we have already seen some majorly concerning short-term effects in animals. This article on PubMed, states: “Animal toxicity studies with certain GM foods have shown that they may toxically affect several organs and systems….The results of most studies with GM foods indicate that they may cause some common toxic effects such as hepatic, pancreatic, renal, or reproductive effects and may alter the hematological, biochemical, and immunologic parameters.” This is just one example of documented negative effects.

While we currently do not know the safety of GMO fruit fly proteins on humans, we can look at the effects of GMOs that we have already seen in other GMO products. Founder of Moms Across America, Zen Honeycutt, has a 6-minute video on GMOs describing some of these specific foods. One example is Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn. As explained in the video, this GMO corn is a registered pesticide created to explode the stomachs of the bugs that eat it. In addition, it has been shown to have negative effects on humans. Furthermore, this study on rats showed GMO corn causes organ damage, alters blood biochemistry, and threatens male fertility. This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are many more examples of side effects of consuming GMO foods.

Along with corn, some other foods that are commonly genetically modified include soy, canola, zucchini, papaya and apples. If you don’t see an organic label, there’s a high chance these are GMO. It’s also common for conventional farmers to feed GMO foods to their animals, so if you are avoiding GMO by-products it’s best to avoid conventional meat and dairy.

Curious to learn more about GMO foods? Mom’s Across America has a plethora of information here: GMO Info - Moms Across America. Given the dark and risky history of GMO foods, are there any good reasons to trust any new GMO food products? Especially ones created under unethical conditions?

Now, for those who think we need to suffer and sacrifice health in the name of the planet and environment... it truly does not need to be this way. GM Watch is archiving examples of non-GMO successes in regard to our sources of food. Check them out here.

Mother Nature has us covered, we do not need lab-grown meats in order to make the planet more sustainable. We do NOT need to ingest Franken-foods or torture insects to save the world. In fact, doing so is the path to genetic and microbiome chaos, not to mention the total abuse of fruit flies.

Be aware of what GMO foods currently exist on the market and boycott them entirely: use your dollars to say "NO". Stay up-to-date on all of the new coming GMO products. Typing "GMO foods list" into a search engine will get you on your way.

Seek out local farmers you can trust and get your food from them. Ask them if they use GMO seeds and how they feel about GMO crops.

If you don't have a local farmer, always check food labels! Before you give little Rudolf that shiny, bright red apple, check to see if it is organic.

If possible, buy your own non-GMO seeds from trusted sources. Begin a non-GMO garden, and get the whole family involved! Teaching agricultural skills is one of the greatest gifts to bestow.

Join us at The Neighborhood Food Network to connect with others regarding clean food!