Monsanto

Emrysgirl

New member
I was having a really interesting discussion with a friend today about Monsanto. We were just throwing aroung ideas and neither of us really had an opinion. What are your thoughts on Monsanto and that kind of stuff in general?

If you don't know what Monsanto is...well,um...I'll try to come up with an explanation, but I'm sort of drawing blank. Basically it's a company that makes genetically engineered crop etc. Actually, around where I live, you have to be really dense not to know about Monsanto. It's in the news often, and works with a lot of the local universities etc. I have a classmate who's the ceo's son. The building across from where I'm sitting is named Monsanto (funding).
Is Monsanto commonly known in other places?
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
Sorry, I could tell you I've heard of it, but then I would be lying. I'm sure other people have some quality discussion on this topic.
 

admin

Retired Administrator
Yes I've heard about Monsanto, but in the UK, we are really anti GM food. You will not find many GM products in our supermarkets, and most farmers who trialed GM crops had their crops destroyed by protestors.

Personally I am anti GM food, I prefer to have organic food. Although saying this Genetic Engineering I do feel is the way to go in the combat of some diesease, as well as Stem Cell research diseases like Parkisons can eventually be cured.
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
In the US, people neither realize or care when they eat genetically modifiied foods. Of course, we have people like Morgan Spurlock living off of McDonalds for a month.
 

Jimmy Junior

New member
I live in the UK but I've never heard of Monsanto. As David pointed out, in the UK if a product were labelled to contain genetically modified produce (we have stricter laws on labelling than in the US) people simply wouldn't buy it. In fact, most supermarkets here are proud of the fact that they don't stock GM produce. There is a big market here for organic produce, but I don't tend to buy it because it's more expensive.
 

Emrysgirl

New member
Jimmy Junior said:
(we have stricter laws on labelling than in the US)
US laws for food labeling are so stupid! You have to display the number of calories, but expiration dates aren't required. EXPIRATION DATES! That's the first thing you look at (well, second for people with allergies). And you're even allowed to print the wrong dates.

Back to Monsanto:
I'm kinda tied about GM.

On one hand: better, more resiliant crops/veggies; solutions for allergies.

On the other*: it's creating more resiliant bugs (natural selection blah blah); and it hasn't been around long enough to say no side effects. Also, once you start growing GM stuff, they take over and you can't grow other stuff.

But Monsanto makes other stuff too. They invented Roundup.

*I feel bad critisizing Monsanto since my summer program is being sponsored by a company that split from Monsanto and is currently being bailed out of financial trouble by them (Solutia). Solutia is the conservitive branch of Monsanto. They work on pure chemistry stuff.
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
I disagree with what yous aid about the expiration dates. If that were teh case, there wouldn't be a lawsuit against HP for not printing expiration dates on the ink cartridges (among other things). It may not be legally required to print it, but if it expires, and there's no mention of it on the package, that company is basically saying "Sue me!"
 

Emrysgirl

New member
But that's the thing: it's a civil lawsuit. There's no law (at least for food. I don't know what the case is for ink cartriges).
 

Jimmy Junior

New member
Emrysgirl said:
US laws for food labeling are so stupid! You have to display the number of calories, but expiration dates aren't required. EXPIRATION DATES! That's the first thing you look at (well, second for people with allergies). And you're even allowed to print the wrong dates.
Products sold in the UK must have a full list of ingredients printed on the side, and I think they must have a 'nutrition information' table which includes the number of calories, amongst other things.
Pre-packaged foods must have an expiry or 'best before end' date (deli products simply display the date they were sold), unless they don't expire, like honey. Even tinned foods must have an expiry date on them, although it's usually about 10 years away from the date you buy the product.
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
You ahve to list the ingredients in America, as well. In descending order, from most used to least used, by pound (American equivilant to kilogram)
 

Jimmy Junior

New member
As I understood it that wasn't compulsory - me and my mate were going to open a shop selling produce imported from America; one of the problems we encountered was having the ingredients listed on the labels.
 

Emrysgirl

New member
No, ingredients are required in the US to prevent allergic reactions etc. So is the nutrition information. But expiry dates are only required on baby food. And, as I said before, even printing wrong dates isn't illegal (or wasn't when I found out some 3 years ago).

Maybe there was some loophole because it was being sold in the UK ie neither countries laws apply or something. I know expiration dates don't have to be listed for UK products being sold in the US.
 

Jimmy Junior

New member
I can see how that could work - often in the UK a product will be given a 'best before end' date, which literally means it is at it's best before that date - it can still be eaten or used after that date, it simply won't be at it's best. A 'use by' date can be found on a product that may be harmful (or in the case of printer cartridges, won't work) after that date.
A while ago a tin of carrots was found left over from the second world war; it was about 40 years past it's 'best before end' date, but they opened it up and ate some of the carrots. They weren't exactly delicious, but they didn't make anyone ill.
 
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