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We’re in the height of pollination season right now, with heavy tassels nodding and silks flowing. Things here in Iowa are going well, at least according to what I’ve seen and what I’ve read in the Iowa Farmer Today’s Crop Watch Blog. Some pests are appearing, but so far conditions are perfect for our research projects (as well as for the nation’s crops!). I’ve been doing my best to keep up with lab work
But now, it seems, the opposite may be true. “Can’t we use GMOs to eliminate allergies?” The New Scientist reports that one Japanese researcher and his team are having some success with that possibility. 20% of Japanese citizens succumb to a harsh reaction to Japanese Cedar pollen. Proteins within the pollen cause the body to react as it would to an invading pathogen, which is what defines an allergy. Treatment currently requires pollen injections, which can be dangerous. The new rice, which has been tested in mice and Macaques with no side effects, helps the body learn to tolerate the presence of those allergenic proteins. How does it work?
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Is the organic label worth the cost?
The big organic debate has been reignited by a meta analysis by the Food Standards Agency (a British food safety agency).
Analysis of 162 studies shows that there is no nutritional difference between organic and conventional produce, i.e. there isn’t more beta carotene in organic carrots, or more vitamin C in organic strawberries. Analysis of 11 studies found no difference in health effects of organic and conventional produce. Surely, some people will debate these findings, but the analyses seem to be very well done (report 1, report 2).
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