Many Americans suffer from food allergies. More than half blame a lack of information or inaccurate information -- such as misleading ingredient labels -- for an allergic reaction at some point in their lives. This problem may soon become a thing of the past.
At North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, scientists have found a way to avoid one of the most dangerous allergens there is -- a peanut protein. They used biotechnology to completely deactivate the peanut allergen. It is important to note that their data are based on animal testing, and therefore the modified peanut is yet to be deemed safe and effective for humans. Currently, researchers at the University of Florida are using gene-splicing in efforts to create a peanut which lacks the proteins responsible for most allergic reactions (gene-splicing of crops is a technique long supported by ACSH Trustee Dr. Norman Borlaug -- see "Dr. Norman Borlaug, Who Saved a Billion Lives, Honored by Congress This Week").
Despite the success of genetically modified crops, many so-called environmental activists continue to petition against acceptance of the valuable technology. The fear of genetically-modified (GM) agricultural products is based on superstition and is anti-scientific. The media constantly alerts us to supposed dangers of GM agriculture, but there has been no evidence of a real threat -- either to human health or to the environment.
Food allergy rates are rising, and Americans dine out much more frequently than in the past. This means that unexpected allergic reactions to food will continue to be a growing problem. An opportunity to avoid potentially-fatal allergic reactions is just one more reason why GM agriculture must become more widely accepted.
Krystal Wilson is a research intern at the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH.org, HealthFactsAndFears.com).
See also: ACSH's full-length report on Biotechnology and Food:
