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* GENETIC MODIFICATION and TRUTH IN ADVERTISING *

Interesting concepts each. What is entailed in these two concepts? And who owes what to whom?

As a consumer, most of us have no specialized expertise to make sense of the labels that are placed on products these days with a cornucopia of drugs, dyes and injected
'supplements'. We can try. But, do we have time? Would we understand the ingredients or genetic modifications? More importantly, would we believe that what we are being told (by the distributor, the farmer, the FDA) is actually true, complete and factual? A product label can tell me that RED DYE #23 was used and I wouldn't have a clue regarding the chemical breakdown or if they had used pigs blood to make that specific color. So how important - really - is our labeling?

We ask our legislators to 'protect' us by setting up all of these entities to be our ombudsman thinking that "someone has to be responsible" to give us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth as we duly swear in our courts. Yet, all we know from long experience is that the growers or producers - like any other corporation - are looking to produce the best product, at the cheapest price, in the quickest manner to get the best rate of return for themselves and their shareholders.

Furthermore, the F.D.A. (Food and Drug Administration), being an arm of the federal government whose salaries you pay from your taxes, has ever-changing guidelines based on the technical breakthroughs, whims of the lobbyists of the drug companies and agri-businesses who are pushing a specific agenda to "YOUR" congressional representative, who will vote for that which, they believe, will be best for the American consumer. What IS the truth? Whose truth is it? And is the final decision something that will perfectly fit the needs of every consumer?

Of course not!

The farmer, the distributor, the FDA, et al, cannot know what specific product is going to cause a physical problem for YOU the consumer. Nor can they presuppose that anything they print (complete or not) will address the needs of each consumer.

'Caviat Emptor' is the rule in ANY purchase. Buyer beware! Beware of what your needs are. Differentiate your needs from your wants. What you think ought to be good for your family. And what you are willing to pay for that product.

YOU should know what ailments and infirmities you have. Nowadays, even if your doctor prescribes you a drug, you have no way of knowing if that doctor read your chart properly, was under personal stress, whether the chosen drug is experimental, being pushed by a drug company or if it has any contraindications to any other medication or food you take that will cause serious harm. The situation may never have arisen before in your case. Are we to assume that food and government bodies have any more vested interest in your body than your very personal physician?
In each of these scenarios we have at the heart of the matter a certain element of trust. But NOT blind trust.

Each of us has to make our own personal choice on any purchase. And it must be remembered that we have that luxury. In how many countries around the world are people still scrounging or fighting for a bit of fly-infested meat or rice grains picked from the dirt as their next meal? And then remember how litigious our society has become because we choose to blame someone else for our real or perceived injuries.

And we wonder why life has become so complicated. Remember,
there are NO guarantees in life.

Learn more about this author, Tim Schroll.
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