On Sun, 29 Oct 2000, Carol Brussel wrote:
> valerie's posts about genetic engineering of human milk components and their
> use in food and pharmaceutical products is just as important, yet her posts
> still receive either complete lack of response, or, what i interpret as the
> next stage in the evolution of a topic on LN, an angry denial of  the
> validity or relevance of what she says. i know some people have figured out
> that i often act as agent provocateur on lactnet, bringing up topics or
> making statements that are designed to provoke some thought and contemplation
> of the deeper issues. the usual stages are that a topic is completely
> ignored, then a topic is responded to with denial, then the topic is
> responded to with "let's not bring up the ugly stuff and play nice together,
> after all, we have to support each other," then - sometimes - it can be
> discussed in a meaningful way.

I'm mostly a lurker on this list, but I have been following Valerie's
posts.  I haven't replied yet to any of them partly because of a lack of
time, and partly because due to my training and interest in genetics, I
know two things that cause me to be conflicted about responding to it.

The first is that this is indeed a very important issue, and a very
complex issue.

The second is that much of what Valerie has been saying is complete
hogwash.  Ten or twenty years from now, much of it could be truth, which
is why it is a very important issue.  The question I have mulled over is
will confronting the hyperbole cause people to dismiss the issue as one of
non-importance?  Or were people already dismissing it as hyperbole?  If
people rolled their eyes at the whole oatmeal thing, it undermines and
trivializes the issue, and they're much less likely to listen to a more
moderate and fact based voice.

> this isn't science fiction, folks. some day the formula manufacturers will be
> blatantly advertising that their product IS exactly like "mom's own" and it
> will be because IT IS MADE FROM MOM'S OWN. wake up and smell the non-organic
> coffee. read what she said, because what she said is lactoferrin is being
> used in FOOD PLANTS. these human milk components are being used in drugs, as
> well. this is terribly important, although it reads like science fiction.

Recombinant gene engineering is a tool, and like all tools, it can be
used for good or ill.  This application is obviously an ill, but the
question remains of how to fight it.  I don't see it as being much
different from what formula companies have done all along, we have so many
people now who believe that formula is made to be just like human milk.

There is no reason for formula to exist other than corporate profits.  It
is a combination of a waste product (dairy whey) meeting up with marketing
to create a false need.  Because people perceive that formula is "needed"
(they always bring up the few who can't breastfeed) they will always be
receptive to improvements in it, and how those improvements get there is
going to be a minor issue.  Formula companies are viewed as benevolent and
good hearted, producing a "needed" product (even if strictly only by a
few) and striving mightily at great expense to make it as good as can be.
You'll reach a few people with the "dangers of GMO's" but face it, most
people won't care, and you'll probably turn off more than you'll reach.

Can that image be changed?  Maybe.  Tobacco used to be viewed as being
healthy and wholesome.  I'd say the first step would be to take away the
"need" part.  Figure out how to make a modified human milk for babies
with galactosemia.  Make a "human milk fortifier" from human milk.  Take
away every little niche market for whom they are the only option.  Get to
the source of the problem with doctors and nurses by going to the source,
their schooling, better yet, get the accrediting bodies on board, and
have them pressure the medical schools.  But getting into a fight on the
basis of whether the components are from genetically modified sources or
not is going to make the formula companies smile, because you'll be bogged
down in trivial matters that they can market away as simply being a turf
war and they'll paint you as the bad guy who doesn't want all those babies
who "need" their product to have the best they can.

Mary K. Conner

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html