Alicia, You are adding another perspective and I am more than happy to discuss our different opinions. There is no need to apologize because I believe that one of the ways we all grow and learn is by listening to each other and being willing to at least see the other side (maybe not understand it but be willing to look at the other side :) You wrote, "your limits of acceptable biological manipulation are different than mine." Yes that must be true, if you find the Martek oils--DHA and AA--acceptable. By your comments about the brassica family I gather you believe that cloning and genetic modification are just an extension of plant and animal breeding that has been going on for thousands of years. What limits would you put on this new technology? At what point do you believe that we may overstep the boundary of nature and enter the territory of huge risks? Would you consider mixing the genes of a shrimp to a strawberry in order to make a redder strawberry risky? Or is mixing the gene from a flounder that keeps this animal from freezing in the cold North Atlantic with a strawberry to create a frost-resistant plant safe? The frost-resistant strawberry might be a good thing for the farmer--save his crop. The shrimp with the strawberry seems rather like a ploy to deceive the consumer but maybe it has an aesthetical worth. By the way these examples have all been done. What about crossing the human gene for lactoferrin with rice? This lactoferrin will be used in infant formula to make it identical to breastmilk lactoferrin. Yes, being done in California at UC Davis (Bo Lonnerdal, human milk researcher) and we have experimental fields of this rice. Have we gone too far now? Think about the impact of this product. We think Martek has caused us problems. Of course, we already have approval of milk lactoferrin made from cows who are able to express the human lacatoferrin gene (bovine embryo has gene for human lactoferrin). So I guess I shouldn't be too upset over the rice and human lactoferrin gene mix because heck it's only a plant. Funny thing is that I tend to think that despite the genetic diversity in nature, there have always been boundaries. Mixing human genes with plants or animals, seems like we have jumped over a major boundary. I guess this makes me real uneasy, and I am afraid that even Martek's cloned microalgae and fungi make me real uneasy. But you know if everyone else in the world wants to eat it and drink it, that's fine with me. Just I don't want to eat it and drink it nor do I want my children or their children eating and drinking it. But am I being offered a choice or even informed consent? A recent article was sent to me from another Lactnetter and it certainly is worth considering. From: http://www.guardian.co.uk/gmdebate/story/0,2763,756666,00.html "British scientific researchers have demonstrated for the first time that genetically modified DNA material from crops is finding its way into human gut bacteria, raising potentially serious health questions." The concern is that resistance to antibiotics may increase because genetic modification uses antibiotic resistant markers. I am concerned about the premies and infants who are ingesting these foods. The gut of an the baby who is not breastfed is a wide open field for these new organisms. One would think that there would be some level of precaution before we wholeheartly buy into this new technology. But I don't see any precaution nor do I see any real public debate on this issue.. So I thank you Alicia for being willing to discuss this because I think we have to look at this new technology and how it will impact our infants....and impact breastfeeding. Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC *********************************************** 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