Hi All
 
I just recieved Dr Stanfords copy of this months Apis newsletter and
was quite interested to read the article about genetically modified
organisms and honey. It was I geuss taken from one of those
'alarmist' type articles.
 
There is mention of the possibility that people may be allergic to
GMO's. Basically if a thing contains protein it is perfectly
possible to be allergic to it. It is also perfectly possible to
become desensitized to that allergy.
 
DNA codes largely for protein structures. If for instance one takes a
bit of DNA from some funny south american tree and slaps it into a
tomato to confer resistance to a fungus, there is no reason why this
will damage a person. We eat hundreds of similar substances and have
bacteria and yeasts producing similar things in out stomach in
kilogram quantities over our lives.
 
Likewise if a bee collects some pollen from a transgenic (plant which
contains DNA from another source other than it's own kind and
parents) plant and comes back to the hive and digests it, that
transgenic DNA will be digested just like any other chunk of DNA and
used to make new bees. IT is a bit like stealing the plans for a
bomb, printing it out and cutting out all the letters. If you then
use those letters to write a love letter one is no longer
transmitting the knowledge about how to build the same type of bomb.
 
I would be interested to hear what others in the list feel about this
one - it could in theory be an interesting debate??
 
Keep well
 
Garth
 
Garth Cambray           Camdini Apiaries
Grahamstown             Apis mellifera capensis
Eastern Cape Prov.
South Africa
 
Time = Honey
 
After careful consideration, I have decided that if I am ever a V.I.P
the I. may not stand for important.
(rather influential, ignorant, idiotic, intelectual, illadvised etc)