When county open space buys a farm, sometimes they lease the farming rights back to a farmer so they can stay in agricultural production. Boulder County Commissioner s are giving careful consideration to the matter because even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has concluded that genetically modified foods are safe, there are still some unresolved questions about potential health risks. Allergens are at the heart of health worries about bioengineered foods because allergies could result from proteins in often-allergic foods, like nuts, which can be transferred to the new plants. Because of potential allergens, Kraft Foods recalled millions of packages of its Taco Bell brand taco shells last month that contained a gene-altered variety of corn. Gerber also decided to stop using genetically modified ingredients in its baby foods and Whole Foods Markets is working to eliminate such ingredients from its store-brand products.
Flavor is also a factor.
You make big compromises in taste, said Laura Mangus, who works for Perkins Produce at the Boulder County farmer s market. I d rather have tomatoes that rot than have something from a lab. Even with food-industry experts estimating that close to 60 percent of the processed foods currently on store shelves contain genetically modified ingredients, this does not quell the flow of concerns, both nationally and locally. Then a couple of weeks ago Monsanto government affairs office came to me with an entire box of their own stuff. Monsanto Company, based in Illinois, is a producer of genetically modified seeds.