What GE stand for?
Don't worry, it doesn't have nothing to do with the General Electric appliances! GE Food stands for genetically engineered food. You will also hear about it trough different names such as GMO (Genetically Modified Organism), recombinant DNA, transgenetic modification or even the popular expression "Frankenfood".

Brief explanation of genes & genetic engineering

Genes are segments of DNA that contain information that in part determines the structure and function of a living organism. Genetic engineers are molecular biologists who manipulate this information, typically by taking genes from one species - an animal, plant, bacterium, or virus - and inserting them into another species, such as an agricultural crop. (definition taking from ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas))

The human genome is estimated to have as few as 30-45,000 functional genes, while Oryza sativa has between 32,000 and 56,000 functional genes. The earthworm, Caenorhabditis elegans, has 19,000 genes and the plant, Arabidopsis thaliana has 25,000 genes. (Reporter, July 2002)

Man trying to be as powerful as God

To help you size the stake of biotechnology, I decided to start by giving you a list of the weirdest example of genetic experiment made with food that I read. I do not know if they were released commercially.

• Insert of a gene from the North Atlantic Flounder Fish into a strawberry in order to make the fruit frost resistant.
• Insert of the gene responsible for scorpion poison into a potato: that gene produces a toxin that will paralyses pests.
• Insert of a rat gene into a broccolini to increase the levels of vitamin C in the broccolini. Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and a Chinese kale.
• Insert of a human gene known to adapt to pollution into a potato, making it possible to be grown in a polluted environment.

There is also a wide variety of experiments that are not related to food, such as: insert of the spider gene into a goat, so its milk can provide a unique protein which will produce a special fiber that will be use for bulletproof vests. With the wide boundaries of this technology, whatever "smart" idea scientists will come up with, they will try
realize it. Even if they don't succeed, they will try.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/roots.reggae/ital/food.htm

This website is dedicated to true food
In the world that we are living in, it becomes harder and harder everyday to be able to eat decent food. Over the last eight years, I have found a growing interest in feeding myself the best possible way. I strongly believe that chemicals are not part of a healthy diet. I also became vegetarian, but that was more of a spiritual choice than a healthy choice.

The website will first promote organic agriculture and fair trade, then will explain the nonsense of GE-food, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, chemical fertilizer, food additives and irradiation inside today's food. It is made with the sole intention to raise awareness. It also contains alternatives to pesticides. I don't claim to be a health professional, I am just a citizen that has read several articles on various subjects related to food and decided to share the information. Each subject will be discuss briefly and I will then redirect you to other websites if you wish to learn more.

I have started to eat organic when I first read about genetically engineered crops. I was extremely disgust to find out that we were actually eating these food without even being told about it. I then became involve in a group of citizen at the end of 1999, devoted to raise people awareness about the hidden facts of that new technology. I have read hundreds of articles on that subject alone. Before you leave the website, make sure you print the table in the Food Additives section. I deeply hope that all the information I am communicating is accurate.

English is my second language. The site is presently under construction. Eventually all the texts will be revised.

If you can afford it and believe it's a decent alternative, encourage organic farming. Or even better, grow your own food! But if you do so, beware of the seed's provenance.

What is Ital?

[Pronounced high-tal]. Coming from the word vital, ital is part of the rastamans' vocabulary, elaborated in Jamaica in the late 50's and through the 60's. In our comon language, it would sound similar to real, true or even roots. Usually when they use that word, they would place it next to food, to designate something that comes from the creator compare to something that is unpure or that was manufactured with chemicals.