Four legged chicken, double the drumsticks! OR Mutant mammals make meals marvelous

This post was supposed to be about a man and his chicken.  His four legged chicken.  What a great story…but then I did a double take.  This article became a Darwinian example of tangential topics.  I mean, imagine the marketability of this genetic abomination!  Double the drumsticks!  KFC could clean up!  So much like the spider-goat, this post became two very different topics housed in one freakish body.

#1.  A FOUR LEGGED CHICKEN MEANS DOUBLE THE DRUMSTICKS!

This video from Reuters actually brings to question a few other things regarding the practice of eating mutants… are they Kosher?

The funny thing is… even if that chicken is considered Kosher and suitable for slaughter, with the press on this that shop keeper has probably already sold the chicken to the highest bidder on eBay.

#2.  MUTANT MAMMALS MAKE MEALS MARVELOUS

I did a quick search to see if there was anything else on the subject of four legged chickens.  Wake.  Up.  Call. Have you ever done a harmless web search and found yourself on a one way trip to the abyss?  There were HUNDREDS of pictures of four legged chickens…

Logically, this now leads me to believe that if there are this many examples of four legged chickens, there must be examples of other strange genetic mutations.  For a lark (I was on my second glass of scotch by now) I decided to use my investigative journalism skills and googlé “mutant animals”.  Found A LOT of weird and kooky stuff, and then I got depressed.

So how does this all relate to food?  Well, IT ALL RELATES TO FOOD.  In just a few short years, genetically modified plants have become part of our daily diet and are already found in 75% of processed foods. This revolution has occurred without consumer awareness and without the knowledge of potential risks to our health and the environment. Many scientists and farmers vigorously condemn the absence of independent, adequate testing.  So fruit and vegetables are one thing, living animals are another… right?  WRONG.  It is only a matter of time/may already be happening, before minor genetic tweaks are introduced into our general food supply.  Here is a link to the FDA’s website on the topic of genetically engineered animals:  I left the link long so you could see how buried in the site this was…

http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/developmentapprovalprocess/geneticengineering/
geneticallyengineeredanimals/default.htm

It is easy to imagine with modern food practices that engineered strains of animals would be wholeheartedly embraced by the food processors and manufacturers in North America.  It does make some twisted sense, as faster growing, bigger, more “productive” manifestations of what we eat would aid in bring the cost of food down, and bring the supply up.  But one of the main issues now is that (Especially in North America) our food is being centralized and homogenized into fewer areas and fewer varieties, relying on heavily processed ingredients, additives, and transportation.  Not cool.

WHAT OUR FOOD MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE

Photos from weirdnewsfiles.com

So what does the future of food hold?  With the blatant disregard for testing and ethics in the mass production of food we have seen so far, it would not take much to sway our governments to allow more and more modified foods to hit the shelves.  There are countless loop holes in the safety and even proper labeling of foods, which leave the end consumer blissfully unaware on what’s actually being put on their plates.

LABELING

Genetically engineered food sources are not labelled in North America even though consumers continue to agitate for clear labeling. Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a poll in October 2008 of more than 1000 people on various food labeling issues and found that 95% of consumers polled agreed that, “food products made from genetically engineered animals should be labelled as such”.

GRAB YOUR PITCHFORKS

Aside for a full scale rebellion, the best ways to stop the corporate steam roller is to STOP GIVING THEM MONEY!  Although convenience foods seem more inexpensive, they are the main cause of a new development in North America where we are overfed and under nourished.  Buy as much local, fresh and UNPROCESSED foods as you can.

Read about ChickieNob Nubbins in Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake. This was a fantastic book in general, but it had some interesting sidelines into the world of genetic manipulations…

MY TWO CENTS

I’m seriously freaked out about the current state of our world, and food is something we all need daily.  It is not a stretch to think about the future of our food.  Large facilities with boneless animals, featherless chickens, super cows, and fishpigs.  Who wouldn’t want to eat a fishpig?  I am all for technological advancements and innovation, but I think that motivation plays a key role in how it manifests.  Money and shares should not be the motivation.  Health and nourishment should.  Extensive and rigorous testing should be the norm, not pushing something to market to just see what happens.

Be VERY careful with what you are buying… after all, you are what you eat.