Frankenbeets

This spring American farmers will start planting a strain of genetically modified sugar beets, which will be resistant to the pesticide Roundup, coincidentally manufactured by Monsanto, the very company behind the sugar beet seeds.

Most of the table sugar manufactured in this country comes from sugar beets, rather than sugar cane. The sugar extracted from the two plants is chemically identical by the time it's processed into the white powder we know so well, although bakers insist that the two substances behave quite differently.

These beets will be the first new genetically modified food crop introduced in the United States since the 1990's. Years ago candy companies such as Mars and Hershey's balked at the idea of using GMO sugar in their products because they feared consumer reaction, but now they've somehow gotten the impression that consumers don't care as much as they did a few years ago.

It's true that during the past few years we haven't been hearing the uproar over genetically engineered crops that regularly made news headlines eight or ten years ago. Perhaps that's because no new GMO crops have been introduced lately, at least until this sugar beet venture.

I think Monsanto and the beet growers are going to be in for a expensive surprise. There has already been a lawsuit filed by the Organic Seed Alliance and a group of other plaintiffs against the USDA for insufficient oversight. I know that when I use table sugar, I'll be looking for brands that are made from cane, rather than beets, at least until they start genetically modifying that, as well.