GMO's Showing Their Age

While Colorado along with three other states have narrowly voted down the labeling of genetically modified products a new study is now showing that GMO's are neither new nor are they scientific.

GRAY: The new research looked at the genes of 291 sweet potato varieties grown worldwide. They found evidence of the same set of bacterial genes in each one of them — a finding they call "rather remarkable."

MARTIN: What the team is suggesting is that soil bacteria infected ancient plants altering the native plants DNA. These wild sweet potatoes were discovered to be edible and ancient man began planting and cultivating them as a food source all the while not realizing the DNA make up had been changed or genetically modified.

GRAY: So how long ago are we talking? All this took place some 8,000 years ago well before anything deemed modern or scientific. One GMO expert says he doesn't think that this revelation will do much to quell the debate on the issue on whether or not genetically modified foods are safe to eat.

MARTIN: Even though we have seen the recent approval of the genetically modified Arctic apple which won't brown after cutting and the Innate potato which also won't brown and also reduce the amount of acrylamide the debate over GMO's will only heat up. Both sides will have their arguments and it will be up to public opinion and of course the courts to decide.

And that's Colorado Ag Today. I'm Greg Martin, thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the West.