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Scientists are now engineering crops to produce medicines and vaccines, what some are terming ëfarmaceuticalsí. In this incident, corn had been bioengineered to produce a vaccine against Montezumaís revenge, or travelerís diarrhea.

Researchers inserted an E. coli gene into the corn. The corn then develops a substance that protects against travelerís diarrhea. The vaccine material grows in the corn and is extracted after the corn is harvested. Quite ingenious. Apparently this ëmedical corní was grown in test plots in Nebraska and Iowa during 2001. This year, regular (non-biotech) soybeans were grown in the same fields. All the bioengineered corn was thought to have been removed, but apparently a few seeds were left behind. The corn seeds sprouted and grew among the soybeans. When the soybeans were harvested a few bioengineered corn leaves and stalks were harvested with the soybeans.

Apparently 500 bushels of this bioengineered corn were found among the 500,000 bushels of soybeans. The soybeans were intended to produce salad dressing and animal feed, but government inspectors stopped the shipment, the soybeans were impounded and the entire lot will be destroyed.

Some biotech companies are using corn, barley, rice and tobacco to grow insulin, cholera vaccines and industrial enzymes.

Proponents of ëbiopharmingí stress the promise of lower cost drugs. Farmers see ëbiopharmingí as a way of supplementing sagging earnings. Opponents see ethical questions and danger to public safety.

Bioengineering has brought us pest resistant crops, larger animals and products that grow and mature much quicker than normal. The use of plants to grow pharmaceutical products is a newer application of bioengineering.

The food industry has been stung by bioengineered crops that were not approved for food use, such as the StarLink corn that caused the recall of taco shells in 2000. They are not interested in going through similar problems again.

Biotech companies voluntarily agreed not to grow bioengineered corn in the Corn Belt states, where the risk of contaminating food crops was highest, beginning in 2003. Some are questioning whether the USDA has adequate safeguards to protect the food supply from genetically modified products. Farmers are concerned their ordinary crops will be contaminated with bioengineered crops, causing them to lose their harvests.

There are still many questions facing this promising technology. The biotech companies, consumer advocates, government regulators and farmers need to work together to develop and implement a safe strategy to proceed with bioengineering, before a real disaster occurs.

(Extracted from an article on 'Modified Crops' from www.foodingredientsonline.com on November 18, 2002.)

Iron is normally only lost through bleeding so most people do not lose much iron. However, women with heavy menstrual bleeding can lose significant amounts of iron.

Iron is found in a number of foods. There are two forms of iron in foods: one form is easily absorbed by the body while the other is more difficult for the body to absorb. The form that is easily absorbed is called heme and is found in meat, fish and poultry. The more difficult to absorb form is called nonheme and is found in lentils, beans, spinach and iron fortified cereals.

The absorption of iron in the body varies depending upon a number of factors, including the amount already stored in the body, the form of iron consumed and the diet. Vitamin C has a positive effect on iron absorption, and increases the absorption of nonheme iron. On the other hand, calcium and tea decrease the absorption of nonheme iron. Of course, a balanced diet is important for iron absorption and good health.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance of iron is 8 milligrams (mg) for adult males, 11 mg for teen males, 18 mg for adult females, 27 mg for pregnant females and 7-11 mg for infants and young children. It is interesting that normal full term infants are born with enough iron to last for 6 months, so there is no RDA for infants under 6 months old. It is noteworthy that infants easily absorb the iron in breast milk.

The World Health Organization considers iron deficiency the top nutritional disorder in the world and it affects almost 30% of the worldís population. An iron deficiency occurs when the hemoglobin level falls below normal. This is the result of insufficient intake and low stored iron levels. Vitamin A is important in mobilizing the stored iron so a deficiency in Vitamin A can result in an iron deficiency even if there is sufficient iron stored in the body. Iron deficiency is often referred to as iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency can cause one to feel tired and weak; decrease immune functiona and slow child development. It can also increase the risk of premature delivery in pregnant women. Individuals with iron deficiencies are normally prescribed iron supplements. This should be done under a physicianís guidance.

Too much iron results in excess iron being stored in organs and can cause liver and heart damage. Too much iron intake is also associated with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatalities in young children. The Institute of Medicine has set the tolerable upper limit at 40 mg per day for individuals below 13 years old and 45 mg for individuals above 13 years old. More may be administered under a doctorís care.

This information was extracted from the National Institutes of Health website.