GLOSSARY OF TERMS IN THE FOOD FIGHT
Here are some terms that you should be familiar with when reading about or discussing Food Safety issues.
- GE – genetic engineering or genetically engineered
- GEOs – genetically engineered organisms
- GMOs – genetically modified organisms (used interchageably with GEOs)
- BT – Bacillus Thuringiensis (used in corn, potatoes, cotton)
- Roundup – an herbicide manufactured by Monsanto
- rBGH – Bovine Growth Hormone – a synthetic hormone used to stimulate cows’ milk production
- Roundup Ready – a type of GE crop (e.g. soybean) engineered to be resistant to Roundup. Roundup Ready crops enable farmers to spray Roundup on their fields and kill all of the weeds without killing the crops. Scientists perdict, however, that it is inevitable that the weeds will develop resistance to Roundup soon, and become ‘Roundup Ready’ themselves.