Am I obligated to tell my fanatically health-conscious dinner guests that their meal contains genetically modified ingredients?
Hewing to “don’t ask, don’t tell” is certainly the easiest solution, since your guests are unlikely to bite into a GM papaya and exclaim, “Egad, I can taste the genes!” But there’s always a remote chance they’ll find out by other means — say, by spotting the packaging while hitting the kitchen for a beer. And if these folks are as neurotic as you fear, your evening could end in a less-than-pleasant fashion. The saintly thing to do is make an inquiry ahead of time. “By virtue of this being a host-guest relationship, you want to be considerate of their interests,” says Gary Comstock, an ethicist at North Carolina State University who writes about agriculture and biotechnology. If you feel awkward asking for permission, however, Comstock advises that you avoid the whole GM hornet’s nest by simply steering clear of Franken foods for the evening. Save the juiced-up tomatoes for those more at peace with technology’s relentless progress — or those hungry enough not to care. Is it dangerous to
