Will U.S. consumers ever benefit directly from genetically engineered foods?
DGS: They re already benefitting, at least indirectly, from the reduced use of pesticides. And as the techniques become more sophisticated, scientists may be able to introduce more complex changes that benefit consumers more directly. For instance, companies are working on developing fruit that can be picked ripe without becoming mushy, coffee that s naturally caffeine-free, and soybeans that don t trigger allergic reactions and that contain more healthful omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Foods like those won t show up in stores for many years. On the other hand, scientists may be close to creating genetically engineered foods that could make a difference in the lives of people in developing countries. Q: Foods like golden rice? GJ: Yes. An estimated half-million children in the world go blind every year because their diets don t contain enough vitamin A. Millions more die from infectious diseases that their immune systems might have been able to fight off with enough vitamin A. By
