The land of pineapples, bananas and sugarcane, Hawaii seems like an unlikely place to grow corn. But in the last 10 years or so, the Aloha state has been home to genetically modified crops - potatoes, soybeans, wheat, beets, rice, safflower and other food traditionally grown in the mainlands.

Scientific American takes another jab at the pros and cons debate on Genetically modified food, in the background of a economically thriving but ecologically isolated Hawaii. Of interest is a report that genetic drift has been found in non-GM papaya seeds that test positive for GM material. The safety of genetically modified food is always a top debate topic. But in the case of Hawaiians, rejection of GM food, in particular taro root crop, has as more to do with its legendary origins and ties with the Hawaiian culture.

This new study is along the lines of vaccine-producing bananas.

One of the best uses of genetic engineering of plants is producing rare proteins with medical use in larger quantities. Interleukin-12 is one of those proteins that our bodies produce in regulated quantities, but is very essential for the function of the immune system. Certain immune diseases are the result of having either too little or too much interleukin-12. If scientists can harness enough of the protein for research and therapeutic development, then perhaps certain diseases can be controlled better.

New findings published in the journal Biotechnology and Bioengineering found a way for interleukin-12 to be produced artificially inside genetically-modified tobacco in a more efficient way using nutrient mist bioreactors.

HoneySweet plums genetically engineered to resist the plum pox virus are slated to become deregulated by USDA-APHIS after which growers wil be allowed to cross breed the plums with other varieties.

From the USDA Agricultural Research Service:

Are the added genes in the fruit? Will I be eating foreign genes?

The new DNA is in the fruit. But genes are broken by digestive enzymes in the stomach. We have analyzed the fruit from HoneySweet and compared it with fruit from other plum trees, and there is no significant difference in composition in terms of nutrients usually measured in plums (sugars, acids, vitamins, fiber, etc.).

Despite these assurances, safety concerns have been raised about HoneySweet plums:

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Pork containing omega-3 fatty acids, which may reduce the risk of heart disease, could be available in the future. Researchers at Harvard University are also working on cows that make omega-3’s in their milk and chickens that have the fatty acids in their eggs.

Sounds yummy? Learn more at A Hearty Life.