Eat your genes

Free speech issues notwithstanding, Americans haven't forgotten that what brought Oprah Winfrey to a Texas court recently was controversy about mad cow disease and genetic engineering in the food supply. Nottingham offers a comprehensive look at these areas of growing concern. He catalogs the intended benefits (e.g., cows yielding more milk, and vegetables with longer shelf lives) and the unintended side effects (such as allergic reactions, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and environmental threats). And he examines the ethical issues: the humane treatment of animals raised for food, the cloning of animals, and concerns that, despite assurances by the scientific community, cloning will eventually be applied to the human species. He notes the growth of the pharming industry (combining agriculture products with pharmaceuticals) and the enormous profits to be made in patenting genetic engineering techniques. This extensively researched and footnoted work is heavy reading for those without biology or chemistry backgrounds; but Nottingham offers essential information for those concerned about genetically modified foods.

AGRI Nottingham, a crop protection biologist who has done research in both the United States and Britain, writes about the genetic engineering of foods for human consumption, not only fruits and vegetables but also crop plants such as corn and soybeans that enter our diet as ingredients in processed foods. He also notes that genetically modified meat, fish, and poultry will be on the market in the near future. As Nottingham points out, the introduction of genetically altered food could have serious consequences, e.g., allergic reactions and increased resistance to certain antibiotics. Ranging widely to cover the history, science, business, international relations, risks, ethics, and consumer issues of genetic engineering, Nottingham's book will serve as an informative primer for both general readers and students. It is clearly written in a report style that is supported throughout by up-to-date facts and figures from around the world. Another very readable book on this topic, although not nearly as detailed or broad in scope, is Robin Mather's more personal and conversational A Garden of Unearthly Delights (LJ 5/1/95). Recommended for public libraries and undergraduate collections in academic libraries.