From Moms Across America
Throughout human history, insects have been part of the human diet in some cultures. Insects can provide protein, vitamins, and can be prepared like mammal meats. In some cultures this is tradition, in some scenarios this is survival. If you enjoy fried crickets or roasted ants, we are not judging you. However, what if the genes of an insect were tampered with in order to produce mammalian growth factors? That’s right, an insect with mammalian transgenes. This may sound like science fiction, but a Canadian biotech company is determined to put this on the market and make this a reality.
The company, Future Fields, is pushing a fruit fly genetically modified to produce mammalian growth factors. This GMO fly is named “EntoEngine”, also referred to as a “biofactory” by the company. This scheme is touted as an ‘environmentally friendly’ alternative to traditional meat, a ‘solution’ to greenhouse emissions on our planet. The intention is to create fake meat products out of these GMO fruit fly proteins.
Yet, do the expenses, risks and energy justify the so-called benefits?
