GMO WARNING: Beware the Innate Potatoes

As genetically modified foods continue to lure innocent buyers at the grocery store, I thought it might be a good idea to start filling you in on what to avoid. So, I'll be focusing on a particular type of food in these posts titled GMO WARNING. Keep your eye out for them.

Image courtesy of Charles Rondeau

For this first post, I wanted to tell you about a type of potato that was approved by our glorious FDA just last year.

Why GMO? The explanation sounds good, but beware the dangers. J.R. Simplot engineered this potato to produce less acrylamide. What is acrylamide? Apparently it's something released when potatoes are fried that has a possible link to cancer.

The genetic engineering is also supposed to keep the potatoes from bruising. And you know, no one wants to eat a bruised potato.

J.R. Simplot planned to market the Innate potatoes to fast food chains like McDonald's that fry their potatoes (for French fries and hashbrowns) at very high temperatures. However, some of these targeted chains, including McDonald's, are, at this point, refusing to buy the GMO potatoes. Even Frito Lay's has said no to the spud.

How can you avoid Simplot's Innate potatoes? Since you might not know whether or not the potatoes you're buying are genetically modified, your best option, as always, is to buy organic or Non-GMO Project Verified potatoes and/or potato products. 

Keeping you informed,