Lemons on a lemon tree

Frankencitrus Coming to a Store Near You?

A new ruling is expected to pave the way for genetically modified citrus to enter your local stores—but a loophole allows the food industry to keep you in the dark about the nature of the fruit you’re purchasing.

May 3, 2017 | Source: Alliance for Natural Health | by

A new ruling is expected to pave the way for genetically modified citrus to enter your local stores—but a loophole allows the food industry to keep you in the dark about the nature of the fruit you’re purchasing.

The Animal Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) is getting ready to do an environmental impact statement on a genetically modified citrus tree. If past experience is any guide, the government will most likely approve this latest GMO experiment.

Here’s the rub: the trees are treated with a genetically modified virus that makes them resistant to citrus greening disease, which has caused major problems for citrus growers in Florida. But according to the government’s definition, neither the trees nor the fruit will be considered genetically modified (an assertion that is patently absurd), so once again consumers will be in the dark about what kind of food they’ll be eating.