By Theodora Filis
Mars chocolate manufacturer, the 5th largest privately held company in the US, is funding research to genetically modify 70 percent of the global cocoa supply.
Funding for this project comes from Mars, involving scientists based at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the US Department of Agriculture and Science in addition to researchers working at IBM’s Thomas J Watson Research Center.
Cacao production provides a livelihood for over 6.5 million farmers in Africa, South America and Asia and ranks as one of the top ten agriculture commodities in the world. Although chocolate is mostly consumed by the industrialized world, it is grown in developing countries. The US, France, and Germany consume more than half of the world's cocoa supply.
The first use of cocoa appears to have occurred around 1100 BC. In the Americas, this crop has been cultivated for at least three millenniums. So the question arises if humans have been growing cocoa plants successfully for so long, why the need to fix what isn't broken?
GM crops already make up approximately 80 percent of processed foods in the US, and many commercial chocolate products contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their ingredients already, including high fructose corn syrup, soybean, and canola oil.
On the Mars homepage, they write: “When people think of Mars, most often they think of chocolate — and we do make some of the best-loved chocolate in the world. But we’re much more. We are a privately owned company with more than 65,000 Associates who are committed to delivering the best quality in pet care, making office breaks more refreshing with delicious teas and coffees, putting wholesome food on family tables, and bringing smiles to millions around the world with our gum, confections, and of course, chocolate.”
Chocolate’s nutritional value has been trumpeted by recent research claiming that dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, flavinoids, epicatechin, and other ingredients that shield against heart attacks, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.
Recent grant and funding disclosures suggest that the research supporting these so-called advantages was bought and paid for by the chocolate industry.
There was a time when chocolate candy bars were pure chocolate, sugar, and something special like nuts, marshmallows, or peanut butter. But not so anymore. Most chocolate consumed in America today is essentially a highly fattening mix of refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and milk from factory-farmed dairy cows with an overlay of chocolate flavoring made from inferior beans. How can this be healthy?
Are the people at Mars fibbing when they advertise they are committed to putting “wholesome” food on our family's tables? Yes. What Mars cares about is putting lots of your money in their already bulging pockets. They believe that by replacing organic cacao trees with modified cocoa tree hybrids they will be helping the 6.5 million cacao farmers to produce cacao at rates only the sweetest dreams are made of.
Scientists involved are already spreading the news about their new “tastier” modified chocolate.
Thanks to the USDA, Monsanto, and the lack of labeling requirements, most of our sweet snacks are already made with GMOs. You won't find this information on a label, however, because content from genetically modified crops stays below labeling thresholds, and additives made from GM microorganisms do not require labeling – of course, they don't, that would make you wise to their ways, and stop you from gobbling up their products.
Chocolate lovers beware, Willy Wonka is no longer in charge of the chocolate factory!
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