Religion and Ethics Forum

General Category => Science and Technology => Topic started by: Nearly Sane on October 30, 2023, 10:26:06 AM

Title: Would you drink genetically modified beer?
Post by: Nearly Sane on October 30, 2023, 10:26:06 AM

Yes.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67193176

Title: Re: Would you drink genetically modified beer?
Post by: jeremyp on October 30, 2023, 10:32:43 AM

That would depend on the reason why the yeast was genetically modified. For example:

Quote

Berkely Yeast edits the DNA of yeast strains to remove or add a certain gene. One of its products, its Tropics yeast, has been tweaked to provide the taste of passion fruit and guava.

I wouldn't drink that genetically modified beer, mainly because I wouldn't drink such a flavoured beer even if the flavouring came from actual passion fruit and guava.

Title: Re: Would you drink genetically modified beer?
Post by: Steve H on October 30, 2023, 10:41:45 AM

I would not knowingly drink or eat genetically modified anything.

Title: Re: Would you drink genetically modified beer?
Post by: jeremyp on October 30, 2023, 10:45:28 AM

Quote from: SteveH on October 30, 2023, 10:41:45 AM

I would not knowingly drink or eat genetically modified anything.

But you do. Practically everything you eat is genetically modified.

Title: Re: Would you drink genetically modified beer?
Post by: Steve H on October 30, 2023, 11:50:33 AM

Quote from: jeremyp on October 30, 2023, 10:45:28 AM

But you do. Practically everything you eat is genetically modified.

Nonsense. You are no doubt going to reply that all modern crops and livestock have been selectively bred for thousands of years, which is true, but that's not what is meant by the phrase "genetic modification", which refers to splicing in completely foreign genes in a laboratory, eg glow-worm genes into plants to make the plants glow, which could never happen with traditional selective breeding.