Insects and GMOs, how the food changes
And if you insects did they become part of our diet? They are already part of the food regime of some Asian, African and South American countries and for some time have been contained in some products sold in European markets such as a type of French pasta and an example of Dutch cutlet. Without forgetting the Milanese startup ItalBugs, who experimented with the first panettone with flour from the silkworm. He states it Laura Gasco, from the Department of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Sciences, of the University of Turin, in the debate "How can agri-food research make headlines", within the Festival of Food Journalism.
"There are 2037 species of edible insects on earth - explained Gasco - and many do not know that they are also contained in jams, tomato purées, figs. We unknowingly eat 50-60 grams a year and are part of the diet of over two billion people. Research has shown that they are rich in proteins, fibers and amino acids useful to the body and are sustainable because they produce little greenhouse gases ".
The panel was also an opportunity to return to talking about the distance between media and food-related issues. The case "mad cow"And the recent news on the risk of contracting cancer for those who consume more red meat are just two examples of the gap between journalism and research brought to the attention during the debate. "The" mad cow "case has changed Europe from a food point of view. In England a delay in correct information caused serious damage. They died about 250 boys - he recalled Maria Caramelli, of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Piemonte, Liguria, Val d'Aosta -. At first nothing was known, but the information at that time was crucial and in the United Kingdom those who delayed communications were tried. In Italy this news is not always told if not only connected to a perception of risk. In the United States certain information and research have more resonance ". Dr. Caramelli went on to recall some significant data from Coldiretti: "A research by the association has shown that 40% of people no longer consume food tied to a food emergency and 13% does not change its decision in the long term" . The case of red meat has also intervened Battista Gardoncini, journalist of the RAI of Piedmont who, at the release of the news, interviewed Paolo Vineis, Turin epidemiologist coordinator of the research IARC, to clarify the results. Vineis stated that the study was not intended to provide indications on the amount of consumption or that the meat should not be consumed, because it has a high nutritional value.
Another important topic, that of research in the biotechnological field on GM. Second Maria Lodovica Gullino di Agroinnova, of the research and communication center of the University of Turin: «They are not dangerous organisms for health and we are not talking about combining basil and fish. There has been a great evolution in the biotechnology sector that you journalists need to help us explain to the general public. Thanks to new technologies today there are plants resistant to drought and pests. The information must help us to give the news in a correct way to increase the awareness of the average citizen ».
Di Gianluca Palma e Azzurra Giorgi (Futura)
