A practical case for reconsidering GMO based on taste

Let me be the first to call myself out: I am not a food science expert.  I am a mechanical engineer with a good background in energy systems, construction, and building design.  I have a fairly decent knowledge of communications systems, economics, and quantum physics.  I am above average in my knowledge of theater, 80s pop/rock, and almost every competitive sporting activity.  But I am not a food science expert, so take the rest of this post with the proverbial grain of salt…

The food in England and France tastes better than the food in the US.

This is not an American self-loathing thing…I really love our country.  Despite several flaws, it's a great place to live, and we have an unwavering hope that things will get even better.  This is not saying that food in America is awful, just that the food in England and France tastes better.

Last month, my wife, my oldest child, and I spent some time in Paris and London.  We are not entirely normal tourists, as we like to trek off the beaten path and get into the neighborhoods of cities we visit.  Our meals do not consist of hitting the most highly rated restaurants in major cities, so my taste comparisons cover the standard fare.  We bought groceries at a standard corner store in London for our breakfasts and snacks, grabbed meals at neighborhood pubs and restaurants for most of our meals, and even sampled a cart vendor or two along the way.  At each turn, even in the highly Americanized sports pub, the food had a richer quality of taste to it.  I am not making claims that it was better for us, just that on the quality of taste, there was a noticeable difference compared with American food.

This is where my observation turns to supposition.  In talking with people over there, and having read about food systems in the UK and mainland Europe, there are two striking differences.  First, much of the food systems are inherently local.  There are certainly South American bananas, but most of the staple crops come from farms within the country…which comparatively would mean within the geographic area of our states.  This short farm-to-table timeframe could easily account for much of the heightened flavor in the food.  Second, European countries practice the precautionary principle.  That means that anything consumed by people must be proven safe prior to consumption.  They have heavy restrictions on food additives, GMO, and processing.  There is still much debate about the safety of food additives, and especially GMO, but little of that discussion has included quality.  A completely unscientific analysis suggests to me that it would help to include it in the discussion.  Lastly, the portion sizes are drastically different.  In the states, we are fine with average tasting food if the portion gives us the quality to match our payment.  Perhaps in Europe, the smaller portion size forces vendors to ensure that the quality of the food matches the customers expectations of value.

Sometimes, our debates in this country become more about the debating than the topic.  We have talked for the better part of the last decade about the food industry from the point of view of safety, energy intensity, and environmental damage.  This brief sampling suggests to me that we should provide equal footing to the quality of the food, and not just look at food as a business, but something that sustains life in myriad ways.