Bio-barcodes to be sprayed on food to track romaine lettuce (and more)

Marjory Wildcraft
Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin

OK, life is starting to happen really fast. This company is using microbes as tracking devices.

They convert digital data into strands of DNA, insert that bit of DNA into a micro organism (uh, they are calling these organisms "probiotics"), and then they can spray this onto any food or ag product.

They engineer this into a spore so that it is impervious to high temperature, UV light, etc. They say this is important so you can spray romaine lettuce, wash it, transport it, microwave it, have it decay for a month... and they will still be able to identify it. Spores are very difficult to get removed once sprayed on. These spores are theoretically biologically inert... So this "microbial tag" allows supply chain tracking throughout the entire transit of the food supply. They couple that with a quick readout device and they can track where anything came from within seconds.

They did a demo of the technology on coffee beans which they "tagged" while green. Then they were roasted the beans, brewed them into coffee, and then they showed they can still trace them and read the data.

This is being developed to show ethical sourcing.

For lettuce, they mix it in the wash water for the romaine.

What happens when this goes through an animals (like you) digestive system? They don't know.

Well, if you needed another reason to grow your own.... sheesh...



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Comments

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin
    edited April 2021

    My first reaction...Ew?! Now I should actually watch the video. 😂

    Watching...do you have a link to this group/organization? What's the name?

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,936 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The only good thing I could see is the ability to trace contaminated foods so quickly, but that does also strengthen Marjorie's statement about growing our own food!

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Very sad. Its nice to have this information but I wish they would leave our food alone

    Like @Lisa K said about @Marjory Wildcraft 's statement one more reason to grow your own food. Or work with a small group if you do not have a lot of space and share.

  • annbeck62
    annbeck62 Posts: 1,028 ✭✭✭✭

    In my opinion, this so wrong on so many levels. Yes, another reason to grow your own food.

  • Tave
    Tave Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That's scary. Locally grown food would be a good option if you can't grow your own. There's a lot to be said about eating food that's in season instead of having it shipped from across the globe.

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin

    Hi @LaurieLovesLearning the company is named Aanika at https://www.aanikabio.com/

    They are developing this to ensure product integrity (origin tracing), protect ag companies brands, limit food recalls, and champion sustainability. Oh my that all sounds so great! Their claims about the spores: edible, odarless, tasteless, invisible, heat and UV resistant, customizable, indestructable, and safe.

    From their website

    Bridging the gap between biology and the digital world

    All living creatures contain billions of bits of information within their biomolecules. At Aanika, we leverage nature to generate endless combinations of biological tags.

    Our tags are safe and edible but can withstand the harshest of conditions, providing customers with information when and where they need it most.

    The big take away for me: during the interview I did with Dr. Kai Fu Lee (the AI expert and Billionaire from investing in tech start ups) is that our science and technology is accelerating exponentially. Our human minds cannot conceive of this - we have difficulty enough with linear change.

    Gosh this is all getting so crazy!

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    And THAT... is a hard no for me!

  • MaryRowe
    MaryRowe Posts: 736 ✭✭✭✭

    This is certainly scary...and all I was worrying about was those darn labels with the number codes they stick on just about every piece of produce in the store that will almost never peel off and never ever compost. That is nothing compared to this!

  • water2world
    water2world Posts: 1,177 ✭✭✭✭

    Oh my, oh my, oh my.........what is next?

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    Oh my word! Even more to be said for growing your own.

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    And you have to wonder, How big a leap is it before they can (or already are) tracking us using the same type of technology? If we eat something or drink something that has been tagged could we also be getting tagged at the same time?

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin
    edited May 2021

    or inject you with something.... I've been wondering what's in those shots.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin

    I will admit that this new to us information does make one's mind wonder.

    But let's try not to go there...

  • Cornelius
    Cornelius Posts: 872 ✭✭✭✭

    From a science and information storage perspective this is very interesting. From my food perspective... ew. I would like to know how this is a probiotic (what breaks it down???) considering they just said it is nearly indestructible. Also, they should really study the safety of ingesting this thoroughly before they deploy it.

  • kbmbillups1
    kbmbillups1 Posts: 1,391 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I saw this video on another platform where people are concerned about what these microbes could do to us as well as what the future uses could be and if there will be consumer transparency. It's always good to remember what can be used for good can also be used for evil/against us. The way the past year has gone nothing would surprise me!

  • karenjanicki
    karenjanicki Posts: 996 ✭✭✭✭

    That's disgusting. Everything they keep doing to mess with our food is gross as well as dangerous sounding. I wish they would just stop. This is completely unnecessary.

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    And of course there will not be any label, so consumers won't even know they are eating it, and can't avoid it with any confidence (unless they grow their own or purchase locally).

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin

    @Cornelius I too wonder where that "probiotic" part fits into this? Unless we are talking about sheer marketing spin as probiotics are all the rage right now.

    I was also concerned at near the end of the video the guy expressed a sentiment I've seen in a few other high tech bio company videos -= and that is 'people will just have to get over GMO food as being a problem'. Something close to that. Like we are going to have to accept GMO food. I keep wondering what he knows or thinks of to say that? Like he doesn't see aren't any other options?

  • AngelaOston
    AngelaOston Posts: 249 ✭✭✭

    Fricken scary crazy town. Im not able to grown all our food. But i try to grown tons of greens and sprouts all year long. So glad I’m able to do that.

  • Brindy
    Brindy Posts: 212 ✭✭✭

    This is so crazy scary! I totally agree this makes me want to grow more. I wonder if this will transfer into the seeds?

  • Voodoo Flóra
    Voodoo Flóra Posts: 258 ✭✭✭

    Thank you for sharing this story. I think this story also demonstrates the importance of supporting ethical businesses, like The Grow Network, local farmers and grocers who would not sell these kinds of products such as this disgusting kind of lettuce. I am now shopping at New Seasons. Even though it's considered more high-end--since I'm not buying all the unnecessary stuff I used to nor as many processed foods, I spend really not much more than I did at other stores. I really respect the products my local grocer New Seasons offers compared with other stores. I also have really started utilizing Amazon for products that it can make sense to buy online and it can be a very efficient way to buy sustainable, eco products. Also, I like that I can research each product well there and set up a subscription. This saves time and money. TGN has really changed me such that I grow more and more of my own food. It has changed my spending habits even more, to a really big benefit for my role as a consumer on the planet. Another shout out to TGN thank you so much for all you do!

  • happy-trails
    happy-trails Posts: 170 ✭✭✭

    OH MY GOODNESS. I cannot believe this is real life. Nothing should surprise me anymore, I suppose... it's just upsetting. So many will be consuming unaware... that's what upsets me. More inspiration to grow our own!

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin

    Yes @happy-trails real life is starting to get really weird! LOL.

    Ah, based on what I know about the exponential increases in technological knowledge - it's only going to get more and more "interesting".

    Yes, definitely time to grow your own food.

  • Voodoo Flóra
    Voodoo Flóra Posts: 258 ✭✭✭

    @Marjory Wildcraft typically I don't call your attention to my posts, I know you have so much going on and if everyone did that all the time, I mean, right?

    But I just saw this video by David Crow and I think it really speaks to the type of a Mandala network TGN also works to support through your amazing organization:

    Many pioneering small businesses like David Crow's and his wife's thrive on the beat of TGN thanks for what you do!

  • frogvalley
    frogvalley Posts: 675 ✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2021

    Right. All I can say is OMG! And then several years from now they will say "We didn't know it reduced human life span. Opps!"

    I'm going back to the bird post as I just can't let this be the last article I read tonight.

  • flowerpower *
    flowerpower * Posts: 258 ✭✭✭

    @Marjory Wildcraft As I understand it, the microbe trackable code is part of a larger plan to track all living things and all food. I read an article about a negative impact of the food system control on villages growing traditional vegetables and fishing in Crotia. Doesn't quickly pop up on a search engine (which is not Google). Makes me wonder what I read, and where. 🤔 Getting into what's done to track humans is definitely endangered information.

    Double speak where a positive sounding reason is given, when the real reason is more sinister, is the sign of our current time.

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @flowerpower * I don't know if this is what you were referring to, but it supports your point.

    https://www.ishs.org/ishs-article/1142_25

    "Accession of Croatia to European Union has increased exposure of domestic vegetable growers to competition from foreign markets... Based on the method of supply balance sheets this paper analyzes the vegetable market in Croatia in the period from 2010 to 2012. Results showed that the production of vegetables in Croatia in this period covers less than 65% of domestic consumption. In 2012, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onions and garlic were Croatia's most important vegetable crops, which made up 66% of the total domestic production of vegetables...

    "The domestic vegetables market is characterized by a negative foreign trade balance and dependence on imports. The biggest amount of vegetables is imported from the Netherlands, Italy and Spain while the primary export destinations are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and Serbia.

    "Insufficient production is the result of inefficient distribution, small production plots, unmanaged production infrastructure, lack of heating and irrigation systems, lack of systems for protection from hail and frost, as well as lack of storage capacity. Competitiveness of the Croatian vegetable market can be increased by consolidation and technological modernization of production, and by encouraging vertical and horizontal integration of all stakeholders in the supply chain of vegetables."

    --------------

    Notice that the proposed solution is more consolidation, more centralization, more "vertical and horizontal integration". Bigger, bigger, bigger. The article considers "small production plots" and "unmanaged" production to be bad things. Clearly TGN members would propose different solutions!

  • nicksamanda11
    nicksamanda11 Posts: 755 ✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2021

    I pray blessings on all of the spores that are sprayed on any vegetable that anyone who has read or ever will read this has come in contact with. Bless the produce and bless all of you.

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin

    Yes @flowerpower * there are so many agendas... it is so hard to know what is true. That is the nature of the vortex of change we are in.