GMO Beets Enter Market

President Obama dislikes beets so much that he vetoed them from the White House garden. But now he—and every other American—has even better reason to push this vegetable to the edge of the plate. In response to a lawsuit filed by the Center for Food Safety and Earthjustice, the Obama administration upheld Bush’s decision to approve Monsanto’s genetically modified sugarbeets. These “Roundup Ready” herbicide-resistant roots were harvested for the first time last fall, despite considerable opposition, and have already entered the food supply—mostly in the form of sugar. The scientific community and sugar junkies aren’t the only ones scared; more than 70 food manufacturers have already joined the Non-Genetically Modified Beet Sugar Registry, agreeing not to market modified beet sugar.