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GMO CORN by illuminating9_11, on Flickr

From a recent news article:

Health Canada is proposing an unorthodox way of combatting a food ingredient suspected in some cancers: It wants to let manufacturers put small amounts of a cancer-fighting drug into potato chips and similar foods to curb production of the harmful chemical.

When some food is heated at temperatures over 120°F, a chemical process takes place which creates acrylamide. While there is some good evidence that acrylamide is carcinogenic, testing provides a required dose 900 times greater than what would be an average consumption.

The drug being considered for addition to food is Asparaginase. It is a chemotherapy agent, currently being used to treat leukemia and mast cell tumors. On the surface, this might seem like a good idea: treat the food so you don’t have to treat the cancer later. But is it?

Asparaginase’s main side effects are allergic reaction, pancreatitis and clotting problems which can lead to stroke. It can also change the way your body synthesises proteins. Let’s talk about a couple of these very briefly:

Allergic reactions to foods are already on a sharp rise. Emergency room visits for food allergic reactions are up and more children (especially) are suffering more frequent and more severe reactions.

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, the organ which malfunctions in diabetes. Diabetics are warned to immediately seek medical help if they experience symptoms similar to pancreatitis because it can be life-threatening for them. Diabetes is on the rise, which means more people would need to be monitored much more closely for pancreatitis. All statin drugs carry pancreatitis as a side effect, and the population is being prescribed statins at an ever-increasing rate.

Of course, the food and medical industries are in favor of the addition, not so much for health’s sake to be sure, as for profit:

Manufacturers “fully support” the move suggested by Health Canada, Derek Nighbor of Food and Consumer Products of Canada said in a statement provided by the industry group yesterday.

Manufactures create products that make money. If a new procedure is going to cost them money, they are normally unanimous in their rejection of it. Full support indicates to me that these food manufacturers have found a way to make it pay.

“It’s been a big, big problem,” Prof. Yaylayan said. “Not so much in the public eye, but behind doors, the companies keep having meetings, having scientific symposia and seminars.”

Clearly they’ve been thinking long and hard about it. We should, too.

By far the wisest statement in the article was:

The “downstream effects” of using asparaginase to counter the chemical should be studied carefully, advised Dr. Mucci.

I would agree heartily with Dr. Mucci.

The idea that we should be drugging our food sends a chill up my spine. I can sigh, roll my eyes and write blog posts about “nutritionism” and the mistaken theory that by adding a little science we can improve upon the foods put here for our enjoyment and health. But if Big Pharma and Big Food ever marry, their children will be frightening aberrations capable of sickening and killing many more than they help.

Let’s not rush headlong into yet another trip down the “cure is worse than the disease” onramp to disaster.

This post is part of Prevention Not Prescriptions.