Dear Editor:

Nola Alt should be commended for her comments (Furious over safe food from the August 23rd edition of The

Pioneer). These insidious actions by the Ministry of Health first started with banning local farm gate sales some years ago, along with berating people for selling locally grown farmers eggs, and now includes canning and offering samples of jams. The ministry can be seen to be pandering to the corporatized food lobby.

The Ministry speaks about food safety, yet uses aspects of cooking and inspections as a fist against peoples centuries-old way of life. On the other hand, when it comes to food safety, they are full of double standards; their list of fast-food conglomerates get full marks in their books, not because of their food quality (if you can even call it food), but for the high heat they apply to kill pathogens.

If they care so much about food safety, why dont they ban chemical, genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) and pharmaceutical toxins that really are making people sick. It seems they will not do this; they will always support corporatization and their lobby, along with their bought and paid for pseudo science presented.

In the news last year, it was the giant meat and other food conglomerates factories that we have now been forced to depend on for food who were making people ill, not the moms and pops making canned goods in Windermere.

Take a leisurely drive north towards Golden and one will pass many lovely views, which includes fertile fields of grasslands that are tended by diligent farmers to feed their and other livestock throughout the winter. In recent times, a new view has emerged, which includes acres of fenced canola, or similar crops, bordered with corn.

What you are looking at is GMO test trials to help sell farmers on industries new emerging seeds (likely to replace the local grasses), which require more chemical toxins. Further along on this drive north, one such field of grass was sprayed before harvest with a glyphosate type chemical. The grass was killed and then baled, with the assumption that this will also be feed to cattle and horses; would you buy this?

On a final note, where are the local environmental groups on these GMO issues? It seems many with the same concerns hear nothing from you, and your silence is growing noticeable.

Arthur Koan

Radium Hot Springs