Spinach-Pigs

[Otto]

"Midnight -- at the laboratory of a nationally known mad scientist."
-- Frank Zappa

"Japanese scientists have breeded spinach-pigs"
http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/0,1518,178968,00.html

The article says that they have managed to put a spinach gene into a
fertilized pig-cell. The spinach gene "FAD2" makes the fatty acids (and thus
the meat) more wholesome. The German text says that according to Mr. Iritani
the pigs have "no health problems" ("Iritani zufolge haben die
Spinat-Schweine keine gesundheitlichen Probleme"), but I cannot find this
statement in the English version. It ends:

"I know genetically-modified food has met poor public acceptance, but I hope
safety tests will be conducted to make people feel like eating (the GM pork)
for the sake of their health," he said.
Professor Iritani said only about 1% of GM piglets survived after being
born, although breeding among GM pigs would ensure the spinach gene was
passed on.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/asia-pacific/newsid_1780000/1780541.s
tm

Otto