Hightower Lowdown

Am I the only one who sometimes comes across a gut-wrenching, jaw-dropping story in the daily paper and then wonders: Why did they bury this...why isn't this the lead story on the front page?

I had this reaction when I read a story with the deceptively bland headline of, "Modified Seeds Found Amid Unmodified Crops," way at the back of my newspaper.

A better headline would have been: "Bioengineered Frankenfood Seeds Contaminating U.S. Food Supply," for that's what the story was about.

It reported on new findings by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a respected group that recently tested corn, canola, and soybean seeds that were not the bio- engineered variety and should be free of genetic alteration. The scientists found, however, that more than two-thirds of the 36 batches they tested contained traces of DNA from genetically engineered varieties, meaning that, despite assurances from the companies and our lame government "regulators," the engineered demon is loose. As one of the scientists put it, "The door to seed contamination is wide open."

Even more alarming is the blasé attitude of the contaminators: Industry flacks say that the world should simply agree to "acceptable levels of contamination."

If that's unacceptable to you, call the UCS scientists to get the story the media is burying: 617-547-5552.