Rape seed

Yikes! Better go check my pantry ......

 

I moved from Cambridge 2 years ago wgere rape seed was increasingly grown in the fields around. Many people complained of bad hayfever and other side effects and it gave me headaches, although I am not normally allergic to anything. I don't suppose this was a genetically modified variety, but I still don't like it. I've noticed that farmers here are now growing it increasingly. I bought some honey from the local farmers market, and it tastes of it... where can I move to next?

 

the problem is, is that subsidies are high for growing oil seed rape, going back about 15 years now there was an article in a magazine advising spaniel owners not to let there dog go in fields of oil seed rape as they can go blind.

 

Hmmm. Im taking this one with a pinch of salt. I know for an absolute fact for example that insects DO eat rape plants. Lots of different insects of all different kinds. I accept that it can be unpleasant to be surrounded by fields of rape but i really dont think that it is likely to kill us in the thousands.

 

Mmm I would agree - with the amount around both in fields and escaped, plus what we eat - methinks if there was a problem it would have been very clear now.

Not overfond of rape fields though, too bright for me, prefer linseed. Rape does spread outside - but does not appear to be a real thug in the verges etc.

For me the juries out

[ 14. October 2005, 07:40 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

I'm sure it's not going to kill us in our thousands- it's just that I don't like the taste, I'm not a fanatic!. When I first saw it in Cambridgeshire, I thought it was beautiful- there was a field of flax [blue flowers], long stemmed wheat for corndollies, grown organically, lots of poppies [red] and then this amazing lemon yellow. It was only when the village was surrounded by it, with little else, that I tired of it, and its' pervasive odd oily smell. The GM variety scares me, there were trials in Cambs, it's immune to some pesticides so will undoubtedly spread and mix with the normal variety.

 

Some fields near here are full of a yellow flowering crop,anyone know what this is?It does look very like rapeseed. I have to admit I didn't realise it was toxic,I did know about trans fats but has anyone ealse tried to buy and manage to omit them cheaply.Still It's a good reason to put butter on your tatties. I

 

You have got us all thinking Nathan. There is quite a bit of reading on the subject an it don't look good. Your post took me to this site
http://www.snopes.com/toxins/canola.htm
I will be rumaging around in my cupboards tomorrow. Peanut butter's off.