Senzani Ekudleni Kwethu?

UKUSHINTSHA ukudla kwethu akukusha. Eqinisweni, sekuyizizukulwane eziningi umuntu enekhono lokushintsha ukudla. Amasu okuzalanisa ngokucophelela aye aphumela ekubeni khona kwezinhlobo ezintsha zezilimo, izinkomo nezimvu. Ngempela, ummeleli we-U.S. Food and Drug Administration wathi “cishe konke ukudla okuthengayo kuye kwashintshwa ngezinqubo ezithile.”

Ukuzalanisa akukuphela kwendlela yokushintsha ukudla. Imboni yokudla iye yasungula izinqubo eziningi zokushintsha nokulungisa ukudla, ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukunambitheka kwako noma umbala noma ukukwenza kube sezingeni elifanele futhi kulondolozwe. Abantu bajwayele ukudla ukudla okushintshiwe ngandlela-thile.

Kodwa inani elandayo labathengi lethuswa yilokho osekwenziwa ekudleni kwethu manje. Kungani? Abanye banovalo lokuthi amasu esimanje asetshenziswayo alimaza ukudla. Ingabe kufanelekile ukuba besabe? Ake sihlole izici ezintathu ezibangela ukukhathazeka.a

Ama-hormone Nemithi Elwa Namagciwane

Kusukela ngawo-1950, kuye kwafakwa isilinganiso esincane semithi elwa namagciwane ekudleni kwezinkukhu, izingulube nezinkomo kwezinye izindawo. Inhloso ukunciphisa amathuba okuba nezifo, ikakhulukazi lapho izilwane zihlala khona ngokuminyana. Kwamanye amazwe kufakwa ama-hormone ekudleni kwezilwane ukuze zikhule ngokushesha. Kuthiwa ama-hormone nemithi elwa namagciwane kuvikela izilwane ezifweni futhi kwenza ukufuya kakhulu kube nenzuzo enkulu, kuzuzise abathengi ngamanani aphansi.

Kulungile-ke. Kodwa ingabe inyama yezilwane ezidla lokhu kudla iyingozi kubathengi? Umbiko we-Economic and Social Committee of the European Communities waphetha ngokuthi kungenzeka amagciwane asinde emithini elwa nawo abese edlulela kumthengi. Lo mbiko wathola ukuthi “amanye ala magciwane, njenge-Salmonella ne-Campylobacter, angase abe imbangela eqondile yezifo ezimbi abantu abazithola ngokudla.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, kuthiwani uma ukudla kungenawo nje amagciwane kuphela kodwa futhi kunezinsalela zemithi elwa namagciwane? Kunokukhathazeka kokuthi ngenxa yalokho, amagciwane abangela izifo kubantu kancane kancane angase amelane nemithi elwa nawo.

Kuthiwani ngenyama efakwe ama-hormone? Uprofesa waseMunich, eJalimane, uDkt. Heinrich Karg, uyaphawula: “Bonke ochwepheshe bayavuma ukuthi inyama yezilwane enama-hormone ayiyona ingozi empilweni, uma nje lezo zithasiselo zifakwa ngokuvumelana neziqondiso.” Kodwa iphephandaba i-Woche libika ukuthi endabeni yokuphepha kwenyama yezilwane ezidla ama-hormone, “sekuyiminyaka engu-15 abacwaningi bengakwazi ukuvumelana ngombono owodwa.” Kanti eFrance indaba yama-hormone enyameni kuye kwashiwo ngokucacile kwathiwa ‘Cha! Ama-hormone mawangasetshenziswa!’ Ngokusobala, impikiswano ayikaxazululwa.

Ukudla Okufakwe Imisebe

Njengoba ukuhlolwa kwaqala eSweden ngo-1916, okungenani amazwe angu-39 aye awuvumela umkhuba wokuchaya ukudla okunjengamazambane, ummbila, izithelo nenyama emazingeni aphansi emisebe. Ngani? Kuthiwa ukuchaya ukudla emisebeni kubulala amagciwane nezinambuzane eziningi, ngaleyo ndlela kunciphisa ingozi yokuba umthengi athole izifo ekudleni. Kanti kwenza ukudla kwephuze ukonakala.

Yiqiniso, ochwepheshe bathi ngokomthetho ukudla esikudlayo kufanele kuhlanzeke futhi kube kusha. Kodwa ubani onesikhathi sokulungiselela ukudla okusha njalo? “Imizuzu eyishumi yokudla kwasekuseni nemizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu yokudla kwasemini nokwantambama” iyisikhathi ngokuvamile umuntu asichithayo ekudleni, ngokukamagazini i-Test. Ngakho-ke, akumangalisi ukuthi abathengi abaningi bakhetha ukudla osekulungele ukudliwa futhi okwephuzayo ukonakala. Kodwa ingabe ukudla okufakwe imisebe kuphephile?

Ngo-1999 i-World Health Organization yanyathelisa imiphumela yokuhlola okwenziwa iqembu lomhlaba wonke lochwepheshe. Laphetha ngokuthi ukudla okufakwe imisebe “kuphephile ukuba kudliwe futhi kunomsoco owanele.” Abasekeli bako baqhathanisa ukufakwa kwemisebe ekudleni nokubulawa kwamagciwane kumabhandeshi okwelapha—nakho okwenziwa ngemisebe—noma nokudluliswa kwezimpahla emshinini wokuzihlola esikhumulweni sezindiza. Kodwa abagxeki bama kwelokuthi ukufakwa kwemisebe kunciphisa umsoco wokudla ongokwemvelo futhi kungase kube nezingozi ezingakaziwa.

Ukudla Okushintshwe Izakhi

Sekuyisikhathi izazi zezakhi zofuzo zikwazi ukususa isakhi sofuzo se-DNA entweni ethile ephilayo zisifake kuyi-DNA yenye into ephilayo yohlobo olufanayo. Kodwa namuhla izazi zezakhi zofuzo zingenza okungaphezulu kakhulu kwalokho. Ngokwesibonelo, kunamajikijolo notamatisi okuye kwashintshwa kwafakwa isakhi esithathwe enhlanzini, esikwenza kungazweli kakhulu ezindaweni ezibandayo.

Kuningi okuye kwashiwo okusekela nokumelene nokudla okushintshwe izakhi.b Abasekeli bako bathi lolu hlobo lwe-biotechnology lwenza ukwazi ukubona izingozi kusengaphambili futhi luyalawuleka kunezindlela ezivamile zokuzalanisa izitshalo, luyokwandisa imikhiqizo yezilimo futhi lunciphise indlala esintwini. Kodwa ingabe kuphephile ukudla ukudla okushintshwe izakhi?

Iqembu lososayensi elimelela izinhlangano zezifundiswa eNgilandi nase-United States kanye naseBrazil, eChina, eNdiya, eMexico nakwamanye amazwe asathuthuka lalungiselela umbiko ngale ndaba. Lo mbiko owanyatheliswa ngo-July 2000, wathi: “Kuze kube manje, kuye kwatshalwa amahektare angaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-30 ezilimo ezishintshwe izakhi futhi azikho izinkinga zempilo kubantu eziye zatholakala ezihlangene ngokuqondile nokudla ukudla okushintshwe izakhi noma imikhiqizo yako.” Kwezinye izindawo ukudla okushintshwe izakhi kubhekwa njengokuphephe njengokudla okuvamile.

Kodwa kwezinye izindawo kuyangatshazwa kakhulu. E-Austria, eBrithani naseFrance abanye abakuthembi ukudla okushintshwe izakhi. Isazi sezombangazwe esingumDashi sathi ngokudla okushintshwe izakhi: “Kunezinhlobo ezithile zokudla esingazithandi nje.” Abagxeki bokudla okunjalo baphawula nokuthi kuwukwephula izimiso futhi kungase kube nezingozi endaweni ezungezile.

Abanye ososayensi banomuzwa wokuthi lesi kuseyisiqalo sokudla okushintshwe izakhi futhi kusafanele kuhlolisiswe izingozi ezingase zibe khona kubathengi. Ngokwesibonelo, i-British Medical Association inomuzwa wokuthi ukushintsha izakhi kubonakala kuzoletha izinzuzo ezinkulu emphakathini. Kodwa, ithi izici ezithile ezibangela ukukhathazeka—njengokungezwani kwabathile nokudla okushintshwe izakhi—zisho ukuthi “kusadingeka kwenziwe ucwaningo olwengeziwe.”

Ukuzikhethela Ngendlela Elinganiselayo

Kwamanye amazwe ukudla okungaba amaphesenti angu-80 kuye kwashintshwa ngandlela-thile. Ngokuvamile kufakwa izithasiselo ezithile ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukunambitheka nombala nokuba kwephuze ukonakala. Eqinisweni, enye incwadi iphawula ukuthi “imikhiqizo eminingi yanamuhla, njengaleyo engenama-kilojoule amaningi, ukudla okulula nokudla osekulungele ukudliwa, ibingeke ibe khona ngaphandle kwezithasiselo zokudla.” Ukudla okunjalo kungase kube nezinye izithako ezishintshwe izakhi.

Sekuyiminyaka ezolimo emhlabeni wonke zincike emikhubeni abantu abaningi abayibheka njengeyingozi. Isibonelo salokhu ukusetshenziswa kwezibulala-zinambuzane ezinobuthi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, imboni yezokudla sekuyisikhathi eside isebenzisa izithasiselo okungenzeka ziyabagulisa abanye abathengi. Ingabe ubuchwepheshe obusha bezokudla buyingozi kakhulu kunale mikhuba? Ngisho nochwepheshe abavumelani. Eqinisweni, imibiko yososayensi enamandla ivuna izinhlangothi eziphikisanayo zempikiswano futhi kubonakala ibangela imibono ehlukene.

Ngenxa yokuthi babona ukuthi kunzima ukugwema ukudla okwenziwe ngezinqubo zobuchwepheshe obuphambili noma ngenxa yokuthi babheka ezinye izinto ezibakhathazayo njengezibaluleke kakhulu kunalokhu, abantu abaningi namuhla bakhetha ukungazikhathazi ngale ndaba. Nokho, abanye bakhathazekile kakhulu. Yini eningayenza uma wena nomkhaya wakho ningabaza ukudla ukudla okwenziwe ngezinqubo zesimanje eziyinkimbinkimbi? Kunezinyathelo eziwusizo eningase nikhethe ukuzithatha, ezinye zazo kuxoxwa ngazo esihlokweni esilandelayo. Kodwa, okokuqala, kungase kube ukuhlakanipha ukuqiniseka ukuthi sinombono olinganiselayo kule ndaba.

Ukuphepha kokudla kunjengempilo. Ayikho indlela ekhona manje yokufinyelela ukuphelela. Ngokukamagazini waseJalimane i-natur & kosmos, ngisho naphakathi kwabantu abaziwa ngokuthi bayacophelela kakhulu ekukhetheni nasekulungiseni ukudla, ukondleka kuvame ukusilela. Okuwusizo komunye kungase kumlimaze omunye. Khona-ke, ingabe akukhona yini ukuhlakanipha ukuhlakulela isimo sengqondo esilinganiselayo nokugwema ukweqisa?

Yiqiniso, iBhayibheli alisitsheli ukuthi yisiphi isinqumo okufanele sisenze mayelana nokudla kwanamuhla okwenziwe ngobuchwepheshe obuphambili. Kodwa liyasifundisa ngemfanelo okufanele siyihlakulele ezosisiza kule ndaba. EyabaseFilipi 4:5 ithi: “Ukuba nengqondo kwenu makwaziwe yibo bonke abantu.” Ukuba nengqondo kungasisiza ukuba senze izinqumo ezilinganiselayo futhi sigweme ukweqisa. Kungasivimba ekubeni sinqumele abanye ukuthi yini okufanele bayenze noma okungafanele bayenze kule ndaba. Futhi kungasisiza sigweme izimpikiswano ezingenangqondo ezisihlukanisayo nalabo abacabanga ngendlela ehlukile kweyethu kule ndaba.

Kodwa kufanele kuvunywe ukuthi izingozi eziningi ezimayelana nokudla aziyona impikiswano kangako. Yiziphi ezinye zazo futhi yiziphi izinyathelo zokuphepha ongazithatha?

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 4]

Ingabe ama-hormone nemithi elwa namagciwane okufakwa ekudleni kwezinkomo kuyamthinta umthengi?

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

Kuwukuhlakanipha ukufundisisa amalebula okudla

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Kunezinzuzo ukuthenga ukudla okusha njalo