Writer Questions Use of Soy Protein in Pollen Substitutes

Bees Getting the Wrong Food
Chico Enterprise-Record (USA), 3/19/2007

I was very surprised to read that beekeepers feed their bees soy protein bricks mixed with pollen and honey. The soy protein brick is most likely a toxic mix containing "textured vegetable protein" (TVG). TVG is a manufactured, unnatural food. Soybeans are routinely treated with high heat, oxidizing agents, organic solvents, alkalis and acids to improve flavor, color and texture. This deactivates the natural anti-nutritional factors in soy and allows preparation of concentrated soy protein products like TVG and others. Most of the foods in the American supermarket contain these chemicals and unfortunately they are a large part of our children's diets in chicken nuggets, fast food hamburgers, spaghetti sauces, and baked goods contained in school lunches.

Traditionally, soy was eaten in small quantities along with small amounts of meats, eggs, and other proteins. Now, factory farms are displacing the rain forest in the Amazon to "feed the world" soy that is modified, textured, hydrogenated and more. Most soybeans grown in the world are also genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMO corn is known to negatively affect butterflies, so what about GMO soy? Add to this the tons of pesticides and herbicides used to grow this mega food and you have a food not worth eating.

Read "The Whole Soy Story" by Kaayla Daniel and "The Omnivores Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. What you may realize is that TVGs, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, GMOs and other factory foods are deadly to us, and our friends the birds and the bees.

Trish Puterbaugh, Cohasset