dave submitted a story in the Kansas City Star about the possibility of healthier bacon. Using genetic engineering, pigs were produced with more healthy fat.

Scientists using genetic engineering techniques have produced pigs rich in omega-3 fatty acids -- a kind of healthy fat abundant in fish but not naturally found in other meat.

The omega-3 fatty acids are believed to offer some protection against heart attacks, and federal nutrition guidelines recommend that adults include them in daily diets.

But "some people are not going to eat fish no matter what," said Penny Kris-Etherton, a professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University who was not involved in the research. "This is a way people who don't like fish can benefit."

One little question looms over the potential feast of greasy bacon, succulent chorizo and juicy Chinese pork stew. The research is in its early stages, and no one has yet tried the pigs to see if they taste like pork. Harvard University's Jing Kang, one of the scientists involved in the experiment, is confident the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the new pigs aren't high enough to ruin the flavor.

The new pigs could help pork producers solve a tricky problem. Through breeding and diet changes, farmers have dramatically lowered pork's fat content in the last 30 years. But leaner meat is drier and less flavorful.

To improve the taste and texture, farmers are now trying to increase the amount of fat in pigs without drastically raising saturated fat -- unhealthy fat that can boost cholesterol, which in turn can lead to heart disease.

Kang, meanwhile, is looking at new culinary possibilities. "Pig was the first," he said. "But transgenic chickens, cows and fish are on the way, too."

There's something freakish about genetically altered food, no matter how positive the benefits seem. Maybe it's a good thing the FDA is not approving any genetically modified food yet. It be hard to gauge any long-term adverse effects that could be present.