Threes, the easy way.

I refer to your article "Pigging Out Healthfully: Engineered pork has more omega-3s" (SN: 4/1/06, p. 196). Changing the diet of pigs, cows, chickens, etc., to include more omega-3 fatty acids would be a healthy alternative to genetic engineering and wouldn't require government approval. In particular, the weed purslane is higher in omega-3s than any other vegetable and is also edible by humans, although it is not generally available in markets. In addition to improving the quality of meat, purslane feed could produce healthier butter and eggs. And eggs, unlike fish, are plentiful, cheap, and free of pollutants.

HARRIET PEARLMAN, METUCHEN, N.J.

The researchers seem to be unaware that grass-finished beef has two to six times the concentration of omega-3s that grain-finished beef has. Eggs from chickens allowed to forage for part of their food average four times the omega-3s found in factory-produced eggs. There are more easily implemented methods of making animal products healthier than genetic engineering.

VIRGINIA BROCK, ROCK ISLAND, ILL.

These points about omega-3s in meat and eggs are valid, but changing an animal's feed, even by providing it more foraging space, significantly increases the price of meat, milk, and eggs, say the authors of this study. One of their study objectives was to avoid higher prices.--C. BROWNLEE