What is Genetically Modified Food
Genetically modified food (GM) also called genetically modified organisms (GMO) is a term used for crops that have been created with alterations in their molecular biology for human and animal consumption. GM foods provide a variety of benefits as well as disadvantages to people who cook with and consume these crops. The enhancements made to the crops can increase their nutritional content but some people find it to be against natural eating as they don't exactly know what they are putting in their bodies. Many groups including Green Peace are against any type of modification of crops and food.
About Genetically Modified Food
The conventional way of growing crops for food can be
time consuming and more costly which is one of the reasons genetically modified foods are becoming more popular. It lets you create foods with the desired trait by changing how they grow, how quickly, and what kind of nutritious content the foods will have. It can also have other traits such as being tolerant to drought, sustaining on less sunshine and water and even use certain bacterium that allow the crops to produce their own pesticides. Most of the GM food is in crops but most recently there has been genetically modified salmon created but not approved by the FDA.
How GM Crops are Produced
Crops that are genetically modified are not grown in the soil, rather they are generated in a laboratory setting. This eliminates the need for fertilizer, soil, water and direct sunlight. Genes will be added to the plant's genome with a variety of techniques, primarily using the biolistic method which incorporated a particle gun for adding the genes to the plant and producing the desired effect. Once one plant is modified, its seeds will then be used for future crops of the same variety. These seeds are first tested and then if approved, they are sold to farmers so that they grow their own genetically modified plants.
Types of GM Crops and Foods
There are now many different types of food,
ingredients and crops that have been genetically modified in some way. The most common GM foods include rapeseed, honey, cotton, rice, soybean, sugar cane, corn, sweet corn, tomatoes, potatoes, flax, papaya, squash, radicchio (red-hearted chicory), sugar beets, and different types of oils including vegetable, canola and flaxseed oil. There
has also been other types of foods that have been genetically modified though not as much as crops, such as some meat and dairy products. Farmers are beginning to see the many benefits of using GM crops as part of their farming business.
Facts about GMO Foods
Genetically modified foods or GMOs are organisms such as crops and other food items that have been genetically altered with different genetic materials, also known as DNA. This includes any alteration that makes it different from it would occur naturally, such as being more nutrient-rich, not being as appealing to insects and needing
less pesticides, or other benefits that are common of GMO foods. If you would like to know more about the genetic engineering of foods, the following facts will offer some more insight.
What Foods are Genetically Modified?
You will find a wide variety of crops and foods that have been genetically altered. These include tomatoes, corn, potatoes, papaya, milk, soy, canola and vegetable oil, cotton and more.
How is the Process Done?
All genetically modified foods begin with the crop. In a laboratory setting, a technician will insert specific genetic materials into the crop. Once the new crops
produces seeds, those seeds will then be tested. After the testing is complete, the seeds will be used to grow more of the same genetically modified crop which
are used for more seeds and so on. These seeds are sold to farmers across the world in order to grow their own GMO crops.
What are the Health Concerns of GMO?
A common question about GMOs is whether or not they are dangerous to your health. There has been some controversy about whether or not GMO foods are bad for human or animals. Some of the health concerns include antibiotic resistance, increased allergic reactions and food allergies and the inability to know exactly what is in the foods you eat. For example, some genetically modified foods may have animal genes in them which in turn do not make them vegetarian or vegan, so people with special dietary restrictions won't know exactly what they're eating.
What are the Environmental Concerns of GMOs?
There are also some things you should know about the environmental impact of GMOs. Genetically modifying crops may pose to be hazardous to the environment in small ways. There are negative effects including being more or less enticing to insects, the introduction of new plant pathogens, consequences to local wildlife from the new genetically altered crops and a decreased use of crop rotation.
Are GM Foods Regulated?
The regulations for genetically modified foods
is different in the United States and other countries. And some crops are regulated while others aren't. For example, cows that are given the growth hormone for GM milk is acceptable by the FDA but genetically modifying salmon is not. New studies and investigations might also force retailers to have their GM foods and crops labeled as such so that consumers are aware of what they're buying.
5 Disadvantages of Genetically Modified Foods
Genetically modified (GM) foods have been altered with various genetic materials during the first stage of growing and producing the crops. It is been in existence since the early 1990s with current trends using more and more GM foods to the various benefits. However aside from the benefits associated, there are also some disadvantages as well. The following lists the 5 most common disadvantages of producing and eating genetically modified foods.
Danger to Plants
Genetically modifying foods can be dangerous to other plants and crops.
Tis is due to the breeding and cross pollination of species of crops you never intended to breed. This can cause weeds that are insect resistant leading to more dangerous weeds called 'super weeds' in your gardens and fields. Organic crops can also be negatively affected when genetically modified seeds and crops are grown in the same field.
Danger to Insects
The nearby insects are also
effected by genetically modified foods which
is considered another disadvantage. The ecosystem is affected when any GM crops are introduced which can be toxic to insects and small critters that you actually need in your field to ward of super weeds and other things that can occur in your fields. Some plants and crops are naturally insect resistant so all this does
is create
loss in biodiversity.
Human Health Considerations
There are also disadvantages relating to a human's health from eating genetically modified foods. One concern is that they can lead to antibiotic resistance where people who regularly consume GM foods will not have success with common antibiotics. Another problem is an increased amount of allergies including food and environmental allergies. Lastly, GM foods can also affect the digestive system with these food modifications.
Economical Disadvantage
Genetically modified foods are also bad economically speaking, especially in the United States. This is because large companies and corporations own most of the GM
seeds therefore they are the ones making money off of them and getting the majority of the accreditation. This is just another reason why small family farms are failing and going out of business. Even smaller farms that are generating a lot of profits are doing so for the large corporations who own the GM seeds rather than for themselves.
Dietary Restrictions
The last of the primary disadvantages of genetically modified foods are the dietary restrictions. Since the crops are modified with
mostly unknown genetic materials, consumers aren't entirely sure what they're eating. This increases the risk of food allergies and illness from these allergies and people with special dietary restrictions or religious commitments also can't consume the crops since they don't know what goes in to producing them.
Groups Against GMO Foods
Plants,
micro-organisms and animals are produced using genetic engineering and the production of genetic materials in something called genetically modified foods (GMO). These
foods therefore are not what should have occurred naturally, which has a variety of groups and organizations defying this and being against its validity. While the FDA has approved most of the GMO foods, they don't entirely agree with all of them either, especially with the most recent case of GM salmon.
Harmful Effects
So why are these groups against genetically modifying foods?
Well it is mostly due to the harmful effects it can have on animals, insects, human health and the environment. There are many different harmful effects that have
been studies and proven which leads to many groups being against GMO foods. Not only have there been near-deaths from food allergy reactions to GM foods but they have also caused a small number of recorded deaths from these GM foods. GM foods and crops can also cause antibiotic resistance, especially in GM milk. The super-virus was created because of GM foods as well as an increased risk of food and environmental allergies. Other investigations have shown a shorter life span, increased risk of birth defects, lowered nutrition, being toxic to the soil and insects and of course being an unnatural process.
Groups Against GMO Foods
There are a variety of groups,
companies and organizations that are against genetically modifying foods including Green Peace, PETA, Whole Foods, Friends of the Earth, Center for Food Safety, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Pesticide Action Network North America, National Environmental Trust and many different state public interest research groups. There are also over 250 religious leaders, doctors, environmental leaders, chefs, health leaders farmers and scientists who joined just one campaign to be against GMO. Whole Foods joined the campaign because they wanted to force producers of GM foods to visibly label all foods and crops.
Speaking Out
These and other groups are starting to speak out against genetically modified foods, in a variety of ways. It started with two bills introduced by Dennis Kucinich, a local representative. The first bill was introduced in 2001 to mandate the labeling of genetically modified foods but it was never put into effect. The second bill also promised
labeling GMO foods and was signed by President Obama in 2007 but again it never really became a reality. In 2011, the Genetically Engineered Safety Act was introduced that would aim at preventing contamination and cross-pollination of GM crops and non-GM crops, preventing human foods or animal food to not be used as the host plant for GMO foods, and start a way for tracking industrial products by their by-products.
Common GMO Foods
Genetically modified foods are being used more now than ever before. This includes the used of specific types of genes in crops for a variety of uses including getting rid of insects, not needing as many pesticides, growing faster and higher yields of crops and increasing nutritional content.
Fruit
While many different types of fruits are genetically modified, tomatoes and papaya are the most common. Tomatoes are one the first known genetically modified foods available in the United States which began in 1994. Tomatoes were ripening too early which severely diminished their shelf life, which is why they are commonly modified to last longer. Papayas used to be known for the ringspot virus especially in Hawaii which is why they began experimenting with genetically modified papayas.
Vegetables
Among the vegetables considered to be GMO, potatoes and corn are more common than others. Potatoes are not only used for food consumption but other items commonly used including
dry-cleaning solution for your clothing items as vodka. They are also fed to livestock. Potatoes have been considered GMO for many years. The US is the biggest producer of corn in the world and much of the corn available is actually genetically modified. GMO corn is also used for other products including flour, corn syrup, margarine, beer, salad dressing and others.
Food
Some other food items and grains are also being genetically modified including soy and rice. Many GM producers are hoping to genetically
modify salmon and other meat but it has yet to be approved by the FDA. Rice fields tend to be a breeding ground for pests which is the main reason it is being genetically modified. Soy happens to be the most heavily genetically modified crop in the United States with more than 50% of the soy in the world being modified in some way. This is to increase its vitamins and protein and reduce the amount of fungus or insects.
Miscellaneous
Other items are also genetically modified on a regular basis including different types of oils, cotton,
milk and aspartame. China, who produced the majority of the cotton available in the world, has been modifying their crops for many years. This is to avoid the bollworm which is common in cotton crops. One of the most controversial GM foods is milk because bovines are fed a growth hormone. This is one of the main reasons many groups are against genetically modifying of any kind, especially relating to animals. A variety of oils
are also considered GM including canola (rapeseed) oil and vegetable oil. This is mainly done to rapeseed to reduce
the amount of pesticides needed. Aspartame, the most commonly used artificial sweetener in the world, is a modification in its entirety. Aspartame does not exist naturally and is a combination of two different amino acids.