Does the American population really know what is going in the food they eat? If they did, much of the food that we put in our grocery carts would be thrown out. Poor diet choices of so many human beings has led to the obesity epidemic, that is bad enough with the added risk of disease and health problems that GMO’s have to offer. The technology to change genes has exceeded its requisite. Genetically Modified Foods need to be eliminated from agriculture because of the threat they pose to human health, the environment, and the impact on global economy. Genetically modified organics are plants and agriculture in general that have been engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plant organisms. This process is only possible through gene mutations in a chemical process. The combinations they get would never be able to occur in nature, this makes them in-organic. GMO technology is built to endure direct application of insecticide or herbicide. There are no other benefits to the use of GMO products including drought, taste difference, nutritional value, or price. GMO’s are used by farmers for their own benefits of saving money. “GM technology has been around for the past twenty years, and today, 70-80% of the foods we eat in the United States, both at home and away from home, contain ingredients that have been genetically modified” (“Facts About GMO”). So many of the foods in the produce section have been genetically altered. Corn, soybean, cotton, canola, cottonseed, sugar, squash, and so many other products are GMO crops. “Obvious sources are sweet corn, corn muffin mix, corn chips, corn flakes, tortillas and popcorn. Less apparent sources may be hidden in the ingredient list, such as high fructose corn syrup, regular corn ... ... middle of paper ... ...n the Labeling of GM Food." The Role of Government in the Labeling of GM Food. Cornell University Library, 2013. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. "The Facts About GMO." The Facts About GMO. The Grocery Manufacturers Association, n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. Jones, Alex. "The Seek Radio: 2011-04-24." The Seek Radio: 2011-04-24. The Seek Radio, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. "LabelGMOs." LabelGMOs. California Grassroots, n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. Lee, Jaeah. "The Worlds Biggest GMO Lovers." ISAAA. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. MotherJones. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. "List of Foods Containing GMOs." LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. Mercola, Joseph. "Doctor Warns: Eat Soy and You'll Look 5 Years Older." Mercola.com. Mercola, 8 Dec. 2011. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. "Weighing the GMO Arguments: Against." Weighing the GMO Arguments: Against. FAO, Mar. 2003. Web. 09 Mar. 2014.
Food is an essential part of everyday life without it one could not survive. Every day we make choices on what we put in to our bodies. There are countless varieties of food to choose from to meet the diverse tastes of the increasing population. Almost all food requires a label explaining the ingredients and the nutritional value allowing consumers to make informed decisions on what they are consuming. However, many may not be considering where that food is coming from or how it has been produced. Unfortunately, there is more to food than meets the eye. Since 1992, “ the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled, based on woefully limited data, that genetically modified foods were ‘substantially equivalent’ to their non-GM counterparts” (Why to Support Labeling). GM food advocates have promised to create more nutritious food that will be able to grow in harsh climate conditions and eventually put an end to world hunger in anticipation of the growing population. There is very little evidence to support these claims and study after study has proven just the opposite. GM crops are not only unsafe to consume, but their growing practices are harmful to the environment, and multinational corporations are putting farmers out of business.
The technological advances are increasing each year, and electronics are not the only things upgraded. The food eaten in the United States has also been touched by science in the form of GMOs. Although GMOs have been in the US food industry for almost twenty years, consumers should have the right to know what is in our food with mandatory GMO labeling.
Senauer, Benjamin. “Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Engineered (GE) Foods: The Showdown Begins.” Choices. 2013. Web. 2 May. 2014.
...t: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from "GMO-Crop Crisis a Rapidly Growing Concern." Santa Fe New Mexican 21 Oct. 2008. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
Should you worry about GMOs? (2013). Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, 31(9), 4-5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1458270646?accountid=39340
Our attitudes toward GMO foods range from hostility to indifference. GMO foods, like pesticide-resistant Roundup Ready soybeans and fast-growing salmon, seem to exist primarily to pad corporate pockets. Most people are not aware that they are eating GMO foods. The greater percentage of the population is just looking at the price tag instead of what is in the food product. This technology has the potential to provide sustainable nutrient rich food sources throughout the ages if the science is not abused for the food industry’s
If you read the paper or watch the news, you’re undoubtedly aware of the debate raging over genetically modified food. Is it bad or is it good? Between the feuding sides, you might find yourself a little lost and wondering which side is right. Answers to seemingly simple questions have been blurred or exaggerated by both sides. On one side genetically modified food is more sustainable, safe, cheaper, easier to grow and has the potential of creating disease-fighting foods. Although this is positive and good intentioned, there may be unintended consequences that we have been quick to overlook. Those opposing genetically modified food clam that it is dangerous, harms the environment, increases health risks, and causes infertility and weight gain. Even things like the declining bee population may have closer ties to modified food than previously thought. We must look to science for answers. By studying genetically modified organisms (GMOs) we can guide our decision about whether we want to be consuming them.
Denson, Bryan. "Genetically engineered crops viewed as both benefit, threat". The Oregonian. February 10, 2000.
The growing controversy over genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have left many Americans and people all around the world with various questions and concerns as to what they are really putting into their bodies. The issue at hand is one that, although is very dominant in the world today, many are still uneducated on the problem and have not been informed with the facts. GMOs have been placed in the world without much question or second thought and it is time that America hear what should have been told many years ago. Although over ninety percent of the food eaten everyday has been genetically modified in the United States, many today believe the food they eat everyday is perfectly healthy, safe, and beneficiary for them. On the contrary, however, others will argue that the food has become poisoned, unsanitary, and detrimental to the health of themselves and others due to the ongoing issue of genetically engineered foods. As food production grows, and more suspicions rise to the surface, many people are left with the begging question, “Are GMOs really bad for us?” Everyone one is entitled to his or her own opinion and there are many out there who would like to believe one side or another. Regardless of who believes what, after the research is conducted, in hopes of accumulating a better understanding of the issue, it will be known what genetically modified organisms really are, where genetically mutated crops originate from and whether genetically modifying crops are harming or benefiting the world.
In the U.S., GM foods have received little public opposition; this is largely due to the fact that food manufacturers are not required to label their products as containing genetically modified ingredients for fear of confusing consumers. Due to the lack of evidence that genetically altered foods are harmful, the Food and Drug Administration considers GM foods to be “generally regarded as safe” (known as GRAS) and no special labeling is required (Falkner 103). In the U.S., genetically modified crops are monitored by t...
Weirich, P. 2007. Labeling genetically modified food: The philosophical and legal debate. New York: Oxford University Press.
Consumer demand of labeling practices is in direct opposition to what the pro-GMO activists believe to be in the public’s best interest. Very little research has been published with regards to labeling products and how the design and wording has the potential to positively or negatively affect the consumer. GMO lobbyists are resisting the mandatory labeling practice of GMOs...
In a world where healthy eating is always a fad, GMO Labeling is a hot topic. There are several misconceptions about GMOs. Products containing GMO's should be appropriately labeled because inappropriate marketing strategies could defer possible consumers, appropriate labels could help advocate understanding that GMO is not a negative additive and consumers have the right to know what is in their food. A GMO is defined as “an organism whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering so that it’s DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there.” Research involving human consumption in GMOs has been in place since 1980, the FDA approved funding for GMOs in 1982. Even though they were approved in 1882, products containing GMOs did not hit grocery stores until late 1994.
How many of you hear the words “genetically modified food” and immediately think “BAD”? How many of you scorn the idea that genetically modified foods are useful? How many of you have been manipulated by the media to think that all biotechnology is evil? Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms that have been genetically spliced to achieve a certain trait. As the demand for a larger food supply is increasing due to population growth, the benefits that GMO foods provide are being hailed as the only solution to the food crisis. However, many people are making inadequately informed decisions, and are pushing them to the back shelf. I will inform you on why genetically modified organisms may be the only way to a stable, safe future for the less fortunate.
Boyers, Lindsay. "Genetically Modified Foods." SF chronicle [San Francisco] 03 03 2013, Demand Media n. pag. Print.