Should Labeling be Required for GMOs?

1231 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: genetically modified animals

Should Labeling be Required for GMOs? The debate over genetically modified foods continues to haunt producers and consumers alike. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are foods that have been modified through bioengineering to possess certain characteristics. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or increased nutritional content (Whitman, 2000). The debate continues to grow as to whether these genetically altered foodstuffs are the answer to hunger in the coming years, or whether we are simply children playing with something that we do not have the capacity to understand. One of the biggest debates in the GMO issue is whether producers need to use labeling of foods that contain GMOs, or whether they should be treated as any other natural food source. This research will support the position that current regulatory practices concerning GMO crops are inadequate and that stricter labeling laws for GMOs needs to be enforced. Before genetic engineering, plants were bred using standards cross-pollination techniques to produce improved strains. This method was time consuming, taking many generations to perfect. It was not very precise either (Whitman, 2000). There were many factors that could influence the outcome. With genetic engineering, the researcher can isolate the exact gene sequence responsible for the desired characteristic, such as drought tolerance, or high productivity (Whitman, 2000). Some of the current uses of genetically modifications being used are pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, disease resistance, cold tolerance, drought tolerance, salinity tolerance, nutritional content, pharmaceuticals, edible vaccines, and phytoremdiation (Whitm... ... middle of paper ... ...the right of the consumer to make an informed decision regarding the foods that they eat. In the end, it is the consumer that will decide, regardless of what the scientific evidence eventually appears. Works Cited NG, J. (2008). UK experts urge RP consumers to push for GMO labeling. Checkbiotech. http://greenbio.checkbiotech.org/news/uk_experts_urge_rp_consumers_push_gmo_labeli ng Raab, C. & Grobe, D. (2003). Labeling Genetically Engineered Food: The Consumer’s Right to Know? AgBioForum. 6 (4): 155-161. From http://www.agbioforum.missouri.edu/v6n4/v6n4a02-raab.pdf Whitman, D. (2000). Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful. from http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php. World Health Organization (WHO) (2009). 20 Questions on genetically modified foods. http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/en/.

Show More
Related

  • Persuasive Essay On Gmo Labeling

    1016 Words  | 3 Pages

    A very valid point brought up by Clause (Say ‘no’), Hemphill, and Banerjee (both G.M.O. and the U.S.), is that consumers already have an easy and effective option to steer clear from GMOs: buying organic products. Through Hemphill’s and Banerjee’s article, we are informed that United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) “presently offers an organic certification for crops and processed food products, which by definition prohibits the use of GMO ingredients” (Page 455-466). This is certainly a label that has the ability to help concerned customers know exactly what they are eating. The co-authors call this solution the “Voluntary Labeling Strategy.” There is, however, one issue with this: not all products that don't contain GMOs qualify as organic. The resolution lies in an upcoming proposal from the U.S. Food and Drug administration (FDA). It's called “Voluntary Guidelines” and it allows, but doesn't force, GMO-free products to display a label of their own. I believe that this is a much smarter option than labeling every item containing GMOs because it is not binding by law, which would provide consumers with all of the benefits they need to choose the right foods for their preferences, while saving on all of the unnecessary extra costs discussed

    Read More

  • GMO Labeling Essay

    1763 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Choice Of Food: The Power Of Choice

    1086 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Essay On Monsanto

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    When you eat a cheeseburger, you might know that you are eating a beef patty with cheese, lettuce, and ketchup on a sesame seed bun, but do you know what you are really eating? According to the documentary GMO OMG, “approximately 85% of all processed foods contain GMOs”, yet most consumers are unaware that this secret ingredient is included in most of their food. Although Monsanto believes their product is safely feeding the world, consumers should be aware of the hidden horrors of genetically modified food because research indicates that GMOs could drastically affect their health as well as cause environmental damage, all while violating the rights of consumers and farmers.

    Read More

  • Argument Against GMO Labeling

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    Next, companies that refuse the use of genetic modifications on their foods must begin to label foods that do not contain GMOs so that consumers can be sure of their safety, even if others that contain GMOs do not label. Due to this labeling, there will be an exposure to which foods are natural because the foods that are the most appealing will have “the ‘Non-GMO Project Verified’ seal [in order] to help shoppers recognize which products meet rigorous GMO avoidance practices” (“Whole Foods Market”).

    Read More

  • Robin Mather's Article: The Threats From Genetically Modified Food

    1215 Words  | 3 Pages

    Considering an argument as valid requires critical analysis of several aspects and providing strong evidence. Robin Mather, a journalist who “has passion for food and its sources, has worked at major metropolitan newspapers (the Detroit News, the Chicago Tribune)”(86), argues that GMOs have risks and hazards to human health and threats to wildlife and environment in her article “The Threats from Genetically Modified Foods”, whereas Entine, a colleague at the Genetic Literacy Project, and Wendel, a science writer(82), claim that GMOs are safe to eat and no harm to people or animals in their article “2000+Reasons Why GMOs are Safe to Eat and Environmentally Sustainable” Both articles’ authors state their ideas clearly for whether GMOs could be eaten or not. However,  Mather provides more solid

    Read More

  • Genetic Modification Of Food Essay

    2167 Words  | 5 Pages

    The question “Is this product genetically modified?” has gained increasing popularity among the health concerned and those who worry about where their food comes from over the past couple of years. A decade or two ago, this question had no meaning and has no significance in society. However, thanks to the development of technology and a larger understanding of the underlying properties of foods, down to the molecular scale, humans have created a new field of engineering to combat worries that have plagued the food industry to centuries upon centuries. And as always, the advent of a new a product or procedure that changes the way we think and create will always usher along with it self opinions from every strata of society. The genetic modification of food in the United States of America has become a pertinent topic of debate, just recently gaining its popularity in the past couple of years. To modify or not to modify? There are both pros and cons to whether or not change the DNA sequences of foods in order to better them in some way or another. However, like every other major, groundbreaking change in this country comes regulation in hopes to appease everyone in the country and give each participant a fair chance in the race, in particular, the race for the production and distribution of foods. Such regulation in the United States has been done in order to protect and support people that have not devoted their time and money to the biological nuance and also to give every consumer in the country products that are labeled, identifying what they are putting into their systems on a daily basis. As time and society progress, how we view tasks that have been usually kept hidden and now placed onto a pedestal for everyone to se...

    Read More

  • GMO Argumentative Essay

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    The term GM foods or GMO (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques (Whitman, 2000). These plants have been modified in the laboratory to offer desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. Also, genetic engineering techniques have been applied to create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and accurately. For example, this is done by the geneticist isolating the gene responsible for drought tolerance and inserts it into another plant. The new genetically-modified plant will now have gained drought tolerance as well.

    Read More

  • Essay On Gmo Food Pros And Cons

    1107 Words  | 3 Pages

    With all of the controversy surrounding GMO foods: health versus biodiversity; benefits versus dangers; pros versus cons, a topic that always arises is the subject of labeling. Labeling has been a matter of discussion for years and

    Read More

  • Genetically Modified Organisms are Safe

    1945 Words  | 4 Pages

    In this day and age, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have become a topic of large interest in the media. GMOs are defined as an organism whose genetic structure has been altered by incorporating a gene that will express a desirable trait (Dresbach et al. al. 2013). Often times, these traits that are selected are either beneficial to the consumer or producer. Currently, GMOs are being created at a higher rate than ever before and are being used in the foods that we eat.

    Read More

  • Negative Effects of GMOs

    846 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...M crops will escalate the cost of farming, causing many small farmers to potentially loose their businesses. As GMOs continue to affect human life and the environment, it should be mandatory for products to be labeled if they are genetically modified, thus giving consumers the right to make their own decision. With the list of health risks and environmental issues rising, the use of GMOs should be banned as a method to increase food supply and continue a natural approach to eliminate all risks.

    Read More

  • Benefits Of GMO Free Foods

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    Genetically modified organisms are the new form of farming and pose a major threat to America's health. If one were to walk down the street and ask the average person, what a GMO is, most would know and be able to give basic knowledge about this topic. A survey conducted 80% of 25 people were aware of what genetically modified foods are.The lack of knowledge and regulation of GMOs in the school systems has lead to increased risks among children and adolescents.

    Read More

  • Genetically Modified Food (GMOs): Annotated Bibliography

    2902 Words  | 6 Pages

    Genetically modified food’s, or GMOs, goal is to feed the world's malnourished and undernourished population. Exploring the positive side to GMOs paints a wondrous picture for our planet’s future, although careful steps must be taken to ensure that destruction of our ecosystems do not occur. When GMOs were first introduced into the consumer market they claimed that they would help eliminate the world’s food crisis by providing plants that produced more and were resistant to elemental impacts like droughts and bacterial contaminants, however, production isn’t the only cause for the world’s food crisis. Which is a cause for concern because the population on the earth is growing and our land and ways of agriculture will not be enough to feed everyone sufficiently. No simple solutions can be found or applied when there are so many lives involved. Those who are hungry and those who are over fed, alike, have to consider the consequences of Genetically Modified Organisms. Food should not be treated like a commodity it is a human necessity on the most basic of levels. When egos, hidden agendas, and personal gains are folded into people's food sources no one wins. As in many things of life, there is no true right way or wrong way to handle either of the arguments and so many factors are involved that a ‘simple’ solution is simply not an option.

    Read More

  • Genetically Modified Organisms

    859 Words  | 2 Pages

    GM crops also benefit the economy and assist in feeding more people. While we struggle with feeding our population, “The population will continue to grow” (Calandrelli 1) For instance, genetic engineering in agriculture can minimize the cost of producing food. Thus, GMO’s in crops can result ...

    Read More

  • Splice: The Movie

    953 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lemaux, P.G. (2006). Introduction to genetic modification. Agricultural Biotechnology in California Series, 8178. Retrieved from http://ucanr.org/freepubs/docs/8178.pdf

    Read More

More about Should Labeling be Required for GMOs?

Open Document