The History of Genetically Modified Foods

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This paper discusses genetically modified (GM) foods, the interesting history, and their development. It shows how GM foods have experienced rapid growth over the last ten years. Within the history of these foods, there has been a great deal of controversy and debate of the benefits and risks of GM foods and the production process. Analyzing the current situation around GM foods, this controversy will likely continue for many years to come.

Genetically Modified Foods

The Early Days and Development of GM Foods

In the beginning of genetically modified foods, tomatoes were the first crop to be genetically engineered and grown for commercial use; tobacco had been produced over a decade earlier. . “Food that is genetically modified means that the original DNA structure has been changed. DNA is the blueprint of each living thing. By altering the DNA, the qualities of the characteristics of the living thing, plants in this case, can be changed.” (Windley M.D., 2008)The GM tomato crops were created to be resistant to the usual rotting and decay of a typical, conventional tomato that was being grown by farmers

A company in the United States by the name of Calgene was permitted to commercially produce the GM tomatoes in the mid 1990s. They did this without specific labels to indicate their difference from regularly grown tomatoes. At that time, consumers would pay between two and five times more than the cost of conventional tomatoes. Calgene experienced problems with the production of the GM tomato and new competition was introduced. At the same time, a variation of their tomato was used in a tomato paste produced by another company (by the name of Monsanto), which ended up being sold in Europe a couple of years later. The prod...

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...llow you to contribute to a safer and more positive future of GM foods.

Works Cited

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Madrigal, A. (2007, September 11). Have You Eaten Your Genetically Modified

Food today?. Wired, Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/09/monsanto-is-hap/

Schneider, K. (2010). Genetically Modified Food. Informally published

manuscript, Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, .

University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. Retrieved from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FS/FS08400.pdf

Windley M.D., S. (2008). Genetically modified foods. Pure Health MD,

Retrieved from

http://arch.ttu.edu/w/images/d/d8/Genetically_Modified_Foods.pdf

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