BACKGROUND INFORMATION
To begin, a brief distinction among the terms “genetically engineered,” “genetically modified organism,” and “genetically modified food” will be made. Quite frequently, these terms are used interchangeably despite having different meanings. Genetic engineering refers to scientific methods (the actual processes) in which deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) genes from an organism are introduced directly into another (regardless of sexual compatibility) for a desired outcome. The plants, as a result, are not naturally occurring; hence, they have been genetically engineered. On the other hand, the term genetically modified organism refers to an organism produced by means of any genetic modification technique. Whether these are modern techniques or traditional plant breeding methods, the resulting organisms are classified as genetically modified. Furthermore, the term genetically modified food refers to food that has been processed with ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms.
FINDINGS
These concepts are very controversial and pose important questions that deserve to be answered. Questions like: When did the process of genetically modifying our foods first begin? How are our foods being genetically engineered? How much of our foods are genetically engineered or contain genetically modified ingredients? Why are our foods genetically engineered or modified? What problems are associated with genetic engineering? And more importantly, what affects are genetically engineered or modified foods having on human, animal, and environmental health? Plenty of research was conducted to thoroughly answer these questions, particularly concerning the latter one.
HISTORY OF GENETIC MODIFICATION
Research shows that ge...
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...companies are willing to spend enormous amounts of money to avoid telling consumers what they are eating is outrageous. It appears as if there is something about GM foods these companies do not want consumers to know.
If there are problems, then prohibit sales. If this is not the case, then label them. Labeling is not necessarily about health issues, however, it is about consumer rights. Labeling allows consumers the right to decide if they do or do not want to eat them. It is that simple. Consumers have the right to know what is in their food and they should be able to make informed choices on GM foods. In order to properly label GM foods, “GM” must be visibly labeled along with the modified characteristics and the source of the implemented gene. For example, modified tomatoes should be marketed with a label stating: “GM tomato containing ‘X’ gene from ‘Y’ source.”
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.
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
“Actions speak louder than words” but in this case results speak louder than words. Just because the labels say it’s safe, is it? How can something that’s only recently been discovered be considered safe when we don’t know the long term outcome? Hearing that my food has been ‘Genetically Modified’ just sounds messed up from the start. Our countries people are trusting what they consume by words spoken by people they’ve never even met and people who are only out to make lots of money with whatever it takes. Do you really think that the business owners running the food system actually eats the average food that is in a grocery store? Doubtful. Largely between 1997 and 1999, genetically modified food ingredients suddenly appeared in 2/3rds of all US processed foods
Are genetically modified foods safe? Genetically modified foods are crop plants created for human or animal consumption using molecular biological techniques. These plants have been modified to enhance certain traits like increased resistance to herbicides or improve nutritional content. This process traditionally has been done through breeding, but is not very accurate. Scientists have been using biotechnology to implant the gene that makes the plants act the way they want them to. Genetically modified foods have advantages and disadvantages on the environment and advantages and disadvantages on society. We have to weigh the positives and negatives to see if genetically modified foods are healthy for us and if we really need them.
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...
Ever since genetically modified foods, or GM foods, have been introduced to the world, there has been a controversy of whether they are ethical to society. There are many different point of views on the issue of genetically modifying food throughout the world; some supporting, some against, and some unsure. Although people have all these different viewpoints about genetically modified foods, many do not truly understand what these genetically modified foods are and mean for their health, environment, and society.
Many food companies refrain from labeling because consumers have expressed distaste for GM products and state that they would not buy such products, even if they are already buying them now, unlabeled (ABC News). This opinion puts producers in a bind because by giving the consumer what they want, the company could lose profit. This is not a valid reason to forgo labeling; instead companies should make the buyer feel safe buying a GM product that IS labeled. Also, scientists along with the FDA publicize that labeling is not necessary because there is no evidence of genetic engineering changing food’s quality, safety, “or any other attribute.” (ABC News) Yet cigarettes and other tobacco products have been identified as containing tobacco even before any research had been done on the health
“Genetically modified foods are a "Pandora's box" of known and unknown risks to humans and the environment. They have been forced onto the American public by multinational biotech and agribusiness corporations without adequate oversight and regulation by the United States government (Driscoll, SallyMorley, David C).”Genetically Modified Food is food which has been chemically altered by scientists during the production process to give the food more nutrients, better appearance, and a longer shelf-life (Rich, Alex K.Warhol, Tom). The importance of this issue is that these GMO’s can actually have a negative effect in our society in general. It could mutate in a negative way and cause cancer or other diseases. Genetically modified food should be strictly controlled due to its various detrimental effects on the environment, human health, and potentially insect/animal effects.
The labeling of food made with genetically modified plants and produced from animals fed with genially modified food is completely voluntary. So basically the American consumer has no way to make informed choices. If by any chance any of these products cause adverse side effects in the future Americans are completely at the mercy of the retailers. The public has no way to make informed decisions of whether they want to eat genetically modified food or not. Upon further research I found out that there are over 40 plants varieties that have completed the federal requirement for commercialization. These approvals include foods with drugs in them, fish, fruits and nuts that mature faster, and plants that produce plastics. (NERC 2005)
Genetically modified foods are exactly what they sound like. They are foods produced by organisms that have had certain changes in their DNA by utilizing genetic engineering. Ever since 1982, when the FDA approved the first GMO, genetically modified foods and organisms have been skyrocketing. In 1999, GMO foods and crops dominated the markets. The big question here is are GMOs harmful to us? If farmers are spraying their plants with pesticides that kill off weeds and bugs what do you think will happen over time to us humans who are consuming these foods? Although, GMOs have a few positive health benefits it also has several negative effects. One positive of keeping GMOs around is because they are insect resistant. Since they are insect resistant none of the crops can be harmed by pests therefore, can be harvested. Many regular grown crops, with no genetic engineering or spray, are lost due to insects eating them. The negative effects of GMOs outweigh the positive effects. One big problem with GMOs, is people are beginning to have allergic reactions to these crops. Another huge problem is antibiotic success is lowering. One last risk is transgenic DNA transferring. With 64 other countries requiring labeling of GM foods you’d think that the U.S would jump on the bandwagon. We should be given the information of what we're putting into our bodies.
Genetically modified foods are a controversial subject in today’s society. A genetically modified food is the result of biotechnological procedures that allow the genetic makeup of a food or organism to be altered in some way. They benefit the human race in many ways but they also pose many risks to the health of humans and the good of the environment. There is currently not enough proof to ensure the safety of these genetically modified products. Consuming these genetically altered and more processed foods can lead to increased
In todays society, people are more concerned about what they put into their body. They eat healthy and maintain a stable diet, but unknown to a number of these people is their food may have been tampered with in the form of Genetically Modified Organisms or, for short, GMO's. Genetically Modified Organisms are plants or animals whose DNA has been altered to favor a certain characteristic or trait which is already in the DNA of other plants and animals. Which includes enhancing the DNA in plants to make them larger, invincible to pests, or invincible towards weeds. Although, the reason why GMO's are a controversial topic is because GMO's have been known to kill animals, are a threat to our natural environment in many ways, and little is known
Genetically Modified Organisms are one of the most controversial issues facing our world today. GMOs are foods produced from organisms that have had specific changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering for improvement of productivity and product quality. GMOs have raised concerns over whether or not there beneficial or harmful to our health. It is not secret that GMO foods have had a dramatic impact on the world and humans deserve to know how they are not all that they appear to be. GMOs pose a serious threat to our health, lead to serious destruction of the environment and have contaminated organic crops. On the other hand they are resistant to disease, help humans suffering from famine, produce greater yields, and improve the nutrition of foods. In my personal opinion they are more detrimental to our wellbeing then helpful, however they are not completely useless.
Genetically modified foods most commonly refers to the plants, which has been modified in the laboratory to enhance improved nutritional content and aimed traits created for human beings and animals. With progress in various types of technology, especially in genetic engineering, farmers and scientists have changed the way in which food is grown and made, raising questions about the methods, their risks and possible effects. It is not a secret that GMF-ed foods have spread out rapidly to the whole world. GMFs have raised concerns over their own beneficial in that they are resistant to diseases, produces greater yields, and it improves the nutrition of foods making the people unaware about their effects. Every time we go to any grocery stores or supermarkets, we would not know whether the vegetables, fruits or even meats being sold are genetically modified. To make this situation worse, most consumers do not pay much attention to what they are eating, when they are actually consuming modified foods.
We live in a world where people are becoming more health conscious and mindful of what they consume in their daily lives. Some are converting over to eating all organic products because they are “100% natural”. If you have ever noticed, while going grocery shopping in your local market certain foods are labeled organic or say, “100% natural”. However, the conventional foods we eat every day have no labels. Most of these non-labeled foods are GMOs, which is also known as Genetically Modified Organisms, most of which we don’t even recognize. In the US, food corporations are not required to label these genetically modified foods, which can pose health risks to those who consume them.The first thought that runs through people head when they see