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The risk of genetically modified foods
Harmful effects of genetically modified foods
The effect of genetically modified food on the human body
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‘Genetically Modified Organisms’ can be defined as plants, animals and bacteria that are created specifically for the purpose of various uses which range from scientific research to the production of agriculture (GMO Harmful Effects). The World Health Organization (WTO) state that: “GMOs can be defined as organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally” (World Health Organization). Based on the study conducted on GMOs, it is estimated that around 75% of processed foods can be found on supermarket shelves and the food products range from soda to soup and crackers to condiments (Center for food safety). Additionally, it was found that there are around sixty-four countries in the world that are labeled to engineer genetic modified food. There are Russia, Japan, Brazil, Australia, China and actually fifteen countries in the European Union. It has been stated that the United States has no laws which makes it compulsory to label genetically modified or engineered foods (Labeling around the World). In reference to the startling statistics the objective of this research paper is to test the hypothesis that: Genetically modified organisms are bad. There seems to be enough research on the subject that aims to help test the hypothesis statement above. According to the statement recorded by the World Health Organization, ‘Genetically modified organisms’ cause Allergenicity, Gene transfer, Out crossing. All of these carry the risk of unintended effects (World Health Organization). The WTO discussed problems relating to trade which arise with countries that are regulated with different regulations, regarding the approval and testing procedure (World Trade Organization). Scientific Amer... ... middle of paper ... ...h as the economic benefits of Golden Rice are calculated in the Philippines (Pepper). In conclusion and in summary of this topic, this paper has provided supporting evidence in the investigation of whether or not GMO products are not safe. The historical background to the genetic engineering or modified foods indicate that perhaps when the first genetic engineering product started it was possible that there were other reasons of administering the product in the market. However, perhaps the technological age played a role in inventing unnatural ways of producing agricultural products. It was also agreed that the unnatural processing of the crops has cause hazards to the environment as well as to one’s health. Therefore, in justice to the inquiry of the hypothesis statement, it can be stated that GMO food products are not safe and bad for consumption.
Did you know the food that you could be eating right now can be harmful to you? The food that you eat daily can contain GMOs that can contain things that can cause you to have allergies and even cause you to get cancer sometimes. GM crops can be harmful and dangerous for you. Another reason why GM crops are inadequate is because it can decrease biodiversity of plants and crops, and it can destroy rare species of plants. It can harm organisms that you might not mean to kill. Some people may say that GM crops can stop world hunger. IT WILL NOT! Research shows that some GM crops can not meet the nutritional needs of a human being. It will also not help solve world hunger because some GM crops need many resources to be able for them to produce into healthy crops and poor farmers don’t have much resources.
A trip to any supermarket in Canada will reveal nothing out of ordinary, just the usual of array of fresh and packaged goods displayed in an inviting manner to attract customers. Everything appear familiar and reassuring, right? Think again. A closer microscopic inspection discloses something novel, a fundamental revolution in food technology. The technology is genetic engineering (GE), also known as biotechnology. Blue prints (DNA) of agricultural crops are altered and “spliced” with foreign genes to produce transgenic crops. Foods harvested from these agricultural plants are called, genetically modified (GM). Presently, Canada has no consumer notification; GM foods are being slipped to Canada’s foods without any labels or adequate risk assessments. This essay argues that GM foods should be rigorously and independently tested for safety; and, consumers be given the right to choose or reject GM foods through mandatory labels. What is the need for impartial examination of safety of transgenic foods? And why label them? GM foods are not “substantially equivalent” to conventional foods, genetic engineering of agricultural crops is not a mere extension of traditional plant breeding, and finally, there are human health implications associated with it.
The word GMO stands for Genetically-Modified Organism and can also be referred to as Genetically Engineered foods, Genetically Modified Foods, and Biotech. Genetically engineered foods are created when one desired trait is isolated and introduced to another plant by inserting the certain gene. The process, considered genetic breeding, and is much more precise than the regular breeding. While GMOs have been in food for 20 years, currently, the controversy and genetically engineered farms are larger than ever. 82% of Americans want GMOs labeled, but majority fail to understand them (Swanson). 90% of all US grown corn, canola, soybeans, and sugar beets have DNA bits from the lab (Woolston). The United States is the top GMO growing country with 70 million hectares of land dedicated to these farms. (Lee). These modified crops and plants for human and animals are created mainly for withstand herbicides or to produce an insectide. “No GMO traits are on the market for bigger yields, drought resistance, enhanced nutrition or any other consumer benefit” (Burnham). Overall, GE foods’ main purpose is to save money for large corporations.
When we genetically modify an organism, we are creating an entirely new species. This can mean disaster for the surrounding natural organisms. These GM crops, which have been created to fight pests and weeds, can easily win in a competition for survival. Long-term effects include endangering these unmodified species, or even driving them to extinction. Another problem is that consumers don’t know when they’re eating GM foods. You might be allergic to fish, and then you go grocery shopping. You buy tomatoes to use in your dinner that night, with no knowledge that they have fish genes that can trigger your allergies. Allergic reactions to these modified foods are just another issue that comes up when GMOS come into play. Also, when we buy these foods, we’re supporting big industries that have patents on all these crops. The fact that people can patent crops just because they stuck some new DNA in them doesn’t make sense to begin with, but furthermore, the local, organic farmers who don’t want to, or can’t afford to pay these industries to use their patented crops are losing business.
One of the major impacts genetically modified foods have on us is the health risks that come along with them. Eating these foods increases the likely hood of developing a disease, which is on the raise for not only people but animals as well. What's worse is it can even lead to organ failure in some cases.
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 past twenty years have seen rise to a new burgeoning scientific field: genetically modified foods. During the plant breeding process, geneticists interfere with the reproduction and modify the genes of the new seedling by introducing a fragment of DNA from another organism that possesses the desired trait. With genetic modification, scientists can increase the pest, herbicide, cold, and drought tolerance so that the crop can survive in harsher climates. In some cases, the nutritional value can even be increased (Ulrich 9). Despite the obvious benefits of more nutritious foods and crops that are hardier and more resistant to harsher climates, there are some concerns surrounding GM foods. Each new alteration can cause an unforeseen allergic reaction, negate the effects of antibiotics, or potentially cause some adverse effects to the environment (Falkner 101). Every newly developed GM food must be tested on a case by case basis as there is no universal method that determines the safety of all modified components. As a result, long term effects of ingesting food with altered material are unknown.
According to Ronnie Cummins in “Genetically Engineered Foods Are Hazardous” he talks about a British molecular scientist named Dr. Michael Antoniou that points out how there is “unexpected production of toxic substances” in genetic modification that can be very harmful to us humans. Many people believe that since a couple Doctors have labeled them as toxins, why do we even allow these to be put in the foods that we eat? In an article titled “The Threats From Genetically Modified Foods” by Robin Mather, he has said that the use of glyphosate, a herbicide, can “significantly increase the severity of various plant diseases” which are very hazardous to the environment. In the same article “The Threats From Genetically Modified Foods” Robin Mather has stated that genetic transfers cannot occur in nature and are not as precise and predictable as people say they are. In another article called “Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering” from Issues & Controversies, it has been shown that genetic modification can affect many plants.
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 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. This has created a large amount of debate on local, national, and international levels about the safety of genetically modified foods to human health. There are many angles that have been taken from different groups about this issue. Some believe it is harmful to our health with one source stating that, “mice eating GMO corn had fewer and smaller babies (Jagelio 2013).” Without testing on humans how are we to know these harmful effects aren’t impacting our health and reproduction. Other groups see GMOs as being both beneficial and having no impact on human health. These individuals site that , “Since GMOs were introduced into the food supply almost 20 years ago, there has not been one documented case of any health problem in humans, not even so much as a sniffle, linked to GMOs (Entine 2013).” They have also found GMOs to be beneficial to human health. Dresbach et. al(2013) found, “The biotechnology of gene splicing allows for the opportunity of creating plants that will produce food that is more nutrient dense.” With so many different views that all cite different information about GMO’s impact on human well-being, the question remains how GMOs affect human health?
In conclusion, the application of genetically modified food has a lot of pros and cons. There is so much disagreement about the benefits and risks of GM because there are so many different views surrounding it. This issue is very important today because it will change our future. How would the world be when every single living creature will be in some aspect genetically modified? Would we be more resistant to illness? Or would we be weaker and more vulnerable to diseases? Would this be the beginning of the mutant era? Regardless of the answers to these questions, we will need to consider the implications of genetically modified foods.
This report explains genetically modified food (GMOs) and discusses the benefits and risks associated with the consumptions of GMOs. Genetically modified foods (GMOs) are foods that have been genetically altered using engineering techniques. The most common technique used today is called recombinant DNA technology; this technology combines different molecules from different plant species to create a plant with a new set of genes, a hybrid plant. Another recombinant DNA technology being used is recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) an artificial growth hormone; this hormone is being fed or injected into cows to improve milk production. (ThefreeDictionary)
“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.
Scientists have been changing genomes of plants and animals by integrating new genes from a different species through genetic engineering, creating a genetically modified organism (GMO). Consumers in America have been eating GMOs since 1996, when they went on the market. There are benefits to genetically modifying crop plants, as it improves the crop quality and increases yield, affecting the economy and developing countries. But there are also negative effects from GMOs. Consumption of GMOs has various health effects on both body systems of animals and humans. GMOs also affect the environment, ecosystems and other animal species. The cons outweigh the pros in the case of GMOs.
The cons are, since many GMOs are modified using bacteria and viruses, there is a fear that new diseases will be created. Many people wonder if GMOs are safe, but since they are a relatively new development, long term effects are limited. GMOs can pose significant allergy risks. Genetic enhancements often combine proteins not contained in the original organism, which can cause allergic reactions in humans” (Mandel).
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.