Genetically Modified Foods

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From the Flavr Savr ™ tomato to the more recent genetically modified corn, genetic engineering has been around for about 20 years. Now, do you really know what GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are? Do you understand both the pros and the cons are? Are you positive that GMOs mat or may not affect your health or the enviroment? If you answered no to any of these questions I strongly suggest you continue reading.

First, lets get a good understanding of what GMOs are. A GMO is a genetically modified organism. That means that is DNA (or its genes) have altered or modified to make it better, more nutritious, durable, resistant to certain things, and more. So why were GMOs created? The answer to that is simple, they wanted to make their crops durable. That means that they are genetically modifying their crops, giving them insect resistance, virus resistance, and herbicide tolerance.

Now before getting any further into what is happening to crops, there needs to be some clarification on how GMOs are put into food and crops. Scientists use a method using what they call, a “gene gun.” How it works is a piece of gold (1 micron in diameter) is coated with GM (genetically modified) molecules. It is then loaded into a blank .18mm gun and is “shot” into the plant. This process can take thousands of tries but is how most of GM foods were created. Once the GM molecules enter the plant correctly, without killing any cells or tissue, it is then permanently altered.

Next, lets discuss what foods GMOs are in and how they negatively affect people’s health and the environment. rBST (also know as rBGH) stands for recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (or recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone) created by a company called Monsanto. rBST...

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"GMO Foods." Commonground GMO Foods Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2014.

Hart, Kathleen. Eating in the Dark: America's Experiment with Genetically Engineered Food. New York: Pantheon, 2002. Print.

Martineau, Belinda. First Fruit: The Creation of the Flavr Savr Tomato and the Birth of Genetically Engineered Food. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001. Print.

McHughen, Alan. Pandora's Picnic Basket: The Potential and Hazards of Genetically Modified Foods. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2000. Print.

Miller, Debra A. Genetically Engineered Food. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2012. Print.

Pence, Gregory E. Designer Food: Mutant Harvest or Breadbasket of the World? Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002. Print.

Skancke, Jennifer. Genetically Modified Food. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2009. Print.

"Weighing the GMO Arguments: For." Weighing the GMO Arguments: For. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.

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