Modified America
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.
Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs for short, are defined as plants, animals, or microorganisms that have had their genes altered through genetic engineering using the application of recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) technology. This kind of genetic engineering began in the early 1970s when DNA was isolated from a bacterium, duplicated, and inserted into another bacterium. The resulting DNA, known as rDNA, allows researchers to transfer genetic material from one organism to another. Researchers can now identify the genes that are responsible for a desired trait and reorganize or insert them from the cells of one bacterium, a plant, or animal into the cells of other bacteria, plants, or animals. What this process is trying to achieve is to produce a new species or an improved version of ones that already exist (Brown, 2011).
In general, GMOs are when the DNA of one organism is extracted and added to another plant or organism’s DNA. This means that when GMOs occur is when an organism has had its genetic makeup manipulat...
You may know about the emerging field of biotechnology - the medicine, the ethics, the DNA, the Human Genome, etc. But few realize the emergence of its agricultural branch, and the international conflict that has arisen from it. It may apply to you more than you thought, for half of the soybean products and a quarter of the corn you ate in 1999 may have been genetically modified (Kaufman A6). Genetically modified crops (commonly referred to as GMOs) are crops whose characteristics have been altered to produce a favorable trait, whether it be prolonged freshness, a more attractive appearance, or pesticide resistance (Activist 1). Genetic alteration is the act of inserting a gene, which contains specific DNA (usually from another species), into an organism so that it will produce a protein to create a specific trait. Many have argued over the ethical appropriateness of the issue, but this time new concerns come into view. Many consumers all over the world are worried about human safety, environmental preservation, and international trade.
...nd the global politics of food. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2001. Print. Mather, Robin. "The Threats From Genetically Modified Foods." Mother Earth News 251 (2012): 42. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 8 May 2012.Nestle, Marion. Safe food: bacteria, biotechnology, and bioterrorism. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2003. Print. Whitman, Deborah B. "Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?" Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? Apr. 2000. Web. 08 May 2012. Powell, Douglas, ”Genetically Modified Foods Should not be Labeled.” National Post (22 June 2001). Rpt in Genetic Engineering Ed. James D. Torr Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Current Controversies. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 09 May 2012.
Contrary to popular belief, the field of biotechnology is not new by any means. Archeological evidence shows that ancient Egyptians produced beer by steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting it with yeast, thus, the first form of biotechnology. Flash-forward to the mid-1800’s, scientists, with the help of Gregor Mendel’s laws of genetics, were able to successfully practice “selective breeding” amongst their crops. With this, the field of biotechnology took a huge turn. Scientists now had the understanding necessary to manipulate plants and mate them based on their desired traits. However, until recently, this was all done naturally, through plant-to-plant cross-fertilization. Nowadays, this process can occur instantly, with no need to wait for the natural life cycle of a plant. After a few groundbreaking discoveries, it became apparent that society could greatly benefit from the genetic altercation of these biological resources and consequently, biotechnology boomed.
GMOs or “genetically modified organisms” are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses, or other plants and animals. These experimental combinations cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding. Most GMO crops today have been developed to resist certain insect pests. There are GMO plants being developed today to produce specific vitamins, resist plant viruses and even produce products for medical uses GMO is made by taking bits of DNA from different kinds of organisms and attempt to splice them together to get a new, better product. For example, tomatoes that are resistant to frost, canola, soybeans and wheat that is resistant to herbicides.
Most foods in the United States have become genetically modified over the years, in fact, experts say that 60- 70% of processed foods on U.S. grocery store shelves have genetically modified(GM) ingredients. (Web MD, 2013) Due to the fact that the US is the leading producer in these genetically modified crops, there is a large amount of controversy surrounding whether or not these things are safe. Some of these concerns are that not many people really know what they are, why they have been modified, if it is safe to consume these products, and how they actually modify the ingredients to these foods. However, many people often assume things and make false arguments without doing research on the topic of genetically modified foods in the first place.
Did you know that Genetically Modified Organisms are found in sixty to eighty percent of processed foods and that the United States Food and Drug Administration does not test any of these foods beforehand to see if they are safe to consume? (Wohlers 73). Genetically Modified Organisms are defined as organisms whose DNA has been changed in a way that would not naturally occur. The purpose of developing these genetically modified organisms was to improve produce by creating an increased tolerance to disease. While it is great to want to keep diseases out of our foods, the science of altering our food has no guarantees that it will actually protect against disease and has the potential to actually damage our bodies, environment, and economy. There are sixty-two major countries that require genetically modified foods to be labeled, unfortunately the United States is not one of them (Wohlers 73). Most of these countries have deemed that genetically modified organisms have a much higher risk than benefit, because something could so easily go wrong, such as an allergic reaction to whatever was pumped into the food. Luckily, Americans have begun to be more conscious of what they are eating and how it negatively affects their bodies and economy. Therefore, a debate has been sparked on whether genetically modified organisms should be required to be labeled as such when you purchase food.
A GMO (genetically modified organism) is the result of a laboratory process, where genes from the DNA of one species are extracted and forced into the genes of another unrelated plant or animal.Foreign genes may come from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or even humans. They are usually altered to improve the plant or animal 's ability to grow in non-native