GMOs, an abbreviation for “genetically modified organisms”, are a result of laboratory processes of taking genes from one species and transferring them into a different species as an attempt to obtain or remove a specific trait or characteristic. GMOs are also known as genetically engineered organisms and transgenic organisms. Genetically Modified Organisms were unrecognized until 1982 when the FDA approved the first Genetically Modified Organism, Humulin, which is insulin that is produced by genetically engineered E. coli bacteria. Then, in 1994 the FDA approved the first Flavr Savr tomato for sale in grocery stores, which had a much longer shelf life than regular tomatoes. Shortly after, GMO resistant weeds appeared in 1996. GM products do not stop at foods, but are also used in other products such as common garden plants, clothing, and medicine. Since appearance, GMO’s and labeling policies of products containing GMOs have been a source of great controversy both globally and nationally as to whether these “science experiments” are harmful to the environment and health of those consuming products containing them. Today, there are no restrictions or guidelines for products containing GMOs. Some think that there are no threats associated with GMOs, but it is fact that products containing GMOs are potentially harmful to consumers and a strict labeling method should be in place to inform consumers of what they are purchasing. I will argue that labeling of products containing genetically modified materials should be mandatory.
Labeling of products containing genetically modified ingredients should be mandatory due to health speculations, environmental impact, and because it is the consumers’ prerogative to be aware. A recent New Yo...
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...no way to prove that these foods are truly safe long term. Whether no-GMO or pro-GMO, 90% of the crops produced in the U.S. are Genetically Modified and 93% of Americans think that GM products should be labeled because it is the consumers right to know what they are purchasing and consuming. Why so much obscurity about genetically engineered ingredients in the food industry? If there is nothing for these Biotech companies and food manufacturers to hide about their engineered crops and foods, then just label it.
Sources
http://gmoinside.org/gmo-timeline-a-history-genetically-modified-foods/ http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-us.aspx#.Uy30l_ldUpg http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09371.html
http://animalrights.about.com/od/animalsusedforfood/a/Arguments-For-And-Against-Genetically-Modified-Organisms.htm
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
A non-GMO label doesn’t necessarily mean “healthy”. White sugar, flour, and processed ingredients if not genetically modified are considered non GMO. Recently Cheerios made their ingredients GMO free. This label made Cheerios seems as a “healthy conscience choice” when in fact they are not healthy at all. The truth is that this breakfast cereal is highly processed and is best to be avoided despite the “healthy halo” of being approved by the National Heart Association and GMO free. The truth appears on the nutrition label and the ingredients (Wartman). “If you can’t pronounce it, don’t buy it” The voluntary labeling places a burden on the consumer. The average Americans are forced to navigate confusing and cluttered food landscape” (Wartman). A mandatory labeling law is vital to give clear and concise information to citizens.
Until the government creates mandates for issuing labels on foods that contain genetically modified ingredients, there are measures that can be taken by common citizens and supporters of GMO labeling in order to keep Americans safe in the meantime. Since “study after study points to potential health risks” (“Whole Foods Market”), supporters need to raise awareness amongst the rest of society in order to generate a large group that can begin to press the government to create a law to handle the issue. It is in “the state’s interest [to] protect consumers from false or potentially misleading communication or prevent consumers from suffering unwitting harms” (Adler). Moreover, the government must be the one to put an official end to the lack of
The use of GMOs in foods has drastically risen in the United States. The Non-GMO project, a non-profit organization supports this by saying, “In the U.S., GMOs are in as much as 80% of conventional processed food”(Non-GMO Project). I decided to go shopping to try and find as many products as I could that were labeled GMO-free, I only found one product labeled GMO-free. Many people that purchase vegetables or fruits at the store are unaware that the foods they ar...
Consumer demand of labeling practices is in direct opposition to what the pro-GMO activists believe to be in the public’s best interest. Very little research has been published with regards to labeling products and how the design and wording has the potential to positively or negatively affect the consumer. GMO lobbyists are resisting the mandatory labeling practice of GMOs...
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.
It is common today, to relate our health to the foods we eat. If you’ve ever heard the saying, “You are what you eat”, then you must ask yourself a very important question- How do you know what you are, if you do not know what is in your food? With the skyrocketing concern about genetically modified foods (GMO’s), consumers are wanting food that has been genetically modified to be labeled. According to dictionary.com a GMO is, “an organism whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering, so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there”. In her article, “Genetically Modified Food: A Modern Term for Old-Fashioned Husbandry”, Tiffany Snider claims that the cost of labeling genetically modified foods outweighs
In a world where healthy eating is always a fad, GMO Labeling is a hot topic. There are several misconceptions about GMOs. Products containing GMO's should be appropriately labeled because inappropriate marketing strategies could defer possible consumers, appropriate labels could help advocate understanding that GMO is not a negative additive and consumers have the right to know what is in their food. A GMO is defined as “an organism whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering so that it’s DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there.” Research involving human consumption in GMOs has been in place since 1980, the FDA approved funding for GMOs in 1982. Even though they were approved in 1882, products containing GMOs did not hit grocery stores until late 1994.
“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 Organisms (GMO/s) have evolved enormously during the last decade. With the evolution of GMOs, comes the natural argument for and against them. Most of the arguments that are taking place are directed towards the health of human beings. It is still unsure what the long-term effects of consuming GMOs will have on humans, but only time will tell (Nodoushani, Sintay, & Stewart, 2015, p. 139). Other arguments that are being made are the effects that GMOs will have on the environment as well as the argument of requiring labeling of all Genetically Modified Foods. In this paper, I will discuss the benefits of Genetically Modified Organisms which include the health benefits, environmental benefits and the benefits of labeling,
It should always be a basic human right for Americans to know what they are feeding themselves and their children. One argument against labeling is that labels would just confuse consumers over products that provide virtually the same nutritional value as the GM product’s organic counterpart (Conko). While this may be true, a solution to this problem would be to educate people on the pros and cons of GM foods and allow consumers to made their own decisions on what to buy. The solution is not to simply assume that it would be too much hassle to confuse Americans with labels and presume that they are better off without. Abstaining from labels also deprives people’s rights to support what they stand for. People may understand that GM foods are safe but may want to protest big GM corporations like Monsanto for ethical or moral reasons. However, these people often end up supporting these companies by unwittingly purchasing their unlabeled produce. Americans should have a right to know what they are consuming and arguing that “GM foods are basically the same” is not enough of a reason to deprive people from knowing what they are
“GMO seeds are used in 90 percent of corn, soybeans and cotton grown in the United States,
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