America’s consumers today, whom are concerned with the food they are eating, will take time to look at nutritional information and the ingredients listed on the label. They check for the carbohydrates, fats, calories, sugars, and fiber. Consumers believe that thoroughly reading the label on this and other foods gives them some assurance that the food they are eating is healthy. The reason is that government standards require companies to list everything that goes into the package and ensure the ingredients are safe for human consumption. However, what if food producers were unaware ingredients of their food products were not intended for human consumption? How can food producers be assured they are producing a safe product? How can consumers really know what food they are consuming contains and if it is safe?
Although, American consumers may prefer not to consume genetically modified (GM) foods, the odds are they do (Jalonick). GM foods are plants that have been altered by use of DNA technology, by utilizing DNA molecules from different sources into a single molecule. In 1994, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the government agency charged with oversight for food safety, gave the Calgene Corporation approval to market their genetically modified Flavr Savr Tomato (Thayer). Since 1994, GM crops have become the most rapid form of agriculture adopted in modern history. Jalonick points out,” Last year, the USDA estimated that seventy percent of the nation's corn acreage was planted with herbicide-tolerant corn and sixty-three percent had been planted with insect-resistant seeds.” The GM acreage planted in soybeans and cotton is even higher.
Although, some consumer groups and scientific organizations argue that GM fo...
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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 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.
The genetic engineering of foods has, in one sense, been in existence for hundreds of years. The first time Gregor Mendel bred different varieties of pea plants to observe the various traits present in their offspring, the concept was born. Today, genetic engineering has developed into one of the most complex and advanced fields of scientific thinking, all the while provoking many questions and acquiring many opponents along the way. While there are compelling arguments presented for each side of the issue, the simple fact is that genetically modified (GM) foods are a reality, especially in the United States, as they are already present in many products that are consumed on a daily basis. Just as the market for GM foods has increased, the level of opposition has increased as well, even up to the point of terrorist action against producers, growers, and sellers of genetically modified foods. So the question is posed, will GM foods be the future or the failure of our agricultural system?
Chemical advancement in modern science is a contributing factor to “better”, faster, and cheaper food production. Although the ideas of GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms) that scientists thrive for are theoretically beneficial, they are corrupting the natural methods for farming and food that consumers will purchase. Nowadays, around 70% of food has a genetically modified ingredient. What is being consumed in mass quantities across the country barely constitutes as food in some instances. A prime example lies in the tomato. Tomatoes are sold year round in grocery markets nationwide....
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...
According to the Department of Agriculture, cotton, corn and soybeans are the most common GM crops in the U.S. In 2012, GM cotton accounted for 94 percent of all cotton planted, GM soybeans accounted for 93 percent of soybeans planted, and GM corn accounted for 88 percent of corn planted (add in text citation). This suggests that a large percentage of processed foods sold by supermarkets in the U.S. contain some ingredients derived from GM crops, primarily corn, soy, and canola. Yet, most Americans may not know that the products they consume contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Genetically Modified Food under Reasonable Government Regulation, is necessary for the continued and further success of the food supply chain.
Genetically Modified crops, or GM crops, refer to plants used in agriculture whose DNA has been purposely altered in order to create a better, more efficient outcome. There are many different GM crops being used today, most commonly plants with built in pesticide or chemical resistance, such as BT corn and roundup ready soy. Though you may not know it, most of what you eat has some form of a genetically modified organism in it. The Food and drug administration, also known as the FDA, has stated that companies in the US are not required to inform the consumer on whether or not a food contains any form of a GMO, or a Genetically Modified Organism. This means that you would not necessarily be informed on whether or not the foods you are buying and eating are GM foods. Of course GM foods have to meet the same requirements as any conventional food would, but just because there is no immediate harm to humans, does not mean that there are no consequences at all. This also could suggest that since it is difficult to predict and prove long term effects of using GM crops, companies are just selling these abnormal crops to farmers and assuming that only good things will result. GM Crops may be created with the intention of helping, but there are many ramifications that are continuing to be ignored. These would include negative effects to human life, unintended harm to animals and the environment, and the fact that we are already losing control of the modified plants that we have created.
Daily, millions of people are perusing the grocery store, buying food for their families, completely unaware of what they are purchasing. A study on consumer research regarding food labels by the FDA found only a small percentage of people actually read the food labels and understand what they mean apart from only the calories and fat; ingredients are another story. “According to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, about 61.5 percent reported using the nutrition facts panel when deciding to purchase food. Fewer people paid attention to the list of ingredients” (CNN Health). The FDA is aware that labeling could help reverse the acceleration we are seeing in heart diseases and obesity, but labeling does not help people to read the ingredients if they do not understand pseudonyms, and vitamins. “The surveys also revealed frequent misunderstanding of the meaning of the daily/value column that shows how each nutrient fits into a healthy diet, “(American journal Nutrition, WEB). Many different harmful ingredients are secretly hidden in labels and people skimming ov...
Many Americans eat GM foods without even realizing it. It is no surprise since GMO can better the shelf life of the food and put up at a reasonable price. GMO can be dangerous to the human body for many reasons. Genetically engineered food are shown to be unsafe and unpredictable because of the foreign genes that are introduced into plants which may have a negative impact on the human body. Studies show that when rats are fed GM potatoes, there were appreciable differences in the intestine as opposed to the rats that are fed the normal potatoes. (Whitman, 2000) Another concern is the allergens that are developed when eating GM foods. The promoter that is used in most GM crops turn on the foreign gene at high output, but instead turns on the other natural genes in addition to the foreign one, resulting in allergens, toxins, carcinogens or anti-nutrient. (Natural revolution, 2014) Another risk involved is the production of StarLink corn that is specifically designed ...
Genetically modified crops (GM crops) climb to the top on the hotly debated issues list of society. In 1996, no GM crops were cultivated on a commercial scale in the United States. In 2002, 75% of soya, 71% of cotton, and 34% of all maize grown in America is GM ("Grim Reaper" 1). Many issues surround this controversial topic such as safety, ethics, and foreign relations. Many of these concerns are well stressed in mass media, but sometimes biased views are the only ones presented. Safety with human health and the effects on the environment appear to be the strongest and most discussed subject matter. While issues of concern accompany the usage of GM crops, argument can be made to justify their production.
We know that food hazards have the potential to cause serious damage to the body. Many sicknesses transmitted by foods can lead to adverse health effects, such as chronic conditions, injuries, and debilities. By looking at how many cases of foodborne illness are reported, we’re able to identify the prevalence of food hazards in that location at a certain point in time. In 2006 alone, the CDC reported over 27.5 thousand documented outbreaks of foodborne disease in the United States (Friis, 2012). That being said, it’s clear that as a nation we still struggle to ensure that our food is safe for consumption by the consumer. Even with all of the modern technology, guidelines, and regulations in place, food hazards are still able to reach the general population. However, it’s important to consider that the fault is not always due to errors in quality control during production and manufacturing. Once in the hands of the consumer, there’s a lot of room for error. This is the single biggest contributor to the number of reported cases of foodborne illness. In the United States, one of the world’s most developed nations, the prevalence of foodborne illness and disease remains high because the majority of the population is not educated well enough on the subject and often
“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.
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)
More and More people are becoming concerned about what they eat, especially if they consume food products that are manufactured in food industries. However, it is hard to know what exactly you are consuming if food industries provide false nutrition content and mislead consumers by placing false advertisements on the packaging. When a company produces a product that contains misleading label, consumers are not receiving complete information about the food they are eating which could lead to health issues including allergies and problems with diabetes.
If crops were affected by droughts, disease and insects, having destroyed many acres across America’s Midwest region, the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) would not be beneficial in regenerating new crops. Genetically modifying foods (GMOs) “are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding” (nongmoproject.org). Most research done has concluded no positive benefits in using GMOs. There are serious health risks associated with eating GM foods based on scientific research done around the world. The purpose of GMOs are to increase production of crop yield and reduce pesticide use but research says otherwise. If farmers wanted to continue using GMOs to produce crops, labeling should be mandatory to allow consumers to have a conscious choice whether or not to eat GM food. Through research it has been proven that the use of GMOs to increased production of crops during a time of drought or disease have no benefits, just risks.