A Study On Genetically Modified Food

“Sixty to seventy percent of all processed foods available on store shelves contain genetically modified ingredients”, according to George Erdosh and Marcia Amidon Lusted in “To GMO or not to GMO? Genetically engineered food has strong advocates and harsh critics.” Genetically modified organisms can be found in most conventional foods processed in the United States, and genetic modification of crops is extremely common on classic Minnesota farms. Crops such as corn and soybeans or even papaya and zucchini are viable for genetic modification. In fact, the definition of (GMO) as reported by Alex K. Rich and Tom Warhol, authors of “Genetically Modified Foods: An Overview,” is, “food in which, at some point during the production process molecules and proteins are chemically altered to give the food more nutrients, a better appearance, and a longer shelf life.” As a matter of fact, a majority of all the foods found at the grocery store are genetically altered. However, many people do not know what genetic modification really is, or that the idea has been around for many years. GMOs are used to control pests and weeds. Therefore, through changing the genetic makeup of the plant, modifications allow for advancements of new technologies that account for the applicability of specific chemicals, as opposed to dated Non-GMO farming techniques.

Genetic modified organisms, or GMOs, are living organisms that, through the genetic engineering process, have been altered to withstand certain chemicals and increase the nutritional value of the product. In fact, the majority of the foods found at the grocery store are genetically altered. Genetic modification is becoming increasingly popular on farms throughout the United States and moving into other parts of the world due to their increasing yield capabilities and pest and weed control. However, this has been, and continues to be, an extremely controversial topic of discussion in the world of agriculture and biotechnology, as well as health food critics, because of potential environmental and health risks.

Next, the authors write about how food has been modified throughout the years. They use the example of “cultivated rice, wheat, corn, soy, potatoes, and tomatoes have very little in common with their ancestors.” They use this example to go on to reveal that genetically modifying foods is nothing more than hybridization, or the mating of different plants of the same species to integrate the desired traits from several different varieties into a leading variety. The authors use the example of the tomato and how it is commonly bred with wild tomatoes to make the plant more resistant to pathogens, nematodes, and fungi while eradicating any unwanted traits from the wild plant such as toxins. This example, as a whole is a brilliant use of ethos. It displays that genetically modified foods are healthy and safe because it compares this new technology to a technique that has been done for thousands of years that has never been thought of as dangerous. More importantly, this comparison shows that the authors are credible and that they use their evidence wisely and correctly.

Genetic engineering is the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material, otherwise known as DNA. Since biochemists Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer pioneered genetic engineering in 1973, the process has grown to have numerous applications such as medicine production, for example insulin (Mckinley). However, a main topic of concern is the application of genetic engineering on foods that we eat everyday. By modifying the genetic "blueprint" of crops, it is possible to improve many aspects of agriculture. But with any sort of scientific discovery that allows humans to act as Mother Nature, genetically modifying organisms has been a very controversial topic. Yet our society continues to grow, and the need for the benefits of genetically modified foods continues to grow. Genetically modifying foods should be permitted in our society because it allows larger yields of crops to be produced, produces foods with higher nutritional values, and reduces our global ecological footprint.

People nourish themselves by consuming three meals each day. Eating is essential for survival, but what is actually in food we eat? Many are oblivious to that. People should be very informed to what is actually going into their gastrointestinal system because it significantly impacts their health, and it can between life or death. Gone are the days when people saw every step of how their food was manufactured until it got onto their table to eat. With increased human population on Earth, consequently, mass production is ubiquitous. The commonality of mass production, has led to genetically modified foods. Genetically modified foods are foods that have been genetically engineered to produce effects that make them more desirable. It is also worth noting, that GMOs are not on food labeled when sold to the public. Many people are unaware of genetically modified foods as they have significant negative effects on humans in conjunction and the environment.

A new kind of foods called the genetically modified foods has been creating a quiet revolution in the American market for the past several years. Scientists are able to produce these new foods by transferring genes from one organism into another across species boundaries. This new technique has been developed to improve the shelf life, nutritional content, flavor, color, and texture of foods. Since 1994, about 45 genetically modified foods such as tomato, corn, soybeans, canola, and potatoes have been marketed in the United States. About two-thirds of foods that are processed in U.S. contain genetically modified ingredients. So, we the people are consuming these foods without realizing the fact that they are not produced naturally.

Genetically modified foods have contributed to better foods in terms of food quality and human health.

When you walk into your local grocery store, you can observe floor-to-ceiling shelves packed with foods boasting about nutritional benefits: whole grains in cereals, omega-3s in eggs, and lycopene (an antioxidant) in ketchup, but there are ingredients hiding in these products that many of us do not know are present. They are called Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s), and it has been estimated that over 75% of processed foods on supermarket shelves contain genetically engineered ingredients, which Americans have been eating since 1996. “Currently up to 85% of the United States’ corn is genetically engineered (GE), as are 91% of soybeans and 88% of cotton (cottonseed oil is often used in food products)” (About Genetically Modified Foods). What does it mean when a food is Genetically Modified? To understand what Genetically Modified Organisms are, there needs to be an understanding of what DNA is. “Within the tissues of a plant are cells. Within the cell is the nucleus. Within that are chromosomes composed of the DNA molecule, which in turn is made up of a sequence of base pairs. A simplistic description is that sequence of the genes in the DNA determine the sequence in the RNA, which then determines the sequence of the building blocks of proteins, called amino acids. These proteins can determine a particular trait or characteristic” (Latham). Using genetic engineering, scientists take genes from bacteria, viruses, or other sources and force them into the DNA of a plant.

In twenty years, the Earth’s population will need fifty-five percent more food than it is currently producing with the same or fewer resources. This issue could be resolved, but the full effects are still unknown. Genetically modified organisms are plants, animals, or microorganisms that have had their genetic material changed in a way that does not happen naturally. According to the United States’ National Library of Medicine, genetically engineering organisms has been around since the 1990’s. There is controversy, however, in whether genetically modified foods should be used as a part of our diet because, although, it can provide more nutritious food, it could cause

Genetically modified food is a topic of intensive debate that has caused a lot of controversy over the years, basically due to a lack of knowledge about genetic engineering and large amounts of misleading information within mass media. Genetically modified foods have recently gathered more attention since environmental and health organizations have actively rejected genetically modified foods for various reasons. Genetically modified foods have the ability to resolve problem of famine and malnutrition in the world, also produce greater yields, decrease pesticides and herbicides usage, and improve the nutritional value of food. While the benefits of GMOs to our society have been widely discussed, their effect on our health is still a controversial

Genetically modified foods are one of the most common products in the market today. Corn, tomatoes, and strawberries are only just a few of the many examples. In the scientific community, there’s a huge debate between whether or not genetically modified foods should still be something that should be happening. People who oppose the idea of genetically modified foods claim that using them will harm people’s health as well as nature itself, while people who support the idea of genetically modified foods claim that it will be beneficial to people’s health and problems including starvation as a whole. I am in favor of genetically modified foods as I firmly believe that they are more beneficial than harmful.

A world where all your food was flavorful and healthy, big and ripe. No more shortage of food or worries about processed food, a utopia for food. But, a Utopia is only a fantasy, a fantasy is not reality. Genetically modified (GM) foods is starting to become more and more of a reality. But, with that reality comes the choice of should it be done; even though genetically modified food has positive effects, there are also negative effects that cannot be overlooked, such as cost, also the negative effects to the ecosystem, and insufficient testing.

Many Americans consume thousands of pounds of genetically modified foods every day. Throughout the 21st century, genetic engineering tremendously impacted new research in pharmaceutical and forensic science. During that time, it also revolutionized the food in America and many other countries around the world. Using Recombinant DNA biotechnology on crops and farm animals helps improve nutrition and quantity of foods. However, crops that are altered with hybrid genes can also contain chemicals harmful to humans. By using developed biotechnology, scientists are able to inject viruses and bacteria into the embryos of plants to produce genetically modified crops (). The same is applied for transgenic farm animals to increase the size of the

“70 percent of our corn farmland and 93 percent of soy farmland are planted with crops genetically engineered to resist pests and herbicides and increase crop yields. 60% of all the processed foods in the United States are genetically modified; a shocking statistic has the concern of many Americans. However, most people are uninformed about the beneficial impact that genetically modified food has on their diet. GM is the use of molecular biology technology to modify the inherited structure of organisms. Genetically engineered crops increase nutrients, drought tolerance, provide more food for growing populations, and resists diseases and pesticides. Genetically engineered foods are crucial to the improvement of economy, agriculture, society, and health choices. The creation of GM foods was one of the most significant breakthroughs in food industry. Genetically modifying foods is a key component that is harmless for the enrichment of our foods.

Many people today are often amazed by the amount of nutrition and health information required for humans. The constant stream of genetic modification of food can be confusing. Genetically modified (GM) foods are plants and animals that have had their genetic makeup artificially altered by scientists to make them grow faster, taste better, last longer and to provide more nutrients. Scientists make these alternations by transferring genes from one organism into another in order to change the condition or character of the receiving organism. This process is known as biotechnology or genetic engineering (GE), and it has revolutionized the way that agriculture is practiced in many parts of the world. Researchers are now able to use GE