Bipartisan Food Regulations

“Should We Care About Genetically Modified Foods?” by John N. Shaw appeared in Food Safety News issue of February 1, 2010, as a feature under the health section on the controversy between the pros and cons of genetically modified foods (Also known as GMO, genetically modified organisms). The main idea of this article is to inform people of the benefits of GMOs . The author, John Shaw received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance with a minor in Marketing from the University of Arkansas in 2007, where he was a “leadership scholar.” In addition to his studies, he has worked as a research assistant with Food Law LL.M. Director Susan Schneider, interned with Wal-Mart Government and Corporate Affairs division, the Arkansas Attorney General Public Protection Division, and with United States Senator Blanche Lincoln. John has a passion for Food Law, sports, and outdoors. In the article, he states, “ I submit that I am no scientist; merely an interested student.” According to the article, he is passionate and has done sufficient research about the topic to support his argument.

By the year 2012, over 70 percent of the processed foods in the U.S can be linked to genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Despite this strong dependency on the manipulation of genetic material, there are many questions concerning long-lasting impacts such food could bring. The government of the United States of America should enforce stricter restrictions on the consumption, production, and availability of food products containing genetically modified organisms. Genetically engineered foods have detrimental impacts on the environment, are linked to large, monopolizing industries, and do not reduce world hunger.

The late nineteenth century brought forth some of the most breakthrough scientific discoveries. One such breakthrough were Genetically Engineered (Modified) Organisms which were initially meant to reduce world hunger by being able to mass produce crops and also allow the produce to have a longer shelf life and be more ripe. However, the increasing methods of germinating crops and new, more compelling evidence from thorough scientific research has led to the conclusion that foods with Genetically Modified material can lead to dangerous diseases and side effects. In 2011, every eight in ten Americans did not know that the foods they were consuming contained Genetically Engineered Organisms, because about 90% of popularly consumed crops in the United States were made using Genetic Engineering (D 'Ambrosio). Although this relatively new scientific discovery can possibly help to end world hunger, it has not made any progress since the early 2000’s when the European Union made it a law to label all foods that contained Genetically Modified Organisms, which led to more consumers switching to organic foods. The United States has no such law making it mandatory for companies to label their products as not natural which gives consumers misleading nutritional facts. The issue of mandatory labeling of all GM foods has become a heated debate and has quickly become an important issue for many large companies. Advocates of mandatory labeling

GMO, or Genetically Modified Organism, is a modern problem today because of its abundance in foods, and lack of labels. GMO’s are used to modify the DNA of our consumable food to protect them from herbicides, pests, and any other disease that can destroy a crop. Unfortunately, these methods are not considered safe in most countries, with the notable exception of America. The European Union has outright bans on using anything that has even the effect of a GMO on foods that will be sent to be eaten by consumers, however, most Genetically Modified foods in America are not even labelled. 80% of foods contain some sort of genetic modification; the most common of these are soy, corn, beets, canola, yellow squash, and zucchini. GMO product first became an ethical issue when they were introduced to the produce sent to grocery stores to be consumed. Because of their many benefits and disadvantages, the use of GMO’s became an ethical and debatable issue with room to move either way. Some people argue that GMO’s are the cause of illness, and cancer, while others believe that they are paving the way for the produce of the future. Still others are completely unaware of the contents of the food they are buying. Either way, Genetically Modified Foods will always be around to surprise you, even when you least expect it.

The food industry has changed drastically over the past decades. Livestock were formerly raised in the open range in the western United States. Today, livestock are mass produced in factory farms. This change raises a question for many Americans; “Should there be concern?” Americans should absolutely be concerned about the food they are consuming.

Technology is often hailed as the pinnacle of human intelligence. It has brought us many new luxuries such as the computer, and has brought mankind into a new age. However, products of technological advances aren’t always easily accepted into society. Ever since their introduction in 1982, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have been a subject of debate. Although GMOs are convenient for the food industry, their unnatural origins have caused people to be uneasy about their consumption. Critics of GMOs, while no longer seeking an outright ban, are striving for a “soft ban” in the form of labelling. This movement is largely driven by a fear of GMOs, causing people to want to know exactly what is in their food. Scientists and food industries however, propose that such labelling would not be necessary at all. On July 31, 2016, President Obama signed a bill into law regarding GMO labelling. This law has been called “the weakest labelling law imaginable” and that “it felt like a loss” by anti-GMO activists (Bitman). The weakness of the labelling law has caused further debate on the subject. Although the consequences of GMOs are not fully known, food industries should not be required to label GMOs due to scientific research backing the safety of them, their massive benefit for farmers,their overall environmental and ecological importance, and because the misconceptions about GMOs that stir fear in the public could easily be averted.

Genetic modified organisms (GMO) have been around for years this method is used to supply more food. Farmers have adapted the method of GM technology to increase the production. The regulation of genetic engineering concerns the approaches taken by the government’s access to manage the risks that such organisms can have on a person’s health. Many may concern about their health and the increasing usage of additives in their food. The federal government should make the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) label GM food so that the consumers can be aware of what they are consuming.

As human beings, we rely on food every day, and without it we wouldn’t be able to function properly. Over the decades, with our fast pace advances in production and new technology we are able to produce large quantities of food with Genetically Modified Organisms. GM foods are produced because of the idea that consumers and producers both have an advantage to obtaining these products. For Example, GM products hold many benefits, from nutritional value to durability against environment. GM productions were concentrated mostly on producers to benefit the farmers in their products by aiming to increase the crop protection and resistance to plant diseases or viruses. Considering these new advances; consumers, farmers and policymakers worldwide are challenged to reach consent with a clear vision for the future of the world’s food supply. The contemporary GMO food debate illustrates the serious conflict between two groups: Biological Recombinant DNA investors and affiliated scientists who consider this technology a solution to food shortages; and independent scientists, environmentalists, farmers and consumers that suggest these advances increase risk to environmental and health issues.

With new technology being utilized in the medical, agricultural, and economic aspects of daily living, numerous perilous concerns have risen against the proper usage and non-maleficence of these high-tech mechanics. For about a decade now, genetically modified foods have occupied the shelves of supermarkets and grocery stores across the nation. The ample amount of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, have sparked many affairs regarding the impact they have on one’s health. The detonation of GMOs, according to the Institute for Responsible Technology, is “the result of a laboratory process where genes from the DNA of one species (bacteria, viruses, insects, animals, or humans) are extracted and artificially forced into the genes of an unrelated plant or animal (Smith).” The timeline of GMOs is rather short, with the DNA being first discovered by Russian scientist Andrei Nikolaevitch Belozersky in 1935. It wasn’t until 1982 that the extracted DNA was approved by the FDA. Hamlin, a form of insulin derived from E. coli, is now permitted to be genetically engineered into produce and meat products. GMO induced foods hit the grocery store in 1994, and the industry rapidly expanded and became the dominant crop by 1999 (Shireen, 2013). A vast majority of processed foods contain GMO-induced ingredients; there is no getting away from them and their harms unless new regulations are set to prevent their sale.

In light recent technological advancements, the agricultural field has seen a huge shift in the way food is produced, manufactured and regulated. Standing on the frontier of molecular biology is the introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO’s into the food industry as a means of creating better crops. Since the initial merging of GMO and the food industry there has been a growing use of genetically modified crops, an increase in the creation of new strains, and expansion in the use, manufacturing and distribution of these products. In the past 20 years alone Canada has seen a visible rise of GMO foods available in grocery stores, specifically as a part of basic ingredients that make up a diversity of food products (David Suziki). Thus, the GMO revolution has unapologetically established itself in the food industry and has become a large feature of food production today. Nevertheless, the creation and implementation of these practices is not without its share of concern and controversy. Despite its steady expansion, there is still much to be said about the safety of these products and the procedures by which they are formed under, the potential health risks they pose, the damage it causes to the agricultural business and the effect it has on the environment. Altogether, evidence points to several issues associated with GMO and its integration with food safety, health, the industry and the environment.

Science, chemical and big name companies had done hazardous experiments with the consumer’s food without the world’s communities approval and it still continues today. Genetically modified organisms have contaminated the food supply. “A GMO (genetically modified organism) is the result of a laboratory process where genes from the DNA of one species are extracted and artificially forced in the genes of an unrelated plant or animal” (Seeds of Deception). The results have no health benefits, only financial benefits to the companies that produce them. The genetically modified organisms of animals or plants today hurt the environment and are causing health problems in the nation, and even around the world; a promise which made supposedly better

Genetically modified organisms (“GMOs”) are an important topic today as consumers worldwide demand labeling so they can choose what they purchase and eat. GMOs are plants and animals that have been genetically engineered by scientists using bacteria, other plants and animals, or viruses. DNA with a desired trait is inserted into an organism to create a new organism which may be resistant to disease and pests, more nutritious, drought tolerant, or higher in yields. GMO proponents believe GMOs are the key to vaccinating and feeding the world’s poor. They think GMOs might solve the problem of growing food in difficult conditions caused by global warming. Opponents feel consumers should be warned by mandatory labeling until the long-term health effects on humans and the environment are known and so people can make informed choices. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the findings from several articles on genetically modified (“GM”) food safety and whether or not mandatory labeling of GMOs is necessary.

As the spread of commercialized genetically modified foods (GMF) products rise, the number of people exposed to genetically modified foods incline globally. The term genetically modified foods can be used interchangeably with transgenic foods, genetically engineered crops (GE) and Recombinant DNA technology and therefore defined as the enhancement of foods in which a gene of interest from one organism is extracted and inserted into the target organisms. (1) The genes of interest may be cells from bacteria, insects, animals, plants or viruses. Although the controversial idea seems fairly new genetically engineered crops were introduced as early as the 90s without the knowledge of most consumers. The United States leads as the top producer

The failure of an arithmetically proliferating food supply to meet the demands of an exponentially propagating population has led many scientists and civilians to believe that a genetically modified food supply would be more than ideal. While genetically modified foods have proven to yield more food under cheaper costs, it has also yielded many problems. Concerned researchers believe that a “Pandora’s lunchbox” has been opened at the dawn of genetic modification technology. (PBS, par 33) Since genetically modified foods are foreign substances to the consumer’s body, the physical response to such foods are generally negative. Moreover, the temptation of an increased profit from a cheap rate of production for genetically modified foods has

Food has always had a significant influence on culture. As populations increased, societies began to function with the assumption that they must become more self-reliant to survive. At first, this simply began with cultures settling into an area and beginning to practice farming. Nonetheless, the pressure caused by growing families eventually spurred even greater innovations; pasteurization, canning, and genetic modification are all technologies which have enabled safer and more reliable food. However, these technologies are not the only thing becoming more complex. In fact, the very system of food, including production, transportation, allocation, and governing laws also has grown incredibly intricate. Not-so-stringent regulations, corporate agreements, and capitalistic motives have led the entire food system to its current, unsustainable state. Though this system has been politicized for a long time, its faults and errors are becoming increasingly apparent to the educated person. Herein lies the most significant problem: the uninformed person is blind to the issues in the current food system. Beyond those who lack an understanding, there are countless who willingly choose to ignore or deny the underlying science. Education is the key to fighting against governmental issues, ethical dilemmas, environmental concerns, as well as personal health interests.