Contrasting Plant-Based Foods: Genetically Modified Foods

“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.

In order to establish eating the healthiest foods possible, any individual can shop for organic foods that have “organic” labels on them. Organically grown foods have an immense amount of pure nutrients and healthier ingredients than GMO food. This high-quality alternative accomodates a healthy and safe lifestyle. The ultimate gain of health is indulged by considering a wise decision such as consuming organic foods and products. Diverse organic produce generates health benefits that outweigh the price premiums associated with it. Due to countless usage of unadapted chemicals, crops are evidently damaged and captivated with extremely toxic pesticides and insecticides. Recently, GMO foods have severely

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

Whether or not to require labeling of GM foods is a major issue in the persistent debate over the risks and benefits of foods crops that are produced using biotechnology. Bills requiring compulsory labeling have been introduced and proposed in different levels, but not evenly implemented. Some of the common genetically engineered crops include soya beans, canola, corn and cotton. The US Food and Drug Administration policy on the labeling of GM food requires labeling is the food has significantly distinct nutritional property (US FDA par 2). Further, labeling is required if the GM food product includes an allergen that consumers may not expect to find in such a product, or if the product contains a toxicant that is beyond acceptable limits (US FDA par 3).

The debate over genetically modified foods continues to haunt producers and consumers alike. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are foods that have been modified through bioengineering to possess certain characteristics. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or increased nutritional content (Whitman, 2000). The debate continues to grow as to whether these genetically altered foodstuffs are the answer to hunger in the coming years, or whether we are simply children playing with something that we do not have the capacity to understand. One of the biggest debates in the GMO issue is whether producers need to use labeling of

The Food Drug and Cosmetic Act contains a labeling law for any positive and negative “material” changes to the nutrition of food. For example, trans fats are labeled because they are related to cardiovascular disease (Murphy). Products containing peanuts and other allergens are required to be labeled due to the potential adverse health effects if eaten by individuals with nut or other allergies. In 1992, the Food and Drug Administration addressed the labeling of GMOs in a policy statement amended to the act. The policy states that foods developed by genetic

This is where the word genetically modified food comes into place. Genetically modified food or more commonly known as GMOs, is where small amounts of hereditary material (DNA) from different organisms have been added to the original crop or plant which is to be modified through the new addition. The overall topic of GMOs is very hot, there are many individuals who believe in them and there are those who do not support the idea and believe that ramifications are a great risk for the future and should be put a stop to immediately. As of now, the GMOs that are available today have been given hereditary qualities to aim to preserve from bugs, resilience to pesticides, or enhance the crops quality. Practically every food item that can be found in our local grocery store, such as apples, corn and tomatoes are all

Genetically modified crops are harmful to humans and the environment and shouldn't be used. Agriculture should proceed in harmony with nature and nature only. That is why some people have decided to buy organically grown food. From their experiences with organic food, they believe that the organic system can be economically practical. This system also provides a wide range of environmental and social benefits, and most importantly, it enables consumers to make a choice about the food they eat. According to Diana Brander, an American biology teacher, we should have the choice of the type of food we eat.

America uses 2.4 billions of acres to grow GMOs; by 2012, 28 countries across the world grew GMOs in 3.7 billion acres of land (ISAAA 1). The United States take up more than 50% of that land. Even though so much of America’s crops are genetically modified, the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture do not require the labelling of genetically modified food products. Producers have the choice of including a GMO-containing label or a GMO-free one (Storrs 1). There is an increased accessibility of genetically modified, GM crop planting has increased from 1 million to 70 million hectares, one hectare equals 100 acres (GMO Compass). In America only one state, Vermont, out of the fifty states in the U.S. is planning to require labels on GMO-containing foods beginning July 2016 (Bailey 1). Act 120, an act delineating the labeling of foods produced by genetic engineering, has caused issues with Vermont and the federal government. The state is facing trials in order to pass this legislation. Labeling of foods in general is not strictly enforced by the government organizations who are accountable for food safety, such as the FDA. There are little regulations that must be met (Storrs 1). Due to the increasing availability of GMO-containing foods, the FDA should require all GM food producers to label their products because consumers need to be aware and GMO-containing foods and organically grown foods have extensive differences.

The argument of whether or not people should eat GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) or organic foods has been a debate for a long time. Organic food benefits health far more than genetically modified food that contains pesticides and animals that are raised on antibiotics growth hormones. Non-GMO foods are also safer for the environment in many ways: it conserves water, reduces soil erosion, increases soil fertility, reduces pollution, uses less energy, and does not affect the animals that live close to farms or graze on the farm like birds and chickens (Robinson). Yet GMO’s are beneficial society as food is produced in abundance and due to herbicides plant epidemics are not as common as they use to be. There are both positives and negatives to both sides of the argument, but there is common ground to be reached and identified.

In contrast, even though many recent surveys reveal that more than 70% of packaged foods contain GMO in the US market, there are no regulations to mandate the labeling of GM foods by the US government. Currently, the US federal government does not require any mandatory labeling of GM foods, unless the nutrition of GM foods has been changed or some toxins and allergens have been added to the GM foods (McLure). According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), there are also no mandatory programs to regulate foods from genetically engineered (“GE”) plants. The only voluntary regulating program is the Plant Biotechnology Consultation Program, which was created in the 1990s to ensure foods made from the new GE plants are safe and

“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.

In this brief, the reader will see how organic and genetically modified organisms are viewed and interpreted. They will see the “facts” about the genetically modified organisms and organic organism, and how producers and consumers view this. The reader will be able to understand what is actually happening to genetically modified organisms and organic organisms during the production and when it is getting processed. They will also learn about certified organic and the USDA organic and how each one is determined in the production. Everybody has an opinion about organic and GMO and believes which ones are better. The reader of this paper will also learn the differences between organic and GMOs and the pros and cons of each of them. After reading this paper the reader will be educated on what to buy at the grocery store between organic and GMO. Organic and GMO will always be a topic that has controversy.

With an ever-growing population and the problems of world hunger, there has been a high demand for an increased food supply and a better food supply. Technology has been called upon to meet this challenge. The advent of genetically engineered foods, sometimes called transgenic crops or genetically modified foods, is not a new concept, but the controversy over it is. Can these "frankenfoods" be harmful to humans? What are their effects on the environment? The following paper will focus on such questions as well as providing a better understanding of what genetically modified foods are and how they should be regulated.