Genetically Modified Food Essay

There are varied arguments that favor or are against compulsory labeling of genetically engineered food products. Those who argue for the labeling of such products argue that consumers have a right to know what is contained in their food, particularly food products for which there have been health and environmental concerns (Caswell 26). Compulsory labeling will permit consumers to identify and avoid those food products that may cause them problems. On the contrary, those who argue against mandatory labeling point out that

During the Ragtime era Upton Sinclair felt that people should be educated on what happens to their food a social issue that can be found happening today as people are demanding to know what’s in their food. Furthermore, Labeling Genetically Modified food is the best way to educate customers about what they are consuming. Polls conducted by professional news organizations, including the Washington Post, MSNBC and Reuters/NPR consistently show that over 90% of consumers want GMO ingredients labeled. As ABC News stated, “Such near-unanimity in public opinion is rare.” This study shows how many people are adamant to have GMOs labeling. Pam Pinto, owner of Act Natural Health and Wellness in Torrington Connecticut. “I strongly feel that GM food should be labeled.” Pinto said, “We should not be our Government's experiment.”

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.

Although most people would expect him to support the GMO labeling initiative, Bertini has found himself on the opposition side instead. Bertini who is also a lawyer, has read over the proposed GMO labeling initiative and as it is written right now, he will be forced to label multiple different products. Items such as his honey from boutique apiaries and fresh pasta he buys in bulk from a Denver producer, then packages for sale in his store will need labels. This could cause unplanned consequences for not only his own business but other local stores as well.

Today, people are wanting to become more aware of what they’re eating. Studies show that nine out of ten American consumers want to know if their food is a GMO. This supports a law in North Carolina that bans all unlabeled GMOs. This law was not favored in the Congress as this new law “compromises the economy”. Even then, companies are determined to hide the facts.

Genetically Modified Organisms. Sounds familiar, right? GMOs have become a controversial issue all around the world. What are GMOs exactly? GMOS are special organisms with artificially altered genetic makeup produced in a lab from the splicing of specific genes from another organism. Even its’ description seems overwhelming. What’s worse is the fact that there’s seldom any warning labels for GMOs on products. It isn’t very helpful that the United States does not require GMOs to be labeled on store-bought foods. Most of the time, people are oblivious to the foods they consume and how those foods are a detriment to their health. All the same, I am also a part of the oblivion. I, too have consumed modified foods without any knowledge of its

When walking down the aisles of Giant or Safeway, what individuals usually look at are the amount of fat or the number of calories a product contains. Others just pick up whatever looks good for dinner that night. But what many of those individuals don’t look out for, or even know about, are Genetically Modified Organisms. Even if they wanted to, the products in grocery stores don’t contain the proper labels that make the consumer aware of what they’re actually consuming. Many people are still in the dark about what GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms) are and our government does not do much to inform its people about these products and the companies that produce them. Genetically Modified organisms are animals or plants that have been inserted with genes that scientists have pulled from several different species and inserted into one to create a super animal or plant. The creation of genetically modified organisms was supposed to be the answer to human advances in agriculture and world hunger, but unfortunately it has more potential to harm our animals, our environment, and most importantly ourselves. The corporations that produce these products must be fully regulated and tested by the government to determine if safe enough to grow and consume. The companies creating this abnormal food only have money in mind, without thinking about the consequences. These super food maybe be seen as magic seeds to some, but the thing that is supposed to be

Recently, Monsanto, a GMO company, made an effort to remove GMO labeling protests. GMO labeling is a process that labels, whether a crop has GMOs or not. The consumers have a right to know what they are eating while Monsanto wants to remove that right. Ostrander writes, “The anti-GMO activists were vastly outspent: Monsanto alone invests $8 million in efforts to defeat the measure” (Ostrander). From Monsanto’s action alone, it seems that they do not want consumers to know what they are eating. They used $8 million alone to eliminate GMO labeling protests. Even though GMO companies claim to help provide more for the world, Monsanto’s activities show that the consumer’s rights are not of concern. Not long ago, Vermont state legislation planned to enforce GMO labeling. This did not last too long because the state was sued as a result of this enforcement. Fraser and Mittal write, “the Grocery Manufacturers Association (supported by corporations including Monsanto...) is now suing the state, alleging that the law would violate the U.S Constitution in various ways” (Fraser and Anuradha). Monsanto appears again in a battle against GMO labeling. Whenever a protest appear against GMOs or for GMO labeling, Monsanto will continue to find any opportunity to reject GMO labeling. In general, companies are formed to make a profit, although GMO companies claim to

Abhorrently, today's consumers are faced with discomfort regarding food safety. For the past 20 years millions of people around the world have been eating plants genetically modified by scientists. Genetically modified crops are tweaked to resist the harsh herbicides. In a recent article titled Labels for GMOs are bad the author argues that GMOs are safe for human consumption. In fact,Suspected culprit in devastating 'fiber disease' statistics show that “Around 70 percent of processed foods in the U.S contain genetically modified ingredients.” ( The Editors 1 ) I strongly oppose The Editors point of view towards GMO labeling because consumers want to know what they are eating. GMOs should indeed be labeled to inform what's in the product

In the United States and Canada, Monsanto is spending millions of dollars for companies to remove the genetically modified organisms label and requested them to put ‘Natural’ on their products instead. One example of this is a big company, Kellogg’s. One of Kellogg’s brands, Kashi, was sued for falsely advertising their products as ‘all natural’ or with ‘nothing artificial’. Kashi paid five million to resolve what they had done. With more investigation, it was found that Kellogg’s paid the Grocery Manufacturers Association’s (GMA) $221,852 to oppose the genetically modified organisms labeling bill. The GMA was later sued for taking the money from the donors who funded them and found, “The GMA has contributed $7,222,500 to the campaign opposing

It was decided almost 20 years about by the Food and Drug Administration that GMOs do not need to be labeled, despite the consumers’ desire for GMO labeling. Consumers’ demanding to know what is in their food has lead to the proposed legislation of GMO labeling from more than twenty states. Health safety is a large part of the proponents’ argument for GMO labeling (Murray 2016). The consumers right to know, right to choose, and ethical rights are also all reasons for GMO labeling policy. The oppositions’ arguments against mandatory GMO labeling are that it could falsely alarm consumers, impose extra costs on consumers and lead to restricts on consumer choice (Hemphill 2015). There would be more harm than good to come from

In his article “Labeling for Better or Worse” (2014), Jim Kling informs readers of the benefits of labeling genetically modified foods, while also discussing a few disadvantages. Kling discusses laws proposed for this issue, the response to these laws, and the difficulties they may face on a national scale, while also educating readers on why labeling these foods has become an issue. The purpose of this article is to enlighten readers as to why this has recently become a hot topic. Directed towards anyone who is interested, the author uses an informative tone to educate

A warm summer morning, the smell of muggy air is still coming through the crease of the window that was left open last night. Mom has just bought a new box of frosted flakes from the store last night. Excitedly getting ready for the morning it’s the only thing on your mind. I’m sure many people would think a lot differently about the start to their morning if they knew what Kellogg’s was really putting in that tasty morning snack. This is a problem with our disappointing label laws across the United States. GMO’s in our nations products should have to be labeled, we deserve to know what we are eating.

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

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.