Genetically Modified Organisms and Food Production

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.

‘With genetically modified foods I believe we have reached the thin edge of the wedge, we are messing with the building blocks of life and its scary’ - Malcom Walker, Chairman and Chief Executive of Iceland Foods (Quotes from Scientists).

The introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms, also known as GMOs, has dramatically affected the world’s food and drug markets. Plants can now produce more food, protect themselves from pests, and survive the harsh chemicals used to kill weeds (Driessen/Charles). Unfortunately, GMOs have many negative consequences. They can harm humans through unintentional toxins created by complications of the engineering process. Some GMOs produce pesticides, which may lead to the creation of pesticide-resistant super-species, potentially causing a catastrophic ecological disaster (Mercola). Genetically Modified Organisms may also have a negative impact on the world economy. GMOs need more testing and refinement before allowing them into the world’s food because they have the potential to harm human health, destroy the world’s agricultural economy, and cause a worldwide environmental catastrophe.

The development of genetically engineered foods began in the 1900s, and has been in United State markets since 1995 (Bredahl 18). The most widespread genetically modified foods are oil, maize, cotton, and soybeans (Cunningham 11). Transgenic foods were products created to increase benefit and lower prices (Whitman 2). Genetically modified foods are essential to enrichments of crops (Tan 3). It helps reduce the use of herbicides and pesticides in plants, enhances taste and quality, lower maturation time,

Have you ever been sitting at home enjoying a huge cup of fruits or vegetables and think to yourself that you’re eating habits are healthy? You may be wrong, not knowing where your food comes can come with a big health hazard, yes even with fruits and vegetables. The reasoning for this is the upcoming biotechnology of Genetically Modified Foods. These modified foods are supposed to help with the up and coming population that should rise by 10 billion in 2050.Plus with all the technology coming in, it makes it easier for farmers to do their harvest a lot quicker, which means they have more time for family. Although many people believe the Genetically Modified Foods will be the future, Genetically Modified foods should be closely watched by the government and should be evaluated thoroughly before it is put on the market, Genetically Modified Foods have been tested individually and evidence shows health risks, the number of risk it brings to our environment and ecosystem is not worth with progressing, Genetically Modified foods don’t label their products which gives great superstitions to people on why Genetically Modified Food corporation are trying too hard to keep these labels off.

Genetically Modified Products haven’t received a great reputation because many times they are perceived as chemical foods with a large amount of antibiotics and hormones. Although some of it is untrue, in certain populations including Europe, they are not seen as real food. The European culture prides themselves on fresh and natural ingredients used in their cooking. Many also feel that genetically modified foods are void of any nutritional value and are seen as a disregard for the human organism. European culture stems from thousands of generations of growing and preparing foods by hand, without the use of industrial techniques. Science isn’t always seen as a good thing for a society. People in Europe aren’t as obedient as in other countries and aren’t as reliable on the government to tell them what to do. They ask questions and although companies may show proof that a certain food, even slightly genetically modified doesn’t affect then, they may still oppose to its use. They ultimately don’t want to ruin natural crops/products for future generations. The subject of concern in the notice presented to the U.S FDA is the genetically modified (recombinant) yeast that was used to produce ISP (ice-structuring protein) for commercial use. The ISP is produced by a fermentation process and the protein is secreted into the media it is cultured in. It is harvested through a microfiltration technique. The process uses multiple micro filters that separate the protein from the debris of

The denotation of a genetically modified food is “…food whose molecules and proteins have been chemically altered to give the food ore nutrients, a better appearance, or longer shelf life” (Rich 1). Innovations in technology allow scientists to remove sequences of DNA from specific organisms and inject that sequence into another. This procedure is often executed in order to produce some sort of benefit, like lower prices or increased crop protection. It began to be utilized in 1994 with the first marketed delayed-ripening tomato. Genetically modifying food started with a private food company called Monsanto, who was seeking a way to make crops resistant to herbicides, which would make them much cheaper to farm. Since

When food is genetically engineered, it has specific changes made to its DNA and is far more effective than past procedures like selective breeding and mutative breeding. Most food, we eat today, is, in fact, genetically modified. Food, like vegetables and fruit, are modified commonly to enhance their traits such as herbicide resistance and added nutritional content. The enhancement used to be done largely by selective breeding, which is very time-consuming and more often than not, it is not very accurate of effective.

To begin with, genetically modified foods are foods that have had specific mutations introduced into their DNA in order to produce favorable characteristics in the food or crop. In order to achieve these characteristic, scientists insert or remove certain genes to make a new DNA sequence. This can be done with the help of restriction enzymes and transferring of genes. Restriction enzymes analyze a strand of DNA and look for a specified target which it eventually cuts off and isolates. This specified target would be the gene that is to be transferred. The steps of genetically modifying a food are DNA extraction, gene cloning, gene design, transformation, and backcross breeding. In the beginning of the process the desired DNA is extracted and cloned to make identical

The revolution and improvement of agricultural crops have seen an increase in the last decade because of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). “A genetically modified organism, or GMO, is an organism that has had its DNA altered or modified in some way through genetic engineering” (Lallanilla 2013). A GMO is stronger compared to its original species or generation because it has a new gene that allows it to survive in a new environment or against a predator or pest. A GMO can come in different forms, such as modified animals or plants and crops. A genetically modified crop has many benefits over the original crop, such as bigger product yield, higher resistance to disease, prolonging the genetically modified crops shelf life, and a more

Genetically modified otherwise known as GM food are organisms which DNA which is genetic material has been altered in a way that is unnatural. The technology that is used for this process has many names such as gene technology, modern biotechnology or generic engineering. Scientists choose selected genes to be taken from one entity and placed into another they may or may not be related. Genetically modified food was first established with the hopes of conquering world hunger by altering various types of crops. The crops and livestock were birthed through genetic modification to have beneficial features that it may not naturally have such as an enlarged size. These crops and livestock are grown and raised virtually everywhere except the

This planet sustains various life forms and over time these organisms have evolved to better survive in the environments in which they live. Humans are constantly trying to improve the world and the organisms in it. In order to achieve this goal, there is a powerful tool scientists are using called DNA Technology. It is this technology that allows humans to modify, create, and/or destroy life as we know it. In this paper, I will review genetically engineered staple foods and genetically engineered animals and will discuss which is more beneficial for humans.

material has been modified in a way that is not natural. Introducing a gene from a different

Agriculture- Genetically modified agricultural crops were developed to improve both crop yields and resistance to plant pests such as insects, rodents, and to herbicides, serving to reduce the difficulties of crop management and increase yields. According to Med Crave the first commercially grown, genetically engineered crop was CGN-8964-2. This was a tomato seed that was developed in 1994 to express the trait of delayed softening of the tomato flesh as a practical means to minimize post-harvest crop losses [1]. “Flavr Savr” was the brand name given to the revolutionary tomato seed also known as CGN-8964-2. This specific tomato would fail in the marketplace due to, ironically, the common public perception that Flavr Savr tomatoes were lacking in taste, and not due to consumer apprehension about eating a genetically altered food. As of 2016, according to Med Crave, 88 percent of the U.S. corn crop, and 93% of soybeans crops have been genetically mutated and much of these crops find their way into unlabeled processed foods.