Genetically Modified Organisms in Food Essay example

“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.

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.

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.

Another crucial way in which humans are harmed from genetically modified foods is obesity. Obesity stems from an abnormal diet with high calorie-dense foods which results in above average body fat. It is associated with increased risk of disease such as cardiovascular failure and liver cancer, disability and incapacitation from excess weight on the joints and bones, and even death from complications arising from the obesity – not the obesity itself. People are consciously ignorant about the foods they eat. “Obesity is the sixth most common disease worldwide. Approximately 1.1 billion adults and 10% of children are considered obese” (Haslam). Obesity is a chronic

“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

“In a study in the early 1990s, rats were fed genetically modified (GM) tomatoes. Well actually the rats refused to eat them. They were force-fed. Several of the rats developed stomach lesions and seven out of 40 died within two weeks. Scientists at the FDA who reviewed the study agree that it did not provide a “demonstration of reasonable certainty of harm.” In fact, agency scientists warned that genetically modified foods in general might create unpredictable allergies, toxins, antibiotic resistant diseases, and nutritional problems. Internal FDA memos made public from a lawsuit reveal that the scientists urged their superiors to require long-term safety testing to catch these hard-to-detect side effects. But FDA political appointees, including a former attorney for Monsanto in charge of policy, ignored the scientists’ warnings. The FDA does not require safety studies. Instead, if the makers of the genetically modified foods claim that they are safe, the agency has no farther questions. The genetically modified tomato was approved in 1994.”(Smith).

Cummins, Ronnie. “Genetically Engineered Food Is Dangerous.” Genetic Engineering, Edited by James D. Torr, Greenhaven Press, 2001, pp. 109-118.

GMO, genetically modified organisms, are organisms that are used for food sources and are manipulated by biotechnology, most often by gene transfer (Ahmed, 2002). Most agricultural food sources such as fruits, vegetables, or any other mass-produced crops are known examples of GMO (Owens, 2000). Many question the ethics or reasoning behind the production of GMOs due to its interference with naturally bound events but biotechnological gene transfer is vastly beneficial because it leads to: multiplication of crop yields, more affordable food sources, food security, and resistance to pests and harmful diseases (Phillips, 2004). Benefits of GMO are inevitable and are beneficial to almost everyone, but precautions are made to routinely regulate GMOs due to possible health complications (Weiss, 2014).

The commercial sale of genetically modified foods first began in 1994. Introduced to society was the infamous delayed-ripening tomato (CITE). In today’s world, majority of food modifications have mainly focused on

market was as late as 1994, so do we really know enough about the long

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.

Modern genetic engineering (GE) and plant hybridization can trace its roots to a 19th century Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel, whose pioneering studies on garden pea plants revolutionized the comprehension of how heredity and the transmission of genetic traits function (Schwarzbach, Smykal, Dostal, Jarkovska, & Valova, 2014). However, it was not until Watson and Crick (1953) that the double helix structure of DNA and the composition of chromosomes were identified. With this knowledge, scientists then sought novel ways to more efficiently manipulate an organisms’ genetic sequence, eventually leading to a California-based company named Calgene to introduce the first genetically modified (GM) food, the Flavr-Savr tomato, to the consumer market in 1994 (Redenbaugh, Hiatt, Martineau, & Emlay 1994). Genetic engineering is largely carried out by recombinant DNA technology and allows scientists “to add one or a small number of genes from essentially any organism to simple bacterial cells” (Knight, 2015). Once genes are inserted into the bacterial cells, they can then be introduced into another organism. Foods have been genetically modified, since the production of the Flavr-Savr tomato, to serve specific functions. The functions most closely associated with GM foods have been “improved seed yield, shorter stems that better resist wind damage, herbicide resistance, frost resistance, salt tolerance” (Bennett et al., 2004).