If you live in the US and eat commonly found food, you are most likely consuming foods that are genetically modified (GM), whether you like it or not. If you never have wondered where the origin of the food you choose to consume on a daily basis, it is time to start understanding how important knowing where your food comes from. “A genetically modified organism is a new version of a plant or animal that is created by altering genes using biotechnology” (What Is a GMO?). Most of the food found on the market today in America is GM. People have a common misconception of the safety of GMOS because the FDA makes statements that GMO’s are nothing to worry about, and that it is perfectly healthy to intake food that is artificially made. This is where the corruption of knowledge occurs because the FDA leaves the safety testing up to same companies that creates GMOs, these companies create tests that hide the true facts of the dangers, in order gain profit from consumers. Independent 3rd party research that is not sponsored by these corrupt companies, will verify that food found with GMOs are not even nearly as safe as certified organic food. Organic food is food that has been produced in an organic method that uses organic fertilizers, non toxic herbicides, proper soil planting, and do not use GMOs. Organic food will also provide more nutrition than GM foods, which is crucial due to the lack of nutrients in today average person.
“GMO’s have been proven to cause cancer, harm the
The article “Not in my fridge” by Jeffery M. Smith elaborately discussed the health hazards of genetically modified (GM) products. This article has opened my eyes and revealed my ignorance of how unmindful of what I have eaten for years. I was very alarmed by many of the things I have learned in this article. After learning the side-effect of GM food, I was certainly concerned for our health. Moreover, learning that the biotech company’s strong stand in advocate of GM products as well as the United States governments and the Food and Drug administration (FDA) cover up of serious safety issues of GM highly disturbed me.
GM foods are in the middle of many controversial issues; primarily these are addressed by conflicts over the relative pros and cons of GM foods. Major biotech companies like ‘Monsanto ' and ‘Cargill ' are promoting GM foods by focusing only on their beneficial aspects, giving least importance to their negative effects on safety, environment and biodiversity. On the other hand, governmental regulators and nongovernmental organizations, along with some scientists, are strictly opposing this type of blind promotion of GM food by enlightening the people on their negative effects The controversies associated with GM foods include issues such as safety, environmental benefits and risks, biodiversity, and ethical and social considerations.GM foods are implicated for adverse human health risks like people being allergic to it, environmental hazards such as development of super weeds, and pesticide and antibiotic resistance in disease causing organisms. On the other
A growing number of foods we intake on a daily basis are composed of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). DNA from other kinds of organisms, bacteria, or viruses are used to change the DNA of GMOs so that they can counteract pesticides. According to Bill Freese, “GMOs are present in 60 to 70 percent of foods on US supermarket shelves” (1) . Not only is the food itself a problem, but the method of growing GMOs can potentially harm the soil, in turn decreasing bio-diversity. Purchasing non genetically modified foods is a better decision. Despite the convenience of junk food, anyone can live a healthier lifestyle by making an effort to eat non gmo, raw, organic, and vegan foods.
Food is a vital source for survival, and with a growing population that is likely to reach a total of 9,000 million by 2050, the use of biotechnology in farming for food production should be considered. The most efficient solution to solve the global food shortage might be to rely on science and technology. Though there are many controversies regarding the use of genetically-modified (GM) food, it could be the best solution. Though I support the idea of GM foods, I do believe those who enjoy organic foods should have the option to continue with it. Both organic and GM food supply should be used to suit both sides of the controversy.
The last few years American’s have been the center of attention when it comes to an example of unhealthy living. In 2013 obesity became recognized as a disease in order to help aid the fight for a healthy future. Fingers are being pointed at every company and government branch possible on who is to blame for the current crisis. One thing people are able to agree on is that the food we are eating is the main cause of the health crisis in America. At the heart of this debate is the discussion on genetically modified organism, or GMO foods.
Recently, there has been a huge uprise in reports from all over the world of new diseases that have affected much of the population today. Diseases such as obesity, Alzheimer’s, Celiac Disease, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and so much more have been on the rise. Researchers have suspected the culprit of these diseases to be our food. Along with the diseases, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) has also been on the rise. The more poor food we eat, the greater the potential harm to our health. One of the poor foods we consume is GMO: the altering of genes in food to produce desirable effects. These effects can range from an improvement in nutritional value, texture, flavor, and a longer shelf life. These
For the last ten years, give or take, a “new” kind of food has hit the supermarket shelf, organic food. So in case, you don’t know what Organic food is, I’ll explain; organic food, is food produced without any pesticides, or additives, we can easily compare organic foods to all types of farming, known to man in the past millennia. When the only methods of farming, were to create nutrient-rich soil, through natural composts, to plant, and eventually harvest natural foods, then possibly feed animals said natural foods. Organic foods are important to humans since while conventional farming deposits chemicals into the earth, to grow stronger crops, organic food is all natural. This is important since, in the process of growing crops in a conventional way, our food is open to chemicals which are harmful to us, which could potentially do damage to our person. Personally, I have found there is more evidence to support the claim that: organic food is healthier, for human consumption than non-organic food for multiple reasons. One of these reasons being, organic food is safer for people to eat, as there are no harmful chemicals in them, resulting in people not receiving the levels of toxins from their food, or as large quantities of harmful chemicals as conventional food usually contains. Another reason organic food is better is the fact that organic food typically has more nutrients than conventional food.
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.
The secretary of Agriculture, Dan Glickman, once said “The organic label is a marketing tool it is not a statement about food safety. Nor is ‘organic’ a value judgment about nutrition or quality.” While the greatest feature for stores is to have their very own marketing gimmick, the gimmick being their products are non-genetically modified. Many experiments and tests have been conducted over genetically modified organisms and the answer they keep coming up with is “there is no good evidence that genetic modified itself causes foods to become unhealthy or toxic”, according to Authority of Nutrition. This statement alone takes the marketing gimmicks used against GMO foods down a peg. For years humans have eaten genetically modified foods and have
In the past few years, society has been made more aware of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Because of this, GMOs are being replaced in diets with more natural and organic options. GMOs have been researched and found to cause adverse effects on human health because of the gene splicing, or genetic alterations that are done to create them through genetic engineering. Before this issue became an issue, many people were eating processed and even healthy foods without understanding what chemicals and toxins they were actually putting into their bodies. GMOs are infused into food without awareness because one never really understands what all those unpronounceable words, label GMOs, really are. Due to recent research, it has been found that genetically modified organisms are harmful and can lead to increased risks of disease and cancer.
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.
Much of the public concern surrounding the safety of GMOs stems from the process of actually creating them. This is admittedly not a natural process, which is a surefire way to raise critic’s eyebrows in doubting their safety. However, there is no evidence that supports these myths. The Committee on Genetically Engineered Crops, The National Academy of Science, and the Board on Agriculture and Natural Recourses all agree after extensive testing and observation that there is no additional harm in the consumption of GMO food. The research conducted in animal studies, as well as chemical analysis of the crops, show no indication that GMOs are negatively affecting human health. The next allegation hurled at GMOs is that they may have
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are often misconstrued. Most people believe that GMOs are a new way of how foods are being produced, and even though GMOs have been increasing there should still be certain precautions must be taken when consuming GMOs. Being because GMOs can be very serious issues, and since there are a lot of misconceptions about it, it is imperative that people understand what GMOs are and the problems that they are causing.
Imagine that Sunday morning bacon smell is crafted in a laboratory by gene splicing and corn on the cobb was sprayed by herbicide that just created a new mega weed that might destroy all wheat on earth. Most of the food people eat in this world contains genetically modified organisms. If you haven’t thought about what was in your last meal, then you may need to start thinking about it. 92% of corn in America is genetically modified, and 94% of soybeans are created or modified in a lab. An estimated 75% of processed food is genetically modified (United States Department of Agriculture). In other words, most of the food the average American eats is altered from its natural state. GM foods are created when scientists take traits from specific animals or plants and add them to other animals or plants. For example, add a specific type of growth hormone to a pig and one has more pig than without.
The usage of Genetically Modified foods has evolved over the years. The demand for these products have grown, since they were approved by the FDA. Today, about 70%-80% of the foods that are eaten in the United States have been genetically modified or has ingredients that are modified. As these numbers developed, many people started opposing genetically modified foods. They questioned whether certain diseases were linked with consumption of genetically modified foods. Many Non-GMO projects have arose due to these arguments. However, many influential regulatory agencies that study the safety of food supply, such as the U.S. FDA and the World Health Organization, has found that genetically modified ingredients and foods are safe and have no negative health effects with the consumption and use of it. Although, they have found that it has no effect to the consumer’s health, companies try to accomodate the consumers by making their products safer.