Should We Use Genetically Modified Food?

As said before, GMOs are genetically modified organisms, and can be dangerous, so experts say. They say that the GMO process causes diseases such as cancer or diabetes, and some also say that GM foods can cause allergic reactions. They are saying this because, as they have discovered, some companies have mixed protein from nuts and inserted into beans, which can be harmful

Over the past few decades a new controversy has arisen in the scientific community: should Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) be used in modern society. There are generally two sides to this debate: one being in favor of GMO use and the other against it. Pro GMO activists believe that GMOs can help address hunger issues and help reduce use of pesticides/insecticides while Anti-GMO activists state that it is a threat to the agriculture industry, and should be banned. Both sides have several valid points, however GMO’s are even more complicated from initial glance, and may not be as dangerous as some believe.

Many will argue that Genetically Modified Organisms(GMOs) are not safe for human consumption, however they are almost inevitable for our everyday food consumption. Some argue that the recent increase in gluten intolerance is caused by GMO foods (Argument against). Other state that the risk to humans by GMO’s is relatively small (The GMO”). The bottom line is what people put into their bodies is a personal choice and a person should be able to easily tell if a product has been genetically modified or not.

By the year 2012, over 70 percent of the processed foods in the U.S can be linked to genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Despite this strong dependency on the manipulation of genetic material, there are many questions concerning long-lasting impacts such food could bring. The government of the United States of America should enforce stricter restrictions on the consumption, production, and availability of food products containing genetically modified organisms. Genetically engineered foods have detrimental impacts on the environment, are linked to large, monopolizing industries, and do not reduce world hunger.

Eveyone of us and our children are affected by the use of GMO food products and they have a dangerous side effect on our enviroment that in some cases will never be repaired.

In todays society, people are more concerned about what they put into their body. They eat healthy and maintain a stable diet, but unknown to a number of these people is their food may have been tampered with in the form of Genetically Modified Organisms or, for short, GMO's. Genetically Modified Organisms are plants or animals whose DNA has been altered to favor a certain characteristic or trait which is already in the DNA. This includes enhancing the DNA in plants to make them bigger, invincible to pests, or invincible towards weeds. Although, the reason why GMO's are a controversial topic is because of lack of knowledge. Genetically Modified Organisms are risky and potentially to dangerous to be handling because of the unknown side effects

Michelle Schoffro cook, PhD, DNM, Clinical Nutritionist. Michelle states that “according to research published in the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Scientists found that the genetically-modified corn was linked to liver and kidney damage in animal” (Schoffro). In other words what Michelle is saying is that there is proof that GMOs could cause some damage to the animal’s organs. These so called GMOs are modified genetically so that they can produce their own pesticides and therefore they are immune to any plague. Studies show that some of those pesticides are toxic to humans. Some of those toxins are the Bt-toxin and Roundup Ready which are now found in corn, cotton and soybeans. These two pesticides have been linked to severe health risks. Studies conducted on animal have shown that GMOs can cause damage to their liver, kidney, and the male’s reproductive organ damage and spleen damage. This should make us wonder, if these modifications on the food have a drastic effect on animals, then we must assume the same thing could happen to us. In the same matter, now that these pesticides and toxins are built in the plants they cannot be washed off, which means that they are being consumed. This leads us to the conclusion that we are eating a food that could kill

Importantly, there is a current controversy concerning whether genetically modified foods should be labeled as such or if it is an unnecessary extra expense. Indeed, some individuals believe that if a product is genetically modified then it is potentially dangerous to a consumer’s health causing birth defects, increased risk of cancer, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease (Greenpeace, n.d.). Therefore, based upon this predisposition they believe that a label should be placed on every product that is genetically modified, since it is the consumers right to know if a product has been exposed to harmful chemicals and pesticides. Contrariwise, others believe that labeling genetically modified foods is not needed, since there is presently no viable

Although no studies can prove that GMOs are harmful to humans, many can prove the dangers of using pesticides with crops. Justin Tolley, a crop advisor for Crop Production Services, isn’t afraid of consuming GMOs in foods because they don’t contain the harsh chemicals that can harm humans. Pesticides and herbicides contain chemicals that are poisonous to the human body, as well as the environment and its wildlife. By switching from foods treated with pesticides to GMOs, the chemical intake would decrease dramatically. Along with the lack of chemicals, genetically modified foods can have increased amounts of nutrients and minerals in comparison to standard foods. Scientists have created a grain to aid the issue of A vitamin deficiencies in poorer countries (Chien). Modified foods can also replace supplement pills; the dosage would also be controlled because it would be based on how much food one ate instead of the premeasured dosage of supplements. Risks for allergies could also be eliminated using GMOs. “Scientists have identified a new gene in peanuts that codes for a protein with no apparent allergic effects” (Agricultural Biotechnology Council). Peanut and nut allergies are a very common issue and even pose the risk of death for some people. Getting rid of gene codes that trigger allergies for nuts and other foods would reduce health and possible death risks in humans; overall the health of all humans could

Should food be genetically modified? Over the years there has been debates and controversies whether gmos should be allowed into the markets or not. People are worried because of the uncertainty if the genetically modified crops are safe. Although genetic engineering in food is a technique that’s new, GMOs are safe. Not only are GMOs safe to consume but they are also safe for the environment and they have a large impact on society. Thus , GMOs shouldn’t be a concern because through genetic engineering many of the world’s resource problems can be solved.

In twenty years, the Earth’s population will need fifty-five percent more food than it is currently producing with the same or fewer resources. This issue could be resolved, but the full effects are still unknown. Genetically modified organisms are plants, animals, or microorganisms that have had their genetic material changed in a way that does not happen naturally. According to the United States’ National Library of Medicine, genetically engineering organisms has been around since the 1990’s. There is controversy, however, in whether genetically modified foods should be used as a part of our diet because, although, it can provide more nutritious food, it could cause

I am strongly against the belief that GMO’s should be allowed for consumption. Although a large amount of food that we consume here in the United States contains GMO’s (Center For Food Safety), no official studies have been conducted by the FDA. Many independent studies have shown that GMO’s could be correlated to the rise in allergies (responsibletechnology.org). Studies have shown that when the safety of GMO’s is tested on rats, the results most commonly show that a majority of the rats receive tumors, or die a premature death (CBS).

While there isn’t a consensus on whether genetically modified crops are dangerous to human health there has been an increase in the amount of research that has been done with genetically modified crops. With GMO technology scientists have the ability to insert genes that would allow crops to increase yields, grow in more diverse climates, and even have increased nutritional values. If these technologies become reality then the stress that agriculture puts on the environment could be reduced. Useable farmland is also decreasing from erosion, increasing salinity, and a decline in soil fertility GMO crops could be a viable solution to increase food production and decrease the amount of land required to farm crops. (Ritzer & Dean, 2015) Though without the long term studies being performed by independent scientists people like Stephen Trinkaus owner of Terra Organica are worried that, while GMO’s haven’t caused anyone to get sick directly, they could still be linked to the increase in allergies and

Could it be that there are dirty little secrets lurking inside the foods you put on your table? “Do you really know what’s inside the tomato you just put on your salad? Do you care to know if that cheeseburger you just ate is not infused with liquid nitrogen?” There are no notices, no warnings and most definitely no labels. Genetically modified food (GMF, GM Crops, or Bio-Food) are the norm in America today. Some even say we are just another Human Experiment for our American Government. While others claim if it weren't for scientists and their experiments we would never have discovered genetics and DNA.

GMO foods are not the most healthy or honest foods, but they are the most helpful. Many fruits and vegetables are engineered to be resistant to bugs and diseases that could cause famine. This helps farmers all over the country by giving them a better harvest. Also, non-sanitary soil has become a large problem in some places around the world. The soil made it harder for crops to grow in certain environments. To solve this problem, scientists could take a gene from a plant that can live in these conditions, and plant it into another crop’s genome. This would make the crop that