The Problem Of Genetically Modified Organisms

Do you want to know what you are eating? Have you gotten sick over the past few years and not known why? Many people have gotten sick over the increase of food products with GMOs within them. Over the years many have argued that GMOs aren’t what is causing the increase in death and the decrease in birth, but many say it is the problem. GMOs should be labeled on our foods today because of the amount of health problems, and consumers want to know what they are eating. After all, it is what is going into our bodies.

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.

Many people feel that genetically modified organisms are unsafe, untested and therefore not something they want in their food or environment. I feel that without the proper studies and research we are putting ourselves in the hands of large corporations that have more of an interest in making money than offering a safe product. I feel it is important to make an informed decision when it comes to products or organisms affecting ourselves or our environment.

Through scientific research there have been no substantial findings of harmful side effects on eating foods that have been genetically modified. In his article,” National Academy of Sciences Report on GMOs”, Steven Novella states that “It is especially compelling that over the last two decades, animals and humans exposed to GMOs have not experienced any relative increase in any major disease” (Novella). With over 20 years of observations and conclusions, there has been no evidence to support the argument that GMOs are harmful to humans or animals. Furthermore, Alan McHughen, in his article, “A Path Forward”, says “Every major scientific body in the U.S. and around the world has reviewed independent research related to GM crops and food and has concluded they are as safe as food and crops developed from other methods in use today” (McHughen). Thousands of reports and findings

More and more consumers are becoming concerned with what they eat, especially when their food comes from a vague source and processed with unknown techniques. It makes it very difficult to try and regulate what goes into each and everyone’s bodies if the package labeling on food products does not perfectly reflect the nutritional value within. With food industries leaving out certain information, and/or not making it very visible, it can lead to increased public health problems including allergies and diabetes.

Poultry and red meat may come from animals raised on genetically modified feed, but as of yet you won't find GMO animals for sale at your local butcher shop (Harrar 5). There are many traits that GMOs aim to achieve, such as resistance to herbicides and pesticides, increased nutritional content and improve tolerance to the effects of adverse weather conditions. Which we all know is something only a dream plant would contain. Hence what these plants are modified for. In the past, most just had specific breeding techniques to achieve these traits, but for most, out ruled because of the inaccuracy and time it cost. Now using genetic engineering, plants can now be modified very quickly and effective (Pongratz 2). However, Genetically Modified Organisms are seen to cause more harm than good, that they could potentially harm our bodies and environment in the process. "The process is not as rigorous or independent as it should be. The FDA often does not get all the data to perform a fully informed safety review," noted Gregory Jaffe, director of the CSPI Biotechnology Project, in a 2012 report. There are many issues that have sparked by using Genetically Modified Organisms. In creating an organism, the matter of fact of it being a negative to health arises in consuming something that is not naturally occurring (Harrar

When consumers are shopping for foods to feed their families, they should be able to identify by reading labels what they are purchasing. Some people suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, allergies or other diseases requiring them to have a strictly regulated diet. Consumers should be

GM foods/biotechnology has not been around long enough for humans to understand the possible health concerns/implications of GMOs (may feel like they are being experimented on).

In order to fully understand the risks of GMOs it is important to first understand how GMOs are made and where they are found. Genetic modification aims to create better foods so they add genes that are more nutritious, have a longer shelf life or taste better among other trait modifications. In his article “Genetically Modified Foods” Thomas R. Degregori describes genetic modification

A popular debate in the United States that’s been ongoing since 1990, is the labeling on Genetically Modified or Engineered foods otherwise known as GMO’s. Genetically engineered food is an unnatural process of plant or meat products. These two products have had their DNA artificially altered in a laboratory by genes from other plants, animals, viruses, or bacteria to produce foreign genes in food. Monsanto, an agriculture company, claims the reason behind this experimental genetic alteration was said to produce a multiplying supply to feed the world. Nevertheless, Americans are in a debate with the government to label genetically engineered food due to several reasons. Labeling genetically engineered ingredients will help consumers determine which products they decide to consume. The FDA published a policy that states they do not require labeling of GMO foods. Americans and people all over the world feel that they should have the right to know what they are purchasing and consuming due to a list of health, environmental, ethical, and religious reasons.

Even with all of the benefits it has to offer, not everyone is a fan of GMOs. Many critics fear they can present problems to our health. Putting a new gene into something may cause a serious allergic reaction. After eating GM foods many kids developed serious allergies. This can be solved by making GM plants that don’t make pollen. GM foods also may have unknown effects on human health although nothing has been proven (Whitman 7). Faster growing fish has been researched for over 20 years and not one person has ever experienced an effect from the fish (Greenwood).

Since 1996, there has been an ongoing controversy over genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and whether they are ethical and safe for the sake of human health and the environment. Recently, the controversy has been centralized around whether companies should be required to disclose GMO use on their labelling. Many people feel strongly that it should be up to the consumer to choose whether to buy a product that contains GMOs or to eat only organic options which are defined by the USDA as being produced “using methods that preserve the environment and avoid most synthetic materials, such as pesticides and antibiotics” (“Organic Agriculture”). Fortunately, there are already ways that concerned consumers can tell if a product contains GMOs, such as through the non-GMO project which believes “consumers in North America should have access to clearly-labeled non-GMO food and products” (“The ‘Non-GMO Project Verified’ Seal”). Although this is a good place to start, the food industry has been using GMOs for a long time now with most of the public still unaware of their dominating presence on supermarket shelves. Labeling the products could be a compromise that satisfies both the consumer and the industry by eliminating liability from companies and increasing awareness for the consumer. Companies should have to disclose their use of GMOs in their labeling because it would allow consumers to make the conscious decision about whether or not to support GMOs.

“Genetically Modified organisms as they are commonly known, are organisms that have been created using a certain gene-splicing techniques”. The organism is created in a lab environment, and their foundation, or make up is derived from a combination of other beings; thus Genetically Modified Organism. Creating a GMO carries dangerous consequences. When companies mix the genetic makeup of another species, sometimes unrelated, the fallout and detriment is massive. Several issues that come from altering a natural food source is an onset of toxins, allergens, and the effect has the most affect, the nutritional value of the altered food is negatively impacted. What is shocking is that in the United States it is not unlawful to alter a natural

There has been a long debate concerning the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), whether it imposes a risk not only to our environment, but also to our bodies when ingested over a long period of time. GMO corporations have debated against these topics and have desperately tried to convince consumers that their products are safe when in reality they do more harm than good. In a recent study by Dr. Oraby published through the Turkish Journal of Biology, found that albino rats on a genetically modified based diet showed significant damage to the liver, kidneys and reproductive system and showed abnormalities in just 90 days (267).

“Genetically modified organisms”, or more commonly known as GMOs, are “organisms that have been created through application of transgenic, gene-splicing techniques that are part of biotechnology.” (www.justlabelit.org/). GMOs entered the market about twenty years ago, and people are still in the dark about if the food we feed our families contain GMOs. “In 1992 the FDA’s policy statement defined “material” as the ability to be sensed by taste, smell, or other senses.” (www.justlabelit.org/) According to the FDA genetically modified foods are “substantially equivalent” to conventionally produced foods. So, because the FDA deemed them the same, no labeling was required. Twenty years later, the policy remains unchanged. Agriculture