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Apr 23, 2018 · It is not possible to prove a food is safe, only to say that no hazard has been shown to exist.
What are genetically modified (GM) organisms and GM foods? Why are GM foods produced? Is the safety of GM foods assessed differently from conventional foods? How is a safety assessment of GM food conducted? What are the main issues of concern for human health? How is a risk assessment for the environment performed? What are the issues of ...
- What are genetically modified (GM) organisms and GM foods?Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has...
- Why are GM foods produced?GM foods are developed – and marketed – because there is some perceived advantage either to the producer or consumer of these foods. This is meant...
- Is the safety of GM foods assessed differently from conventional foods?Generally consumers consider that conventional foods (that have an established record of safe consumption over the history) are safe. Whenever nove...
- How is a safety assessment of GM food conducted?The safety assessment of GM foods generally focuses on: (a) direct health effects (toxicity), (b) potential to provoke allergic reaction (allergeni...
- What are the main issues of concern for human health?While theoretical discussions have covered a broad range of aspects, the three main issues debated are the potentials to provoke allergic reaction...
- How is a risk assessment for the environment performed?Environmental risk assessments cover both the GMO concerned and the potential receiving environment. The assessment process includes evaluation of...
- What are the issues of concern for the environment?Issues of concern include: the capability of the GMO to escape and potentially introduce the engineered genes into wild populations; the persistenc...
- Are GM foods safe?Different GM organisms include different genes inserted in different ways. This means that individual GM foods and their safety should be assessed...
- How are GM foods regulated nationally?The way governments have regulated GM foods varies. In some countries GM foods are not yet regulated. Countries which have legislation in place foc...
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Jul 27, 2021 · The hugely controversial concerns over the GMO foods in terms of consumer safety and environmental sustainability seem to remain unchanged. There are tangible reasons for the world to still worry about GMO, although new techniques emerged and are getting popularity in Biotechnology.
- Tadesse Fikre Teferra
- 2021
Dec 19, 2012 · Controversies and public concern surrounding GM foods and crops commonly focus on human and environmental safety, labelling and consumer choice, intellectual property rights, ethics, food security, poverty reduction and environmental conservation.
- A. S. Bawa, K. R. Anilakumar
- 2013
- Foreword
- Venki Ramakrishnan
- Introduction
- What is genetic modification (GM) of crops and how is it done?
- Cell
- Below
- How does GM difer from conventional plant breeding?
- What about unforeseen consequences of GM?
- Above
- Which genes have been introduced into GM crops so far and why?
- Herbicide tolerance
- Is it safe to eat GM crops?
- If we grow GM crops will they cross-breed with other plants?
- GM crops have only been around for 20 years, might there still be unexpected and untoward side efects?
- Who is paying for GM crop development and who owns the technology?
- What new GM crops are being developed?
- Making farmed fish more nutritious
- What methods other than genetic improvement can improve crop performance?
For a rational debate about whether or not society should make use of new technologies or scientific methods, it is necessary to have access to reliable information so that all interested parties can make judgements about whether the procedures work, whether they are safe and what advantages or disadvantages they ofer. Genetic modification of crop...
President of the Royal Society Image Kale cabbage. © LOVE_LIFE.
There have been long running debates about the use of new technologies for agriculture, and these have been especially prominent around genetically modified crops. There are parallels with climate change, and following the success of the Climate Change: Evidence and Causes document, the Society decided to produce a similar document on genetically m...
GM is a technology that involves inserting DNA into the genome of an organism. To produce a GM plant, new DNA is transferred into plant cells. Usually, the cells are then grown in tissue culture where they develop into plants. The seeds produced by these plants will inherit the new DNA. The characteristics of all living organisms are determin...
Cell nucleus containing genome packaged in chromosomes.
Onion root tip cells showing chromosomes and nuclei of dividing cells. © Alan John Lander Phillips.
The goal of both GM and conventional plant breeding is to produce crops with improved characteristics by changing their genetic makeup. GM achieves this by adding a new gene or genes to the genome of a crop plant. Conventional breeding achieves it by crossing together plants with relevant characteristics, and selecting the ofspring with the desired...
There is no evidence that producing a new crop variety using GM techniques is more likely to have unforeseen efects than producing one using conventional cross breeding. Concerns have been expressed that simply inserting new DNA into a plant genome by GM, might have unpredictable consequences. However, as our knowledge of genomes has increased i...
Cabbages infested with caterpillars. © Sophonibal.
The most prominent examples include genes that make the crops resistant to herbicides, insects, or viruses.
The first GM characteristic to be widely adopted was resistance to a herbicide called Roundup (or glyphosate) in soybeans. There are also varieties of herbicide tolerant crops produced by non-GM methods. Resistance to these types of broad herbicide – which would usually kill both weeds and crops – means that eficient weed control is possible becaus...
Yes. There is no evidence that a crop is dangerous to eat just because it is GM. There could be risks associated with the specific new gene introduced, which is why each crop with a new characteristic introduced by GM is subject to close scrutiny. Since the first widespread commercialisation of GM produce 18 years ago there has been no evidence of...
Yes. GM crops may cross-breed with closely related plants. This includes non-GM varieties of the same crop and wild relatives of the crop. For GM crops approved by regulators the consequences of cross-breeding have been assessed and judged not to be a risk to health or the environment. Both non-GM crops and GM crops can cross-breed with closely rel...
Yes, there could be unexpected side efects from any new crop variety, GM or non-GM, as well as with any new agricultural practices. Risk assessment and appropriate testing of all new crops, along with ongoing monitoring should mitigate the risks. GM crops are more extensively tested than non-GM varieties before release (see Q14) both for their envi...
The discoveries that enabled GM technology were largely made by public sector scientists. They went on to develop the technology further, as did scientists in the commercial sector. The public and private sectors, along with charities, own GM methods and plants and continue to invest in GM research and crop development. They take out patents on dis...
GM crops are being developed to be more disease-resistant, to have enhanced nutritional value, increased drought tolerance and improved uptake of nutrients, such as nitrogen. They are being tested in the laboratory or in contained field trials – in which plants are grown in an area to prevent spread into the environment. Crop disease is a big probl...
An example of the use of GM to enhance the nutritional value of food involves the “good fats” we normally obtain from eating oily fish like salmon. These long chain omega-3 fatty acids are healthy for the heart and brain. Fish need these Omega-3 fatty acids to stay healthy but do not produce them naturally themselves. They get them from marine alga...
Crop genetic improvement, by GM or conventional approaches, is only one of many methods that can be used to improve crop performance. Others involve improvements in farm practices, irrigation, drainage, and herbicide, pesticide and fertiliser use. Better food storage and transportation to reduce waste can also play their part in securing a reliable...
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Jan 5, 2024 · Summary. Engineers design plants using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to improve taste, nutritional content, and resilience. However, people have concerns over their safety, and there is...
GMO foods are as healthful and safe to eat as their non-GMO counterparts. Some GMO plants have actually been modified to improve their nutritional value. An example is GMO soybeans...
