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Jan 5, 2024 · January 5, 2024 9:30 AM EST. T hirty years after tomatoes became the first genetically modified produce sold in the U.S., lots of people remain skeptical of science-ified foods. In a 2020 Pew ...
- Overview
- What are GMOs?
- Advantages of GMO foods
- Is GMO food unhealthy?
- What are examples of GMO foods?
- The bottom line
Although most notable organizations and research suggest that GMO foods are safe and sustainable, some people claim they may harm your health and the environment.
GMOs, short for genetically modified organisms, are subject to a lot of controversy.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), GMO seeds are used to plant over 90% of all maize (corn), cotton, and soy grown in the United States, which means that many of the foods you eat likely contain GMOs.
This article helps explain what GMOs are, provides a balanced explanation of their pros and cons, and gives guidance on how to identify GMO foods.
“GMO,” which stands for genetically modified organism, refers to any organism whose DNA has been modified using genetic engineering technology.
In the food industry, GMO crops have had genes added to them for various reasons, such as improving:
•their growth
•nutritional content
•sustainability
•pest resistance
GMO foods may offer advantages to the grower and consumer. These can include:
•Pest control: Many GMO crops have been genetically modified to express a gene that protects them against pests and insects. The Bt gene is commonly genetically engineered into crops like corn, cotton, and soybeans. It comes from a naturally occurring bacteria known as Bacillus thuringiensis. This gene produces a toxic protein to several pests and insects, which gives the GMO plants a natural resistance. As such, GMO crops don’t need to be exposed to harmful pesticides as often.
•Fewer pesticides: A 2020 study notes that GMO technology has reduced global chemical pesticide use by 8.3% and indirectly reduced greenhouse gas emissions because farmers don’t need to spray their fields as often.
•Improved survival and greater yield: Other GMO crops have been modified with genes that help them survive stressful conditions, such as droughts, and resist diseases like blight, resulting in a higher yield for farmers.
•Increased nutritional value: Genetic modification can increase the nutritional value of foods. For example, rice high in beta carotene, also called golden rice, was developed to help prevent blindness in regions where local diets are chronically deficient in vitamin A.
•Enhanced flavor: Genetic modification can enhance the flavor and appearance of foods, such as the non-browning apple.
However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and USDA maintain that GMOs are safe for human and animal consumption.
While GMO crops make farming much easier, there is some concern about their potential effect on the environment and their safety for human consumption, particularly surrounding illnesses and allergies.
Some of the potential concerns around GMO consumption include:
•Allergies: Because GMO foods contain foreign genes, some people worry that they harbor genes from foods that may prompt an allergic reaction. According to the FDA, researchers who develop GMO foods run tests to ensure that allergens aren’t transferred from one food to another. Research suggests GMO foods are no likelier to trigger allergies than their non-GMO counterparts.
•Cancer: Because cancers are caused by DNA mutations, some people fear that eating foods with added genes may affect your DNA. The American Cancer Society (ACS) has stated that there’s no evidence to link GMO food intake to an increased or decreased risk of cancer, and there is no evidence that eating GMOs will change your DNA. However, more long-term human research is still needed.
•Herbicide use: Most GMO crops are resistant to herbicides, such as Roundup, so farmers may use herbicides to kill surrounding weeds without damage to their crops. But Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate are subject to controversy because animal and test-tube studies have linked them to various diseases. There is new evidence that glyphosate exposure may increase the relative risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma by 41%.
Although GMO foods appear safe for consumption, some people wish to avoid them. Still, this is difficult since most foods in your supermarket are made with ingredients from GMO crops.
GMO crops grown and sold in the United States include:
•corn
•soybean
•canola
•sugar beet
GMOs are foods that have been modified using genetic techniques.
Most foods in your local supermarket contain GMO ingredients because they’re easier and more cost-effective for farmers, which makes them cheaper for the consumer.
In the United States, foods grown using GMO techniques include corn, soybean, canola, sugar beet, alfalfa, cotton, potatoes, papaya, pink pineapple, summer squash, and a few varieties of apples.
Although current research suggests that GMO foods are safe for consumption, some people are concerned about their potential health effects. Due to a lack of long-term human studies, more research is needed.
People also ask
What are the benefits of GMOs?
Could GMOs help maintain food supply?
How does GMO food affect the health and safety of animals?
Are there GMOs in food?
Yet, science continues to suggest that there is no substantiated evidence that GMO foods are less safe than non-GMO derived food products. A 2016 report from the National Academies of Science, Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects discusses effects on human health. Claims regarding human health and safety of GMO foods included ...
Jan 5, 2024 · the risk of outcrossing, where genes from GMO foods pass into wild plants and other crops. a negative impact on insects and other species. reduction in other plant types, leading to a loss of ...
Apr 19, 2023 · The three most common traits found in GMO crops are: Resistance to insect damage. Tolerance to herbicides. Resistance to plant viruses. For GMO crops that are resistant to insect damage, farmers ...
Only a few types of GMO crops are grown in the United States, but some of these GMOs make up a large percentage of the crop grown (e.g., soybeans, corn, sugar beets, canola, and cotton). In 2020 ...
May 1, 2014 · Generally consumers consider that conventional foods (that have an established record of safe consumption over the history) are safe. Whenever novel varieties of organisms for food use are developed using the traditional breeding methods that had existed before the introduction of gene technology, some of the characteristics of organisms may be altered, either in a positive or a negative way.
