Food has been one of the basic needs since the birth of a person. Back in the olden days, production of food only consists of hunting, harvesting, and farming, and usually it would take a long time before these foods arrive at the dining tables of families. However, today, technology has allowed the mass production of food. Unfortunately, the market has taken advantage of technology, not letting us know how food is made, leading to the birth of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). GMOs are widely used in most foods today. Though most people are unaware of this, GMOs even exist in some of their favorite food products and especially in fast foods. Many reports and stories tell that diseases, such as Escherichia Coli and Salmonella, have been caught from GM-foods, specifically meat. Furthermore, researchers and doctors believe that GMOs carry a huge risk although some scientists claim that GMOs are completely safe for human consumption.
Pro-GMO say that GMOs have greatly increased the food supply today (“Genetically Modified Foods...,” 2003). Crops and plants are now pest and disease resistant because of GMOs. To add to that, they are now modified to tolerate herbicides sprayed by the farmers and to survive the cold and drought (Whitman, 2000). This has resulted in an increase in production of GM-crops. However, according to Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy (2013), genetic mutations among plants, insects, and animals arose because of the production of GMOs. One example of this is the “superweeds.” Crops that are engineered to be herbicide tolerant crossbreed with weeds, transferring herbicide tolerant genes to the weeds, which they dubbed as “superweeds.” (Whitman, 2000). This has caused problems among farmers since it is hard for them to remove these weeds.
According to pro-GMOs, GMOs have also helped underfed nations. (Kantor, 2013). Because GMOs has greatly increased the food supply, more GM-foods are produced to be given to underfed nations. On the other hand, however, many studies show that there is no long-term testing to be sure that GMO products are safe for feeding (Asaff, n.d.). This raises problems and doubt on the safety of GMO products or GM-foods. How can people be assured with the safety of GMOs if there is not enough testing? Without sufficient research and experiment on its safety, GM-foods carry a dangerous risk. So, why feed them to billions of people in the first place?
Some pro-GMO scientists claim that GMOs are safe because they give additional vitamins and minerals to food. For example, rice can be modified to contain more Vitamin A. (Oklahoma State University, n.d.). However, according to researchers, GMOs carry health risks (Whitman, 2000). Furthermore, studies show that GMOs carry a risk of life-threatening allergic reactions. One study verified that GM soybeans contain a unique, unexpected protein, not found in non-GM soy controls. According to scientists, this protein reacts with an antibody called IgE. “This antibody in human blood plays a key role in a large proportion of allergic reactions, including those that involve life-threatening anaphylactic shock. The fact that the unique protein created by GM soy interacted with IgE suggests that it might also trigger allergies.” (Jeffrey M. Smith, 2007, p. 10) Moreover, many accounts have stated that GMOs have caused diseases and deaths in humans and animals. One victim is the son of Barbara Kowalcyk. In an interview, she told how her son died. Hoping to just fill their stomachs and have an afternoon snack, the family decided to eat at a fast food restaurant. From there, it all went downhill. Barbara’s son caught a disease that has been diagnosed as Escherichia Coli. A doctor then told Barbara that this was caused by the fast food they ate (Robert Kenner, 2009). Other reports and stories have led to the same fate. In India, thousands of sheep, buffalo, and goats died after grazing on GM cotton plants while others suffered poor health and reproductive problems. Meanwhile, in Europe and Asia, reports from farmers say that cows, water buffaloes, chickens, and horses died from eating GM corn. In the US, about two dozen farmers report that GM corn varieties caused pigs or cows to be unable to produce. In the Philippines, people in at least five villages fell sick when a nearby GM corn variety was pollinating (“Health Risk,” n.d.) These reports question the safety of GMOs. In addition, they also debunk the claim of pro-GMOs that all GM-foods are completely safe.
In conclusion, the safety of food is still hanging on the balance. With reports of diseases from GM-foods and the lack of testing, GMOs pose a great risk for the health of the people. Furthermore, genetic mutations caused by GMOs have caused problems among farms. Since the GMOs are so prevalent in the food industry, stopping the production of GM-foods is very impossible. However, regulating the number of GMO products being produced every year can help reduce health risks. Commencing a long-term testing on GMO will also be helpful. Perhaps, through this testing, scientists may find a way to remove the negative effects of GMOs.
References:
Asaff, B. (n.d.). Pros and Cons of GMOs. LoveToKnow Organic. Retrieved from
http://organic.lovetoknow.com/Pros_and_Cons_of_GMOs
Connealy, L. E. (2013). GMOs: The Pros & Cons of Genetically Modified Food.
Newport Natural Health. Retrieved from http://www.newportnatural
health.com/2013/07/gmos-the-pros-cons-of-genetically-modified-food/
Genetically Modified Foods (Biotech Foods) Pros and Cons. (2010). WebMD. Retrieved
from http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/are-biotech-foods-safe-to-eat
GMO Facts. (n.d.). Okanola. Retrieved from http://canola.okstate.edu/gmofacts
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Kenner, R. (Director). (2009). Food, Inc [Documentary]. United States of America:
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Kantor, K. (n.d.). GMOs - Pros and Cons. Southern Foods at Home. Retrieved from
http://www.southernfoodsathome.com/my_health_info/GMOs_-_pros_and_cons.pdf
Smith, J. M. (2007). Genetically Engineered Foods May Cause Rising Food Allergies.
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Whitman, D. B. (n.d.). Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?. Brown University.
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