Genetically Modified Foods: Are They Affecting You?
Griffin Gilreath
English 2
Food Research Paper
May 29, y
Are Genetically Modified Foods Affecting You?
Do you know what genetically modified foods are? A genetically modified organism, or GMO, is created when a gene in an organism is replaced or improved in hopes of a better organism, creating something not found in nature. A very large amount of food that we eat contains genetically modified ingredients, upwards of 85% of crops (Organic Authority). Odds are, if you are not buying foods that are Non-GMO verified, most likely GMOs are present at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Genetically modified foods makes this possible. They are the reason we can produce as much food as we do, but the effects these can have may not be worth the risk.
How …show more content…
are genetically modified foods good? There are many reasons they are good, they are one of the only reasons our nature is able to produce as much food as we do. According to Natural Revolution, GMOs reduce the need for herbicides and pesticides, reduce greenhouse emissions as GMOs require less tillage or plowing, thus less use of fossil fuels, have the ability to manipulate foods to increase desirable components such as nutrients and increase production of food for starving third world countries. These are certainly very good aspects of GMO foods and are some of the main reasons we do use them. Supports of GMO foods even go to the point of saying that they are safe as over a trillion GMO meals have been eaten (Nature Revolution). The American Scientist has also shown support for GMO foods, as a study spanning two decades and 1.5 million square kilometers involving crops genetically modified to poison pests can deliver major environmental benefits. Another study over two decades found that “On average, GM technology adoption has reduced chemical pesticide use by 37%, increased crop yields by 22%, and increased farmer profits by 68% (IO9). The author of the page also put hope in studies like these saying that their “findings reveal that there is robust evidence of GM crop benefits,” and that “such evidence may help to gradually increase public trust in this technology.”
Are genetically modified foods actually bad for you? GM food is a very new type of technology, and there has been very few studies done on it and the effects it can have on humans. The health consequences of eating genetically modified organisms are largely unknown for this reason, and have not actually been proven safe to eat. They may seem safe to eat as there has not been any major lasting consequences of GM foods, many scientists are worried that the genetically altered foods, once consumed, may pass these modified genes onto us, and how these may affect our body systems’ is unclear (Organic Authority). The few studies that have been done on GM foods do not, in most cases, support them. In one study the organs of rats who ate genetically modified potatoes showed signs of chronic wasting, and female rats fed a diet of herbicide-resistant soybeans gave birth to stunted and sterile pups (Organic Authority).
Some people also find it controversial that only four companies, Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargrill and Smithfield Foods, control over 85% of the food industry, from seed to the market, in the United States.
The average American super market has over 47,000 products and the majority of these contain genetically modified ingredients. In the 1970s, there were thousands of slaughterhouses producing the majority of beef sold. Today there are only 13. Approximately 32,000 hogs a day are killed in Smithfield Hog Processing Plant in Tar Heel, N.C, the largest slaughterhouse in the world (TakePart). In 1972 the FDA conducted over 50,000 food safety inspections, and in 2006 conducted only 9,164. As a result of this E. coli and salmonella outbreaks have become much more frequents in America, and in 2007, there was over 73,000 people sickened by the E. coli bacteria (TakePart). In America food items containing GMOs are not required to be labeled, and according to NatureMoms up to 57% of people would be less likely to buy foods that are labeled. More than 60 countries, excluding the United States, require GMO food labeling because of their concerns about their health impacts, and some have even gone as far a banning GMO’s altogether (NatureMoms and Organic …show more content…
Authority).
How do people feel about our food?
A survey of 25 Moeller students found that most of the participants believed that 50% to 75% of our food is genetically modified, when it is actually more than 80%. The study also showed that it was unclear to them which foods actually contains genetically modified ingredients. The participants were asked to mark which foods they thought contained genetically modified ingredients including; fruits, dairy, vegetables, fast food, grains, meats and organic foods. More than 50% of the participants said they thought fruits, dairy, vegetables, fast food, grains, and meats contained genetically modified ingredients. 10% of the participants even thought that organic food was GM. The participants were also asked to rate the quality of the United States’ food on a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being the best and 10 being the worst. The results of this question were a little shocking as the average rating given was a 7, and 24 out of 25 participants rated it a 5 or higher. These results do not make our nations food industry look
good.
In the end it is up to you to decide how you feel about genetically modified food and whether or not it is worth the risk. Genetically modified organisms have not been proven in any way to be safe, but there also has not been many studies proving them to be not safe. The studies that have been done however do lean a little toward genetically modified food not being the greatest choice, which is why more than 60 countries require that it be labeled. This is not to discourage its purchase, but to inform people about the effects it could cause. Genetically modified food is the reason we are able to produce so much, but the effects that it could cause may not be worth the risk to some people.
Works Cited
"Factory Farms Dominate." TakePart. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.takepart.com/photos/food-inc-facts/factory-farms-dominate>.
"Frequently Asked Questions on Genetically Modified Foods." WHO. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/food-technology/faq-genetically-modified-food/en/>.
"Get the Scoop, on Genetically Modified Foods » Nature Moms." Nature Moms Blog. N.p., 14 Nov. 2013. Web. <http://naturemoms.com/blog/2013/11/14/get-the-scoop-on-genetically-modified-foods/>.
"GM Crops Good for Environment, Study Finds." » American Scientist. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.americanscientist.org/science/pub/gm-crops-good-for-environment-study-finds>.
"GMOs and Your Family." The NonGMO Project RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/gmos-and-your-family/>.
Gonzalez, Robbie. "New Analysis Suggests GMOs Can Be A Very Good Thing." Io9. N.p., 11 May 2014. Web. <http://io9.com/new-analysis-suggests-gmos-can-be-a-very-good-thing-1654986407>.
"The Good, Bad and Ugly about GMOs." Natural Revolution. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://naturalrevolution.org/the-good-bad-and-ugly-about-gmos/>.
Urban, Shilo. "8 Reasons GMOs Are Bad for You - Organic Authority." Organic Authority. N.p., 23 Aug. 2010. Web. <http://www.organicauthority.com/foodie-buzz/eight-reasons-gmos-are-bad-for-you.html>.
English 2
Food Research Paper
May 29, y
Are Genetically Modified Foods Affecting You?
Do you know what genetically modified foods are? A genetically modified organism, or GMO, is created when a gene in an organism is replaced or improved in hopes of a better organism, creating something not found in nature. A very large amount of food that we eat contains genetically modified ingredients, upwards of 85% of crops (Organic Authority). Odds are, if you are not buying foods that are Non-GMO verified, most likely GMOs are present at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Genetically modified foods makes this possible. They are the reason we can produce as much food as we do, but the effects these can have may not be worth the risk.
How …show more content…
are genetically modified foods good? There are many reasons they are good, they are one of the only reasons our nature is able to produce as much food as we do. According to Natural Revolution, GMOs reduce the need for herbicides and pesticides, reduce greenhouse emissions as GMOs require less tillage or plowing, thus less use of fossil fuels, have the ability to manipulate foods to increase desirable components such as nutrients and increase production of food for starving third world countries. These are certainly very good aspects of GMO foods and are some of the main reasons we do use them. Supports of GMO foods even go to the point of saying that they are safe as over a trillion GMO meals have been eaten (Nature Revolution). The American Scientist has also shown support for GMO foods, as a study spanning two decades and 1.5 million square kilometers involving crops genetically modified to poison pests can deliver major environmental benefits. Another study over two decades found that “On average, GM technology adoption has reduced chemical pesticide use by 37%, increased crop yields by 22%, and increased farmer profits by 68% (IO9). The author of the page also put hope in studies like these saying that their “findings reveal that there is robust evidence of GM crop benefits,” and that “such evidence may help to gradually increase public trust in this technology.”
Are genetically modified foods actually bad for you? GM food is a very new type of technology, and there has been very few studies done on it and the effects it can have on humans. The health consequences of eating genetically modified organisms are largely unknown for this reason, and have not actually been proven safe to eat. They may seem safe to eat as there has not been any major lasting consequences of GM foods, many scientists are worried that the genetically altered foods, once consumed, may pass these modified genes onto us, and how these may affect our body systems’ is unclear (Organic Authority). The few studies that have been done on GM foods do not, in most cases, support them. In one study the organs of rats who ate genetically modified potatoes showed signs of chronic wasting, and female rats fed a diet of herbicide-resistant soybeans gave birth to stunted and sterile pups (Organic Authority).
Some people also find it controversial that only four companies, Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargrill and Smithfield Foods, control over 85% of the food industry, from seed to the market, in the United States.
The average American super market has over 47,000 products and the majority of these contain genetically modified ingredients. In the 1970s, there were thousands of slaughterhouses producing the majority of beef sold. Today there are only 13. Approximately 32,000 hogs a day are killed in Smithfield Hog Processing Plant in Tar Heel, N.C, the largest slaughterhouse in the world (TakePart). In 1972 the FDA conducted over 50,000 food safety inspections, and in 2006 conducted only 9,164. As a result of this E. coli and salmonella outbreaks have become much more frequents in America, and in 2007, there was over 73,000 people sickened by the E. coli bacteria (TakePart). In America food items containing GMOs are not required to be labeled, and according to NatureMoms up to 57% of people would be less likely to buy foods that are labeled. More than 60 countries, excluding the United States, require GMO food labeling because of their concerns about their health impacts, and some have even gone as far a banning GMO’s altogether (NatureMoms and Organic …show more content…
Authority).
How do people feel about our food?
A survey of 25 Moeller students found that most of the participants believed that 50% to 75% of our food is genetically modified, when it is actually more than 80%. The study also showed that it was unclear to them which foods actually contains genetically modified ingredients. The participants were asked to mark which foods they thought contained genetically modified ingredients including; fruits, dairy, vegetables, fast food, grains, meats and organic foods. More than 50% of the participants said they thought fruits, dairy, vegetables, fast food, grains, and meats contained genetically modified ingredients. 10% of the participants even thought that organic food was GM. The participants were also asked to rate the quality of the United States’ food on a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being the best and 10 being the worst. The results of this question were a little shocking as the average rating given was a 7, and 24 out of 25 participants rated it a 5 or higher. These results do not make our nations food industry look
good.
In the end it is up to you to decide how you feel about genetically modified food and whether or not it is worth the risk. Genetically modified organisms have not been proven in any way to be safe, but there also has not been many studies proving them to be not safe. The studies that have been done however do lean a little toward genetically modified food not being the greatest choice, which is why more than 60 countries require that it be labeled. This is not to discourage its purchase, but to inform people about the effects it could cause. Genetically modified food is the reason we are able to produce so much, but the effects that it could cause may not be worth the risk to some people.
Works Cited
"Factory Farms Dominate." TakePart. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.takepart.com/photos/food-inc-facts/factory-farms-dominate>.
"Frequently Asked Questions on Genetically Modified Foods." WHO. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/food-technology/faq-genetically-modified-food/en/>.
"Get the Scoop, on Genetically Modified Foods » Nature Moms." Nature Moms Blog. N.p., 14 Nov. 2013. Web. <http://naturemoms.com/blog/2013/11/14/get-the-scoop-on-genetically-modified-foods/>.
"GM Crops Good for Environment, Study Finds." » American Scientist. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.americanscientist.org/science/pub/gm-crops-good-for-environment-study-finds>.
"GMOs and Your Family." The NonGMO Project RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/gmos-and-your-family/>.
Gonzalez, Robbie. "New Analysis Suggests GMOs Can Be A Very Good Thing." Io9. N.p., 11 May 2014. Web. <http://io9.com/new-analysis-suggests-gmos-can-be-a-very-good-thing-1654986407>.
"The Good, Bad and Ugly about GMOs." Natural Revolution. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://naturalrevolution.org/the-good-bad-and-ugly-about-gmos/>.
Urban, Shilo. "8 Reasons GMOs Are Bad for You - Organic Authority." Organic Authority. N.p., 23 Aug. 2010. Web. <http://www.organicauthority.com/foodie-buzz/eight-reasons-gmos-are-bad-for-you.html>.