Genetically Modified Foods Research Paper

Ever since the 1970s, genetically modified food have been rising in North America and even a couple of European countries. In the 1980 's Biotechnology companies began field-testing GMO (genetically modified organism) crops for large-scale agricultural use. By 1996, GMO grains were mixed with non-GMO grains and sent to food processing plants all over America. One of the first organisms to be genetically modified and sold in store shelves is the tomato because scientist found out a way to make it for approximately six weeks. The genetic modifications that have been made to the tomatoes over the past decades have both positive and negative results such as health issues and financial spending, but I am on the side against genetically modifying organisms. According to records the naturally grown tomato are known to rot and soften after being harvested. Scientist is working on a way to make the tomato
more long lasting after being harvested so they came up with the conclusion to genetically modify it. So they did, before the birth of this tomato, the vegetable was harvested while it was still raw and ripened artificially during the transit or in storage. This was a tomato that was made by a process called the Antisense approach. Because of a deactivated gene, the tomato plant was no longer able to produce an enzyme known as polygalacturonase, which was responsible for fruit softening. The tomatoes could now be left to ripen in the vine and still have a longer shelf life. This was done to ensure that end consumers received ripe tomatoes in premier condition without softening.
One of the major advantages of genetically modified foods including tomatoes is that they help in controlling the occurrence of certain diseases.
There are some foods that cause allergy to people when consumed. By modifying the DNA system of these foods, the properties causing these allergies are eliminated successfully. Another positive result of the genetically modified tomatoes is that they will last over a month longer than naturally grown tomatoes. Though the seeds of genetically modified foods are quite expensive, the total cost of production is said to be lesser than the production of naturally grown crops. The main reason for this is that these foods have natural resistance towards pests and insects and so not much pesticides and insecticides have to be sprayed on them. This reduces the necessity of exposing genetically modified crops to harmful pesticides and insecticides, making these foods free from chemicals and environment friendly as well. These are the main reasons that the genetically modified tomatoes would cause positive effects in the
community.
In many countries, manufacturers do not mention on the label that the foods are genetically manufactured because they think that this would affect their business. However, this is not a good practice as consumers do not get the chance to decide whether they should really shop for these foods. Also, the biggest threat caused by genetically modified food is that they can have harmful effects on the human body. It is believed that consumption of these genetically engineered foods can cause the development of diseases which are immune to antibiotics. According to some experts, people who consume these foods have high chances of developing cancer. Since, the genetically modified foods are spliced with other organisms, such as a salmon gene of frost resistance being spliced with a tomato which is vulnerable to low temperatures, would cause a person being allergic to fish get an allergic reaction by simply eating a salad. Unfortunately, these foods are new inventions, not much is not known about their long term effects on human. As the health effects are unknown, many people prefer to stay away from genetically modified foods. There are also many contradicting negative arguments that genetically engineer tomatoes.
In conclusion, even though I prefer to go against GMOs (genetically modified organism) such as tomatoes, there are both negative and positive effects to doing so. Some of the advantages of doing genetic modifying are that tomatoes would last approximately one more month and that the tomatoes would also be much cheaper and help balance out the economy. However, there are also disadvantages such as, the producers of the food do not label that the food is genetically modified; as well as, the food being able to cause diseases and even cancer. So, in the end it is really up to you to choose whether you would like to take in the new era or stay 100 percent natural.

Citations
K., Marian. "Genetically Modified Foods: Advantages and Dangers." Buzz.com 2010-11: 1. Web. 11 Apr 2011. .
Bryan, Mike. "Genetically Modified Tomatoes are Healthier." Medicinal Food News March 2007: 1. Web. 12 Apr 2011. .
Gupta, Atula. "Weighing the Methods of Making Genetically Modified Tomatoes ." Brigth Hub Apr 29, 2010: 1. Web. 12 Apr 2011. .