Gmo Labeling Essay Example
GMO Labeling
Aaron Speary
Baker College of Owosso
Tuesday 6-10
A largely unknown controversy is taking place between a health conscious public and the food industry. Much of the food the American people eat is altered genetically. Genetically Modified Organisms or (GMO’s) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered by genetic engineering. These organisms include bacteria, yeast, plants, fish and many mammals. There is concern that certain forms of GMO’s could be hazardous to the environment. These genetic modifications also have people worried about the fact that there has not been much research done on the health effects of GMO’s on the human body, and some people feel it is their right to know what they put in their bodies. The problem is that there is no labeling of GMO’s on the majority of foods one would buy at your typical grocery food store that could help them be aware of this possible threat to their health. Typically if a company uses organic ingredients to make their food they take their time to label their product as non-GMO, if someone were to shop at their nearest Walmart, that person would have a difficult time finding a food item labeled as non-GMO. Personal experience has shown this to be true. Going by this information, one could assume that most food items at Walmart or any other grocery store are made with GMO ingredients. Again it is unknown by most that what they are eating is food made with ingredients that is not natural but altered in a lab. A big reason GMO’s exist in the first place is because they are praised as a solution to world hunger and farming costs. Genetically modified wheat for instance has been modified to resist drought, locusts, heat, and other natural occurrences that could destroy crops. The opposite may be true though. A 2003 report by the Soil Association states that genetically modified crops are costing farmers and governments more money than they are making. From the years 1999 to 2003 the
Aaron Speary
Baker College of Owosso
Tuesday 6-10
A largely unknown controversy is taking place between a health conscious public and the food industry. Much of the food the American people eat is altered genetically. Genetically Modified Organisms or (GMO’s) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered by genetic engineering. These organisms include bacteria, yeast, plants, fish and many mammals. There is concern that certain forms of GMO’s could be hazardous to the environment. These genetic modifications also have people worried about the fact that there has not been much research done on the health effects of GMO’s on the human body, and some people feel it is their right to know what they put in their bodies. The problem is that there is no labeling of GMO’s on the majority of foods one would buy at your typical grocery food store that could help them be aware of this possible threat to their health. Typically if a company uses organic ingredients to make their food they take their time to label their product as non-GMO, if someone were to shop at their nearest Walmart, that person would have a difficult time finding a food item labeled as non-GMO. Personal experience has shown this to be true. Going by this information, one could assume that most food items at Walmart or any other grocery store are made with GMO ingredients. Again it is unknown by most that what they are eating is food made with ingredients that is not natural but altered in a lab. A big reason GMO’s exist in the first place is because they are praised as a solution to world hunger and farming costs. Genetically modified wheat for instance has been modified to resist drought, locusts, heat, and other natural occurrences that could destroy crops. The opposite may be true though. A 2003 report by the Soil Association states that genetically modified crops are costing farmers and governments more money than they are making. From the years 1999 to 2003 the