What Are GMO Foods

Categories: Gmo

Essay, Pages 4 (871 words)

Views

130

"Genetic engineering" is a broad term for any technology used to change an organism's genetic material (genome) through recombinant DNA techniques. The term "genetic engineering" may also be used to refer to the process of creating transgenic organisms. Genetic engineering uses methods that are not considered conventional breeding and involves foreign genes and elements being directly inserted into host DNA via vectors, or indirectly by changing regulatory sequences while leaving the DNA function intact.

GMO foods are everywhere. According to the United Nations, there are currently over 1,700 commercialized GMO crops in the world.

Don't use plagiarized sources. Get your custom essay on

“ What Are GMO Foods ”

Get custom paper

NEW! smart matching with writer

These have been designed to be more vigorous than their non-GMO counterparts, or to contain a herbicide resistant gene that allows them to survive being sprayed with chemicals. The most common types of GMOs include corn and soybeans, which are used as ingredients in everything from crackers to chewing gum.

GMOs can be engineered to withstand herbicides. GMO crops are engineered to resist herbicides, which in turn can increase the use of herbicides.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved at least 10 different types of glyphosate-based herbicides for use on seeds genetically engineered to resist them. These include Roundup Ready soybeans and corn, Liberty Link Soybeans and Alfalfa, Clearfield Sugarbeet for seed production and Optimum GAT Cotton. Roundup Ready crops contain genes from bacteria that allow them to withstand being sprayed with glyphosate-based herbicides such as Roundup or Touchdown Pro.

GMOs are designed to last longer. They are engineered to resist pests and diseases, which benefits farmers as well as consumers.

It means that food can be transported over longer distances, but the downside is that they may contain more chemical residues.

GMOs are in everything, but they are harder to detect. They're in animal feed, animal products and non-food products. GMOs can be found in many things you wouldn't expect, including cosmetics and cleaning agents.

Companies don’t have to tell you if your food is genetically modified. You might think that genetically modified foods are labeled as such, but you'd be wrong. Companies don't have to tell you if your food is genetically modified. They can choose whether or not to label their GMO products, and they can even choose not to label those same products in some regions while labeling them elsewhere.

Here are a few reasons why: Labeling costs money and time, which companies would rather spend on developing new products than on additional work for something that isn't required. Plus, the FDA doesn't require labeling of GMOs because they believe there's no need—do we really need another reason?

GMOs aren’t as safe as some claim. The truth is, there's no proof that GMOs are safe for humans or the environment. In fact, some studies have shown that certain GMOs can be harmful to animals and people.

And since there's no way to know what you're actually eating when you buy GMO foods, it's more important than ever to make sure your diet is free of any genetically modified ingredients.

GMOs can cause allergic reactions. In addition to the health risks that GMOs can cause, such as digestive distress and cancer, there is also a risk of developing an allergy from eating genetically modified foods. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), allergies are a possible side effect of GMO consumption—but it’s important to note that the risk is low and not zero.

The NIH reports that "genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been linked with allergic reactions in animals and humans." The organization notes, however, that this risk is higher for those who consume genetically modified foods regularly—so if you're only indulging once in a while, don't worry too much about your chances of developing an allergy! The NIH also reminds us that the allergic reaction could be delayed; so even if you've eaten something without issue before doesn't mean it won't cause issues later on down the road.

It’s not easy avoiding food with genetically modified organisms. Avoiding GMOs is a challenge. You can't always tell if a food contains GMOs by looking at the label: there are no clear labeling laws, and many foods that have been genetically engineered don't have to disclose it on the packaging. Genetically modified organisms are also in some foods that you might not expect, like corn chips or salad dressing—not just corn syrup or soybean oil.

There are some foods though where you can be pretty sure there aren't any GMOs: for example, non-GMO apples and bananas (they're not grown from seeds). But even then there's no guarantee because sometimes these fruit crops have been sprayed with pesticides and herbicides containing ingredients that may have come from crops grown from engineered seeds (i.e., genes).

As you can see, it's not easy to avoid GMOs. The best thing you can do is look for foods that don't contain any ingredients from genetically modified crops, like corn or soy. You may also want to avoid buying products from companies that use these ingredients in their products—at least until they are willing to label them as GMO-free!