How Genetically Modified Food is Harmful In the early 1990’s Genetically Modified foods were placed on the market, yet people did not understand the harmful effects that they can cause. Genetically Modified foods are used all over the world; however people don’t understand how they work. The main concern of Genetically Modified foods is the overall food safety of the product (Artemis, 2009). A Genetically Modified food is a food that is made up of genetically modified organisms that are formed to make a product more efficient. People in today’s society don’t understand the drugs that are being put into plants and animals that everyone is consuming.
------ The Benefits of Genetically Modified Foods ------ Today, 91% of major plant varieties grown in the U.S. have been created in a lab. (Center for Food Safety) These plants are genetically modified (GM), and while often ignored by the public, have generated much controversy over their effects on health, the environment, and the economy. First grown in the 1990s, GM foods have had their genes modified to produce desirable traits, such as herbicide resistance and protection from pests. This is done by splicing genes from another organism with desirable traits into a different seed. For example, traits from a plant rich with nutrients could be inserted into another seed, giving that plant more nutrients than it would normally would have.
However, organic farmers are able to use a copper solution, which never leaves the soil, to fight fungal disease as where the conventional farmer use pesticides that are biodegradable. I think that it is important to inform people about the myths and concepts about organic vs conventional foods and how it more state of mind than anything else. Although most people believe organic food is better for you and the environment, there are many misconceptions. Following your approval, I will continue to research and develop drafts of my final. Working Essay Outline Misconceptions About Organic Food 1.
Ethical and Critical Thinking Questions on GMOs 1. Explain the ethical dilemma (question) and explain why it is a dilemma. Should genetically modified food be allowed for sale in the U.S.? Even though there are many pros for this idea, there is not much back up on studies on the issue. There are many unknowns about this dilemma that are scary for some people.
Food additives can affect food positively and negatively. Food additives have become more popular in foods because a large number of societies do not cultivate their own crops. Additives in food are growing in the world because of demanding life styles, no time for “homemade” meals, and just plain and simple laziness. Technology is also a key factor in the production of food additives. Although some people may be against the concept of a food additive, scientists do very thorough testing on each individual additive.
Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) is one of the most important issues from around the world. GMOs are special organisms in which the genetic material has been altered for improvement productivity and product quality. GMOs have raised concerns over their own beneficial in that they are resistant to disease, help humans suffering from famine, produce greater yields, and improve the nutrition of foods. Having foods is very important to human life to maintain good health and to survive. It is not secret that GMO-ed foods have spread out rapidly to the whole world.
However, the health hazards that the food crops manufactured by this new technology might pose are rarely made known to the public by the scientists who are working on genetically engineered crops, hoping that vagueness will breed ignorance (Pringle, 2005). I believe that the perils far outweigh the promises of genetically modified organisms. In chapters 2 and 11 of Pringle’s Food Inc, naysayers of genetic engineering called these genetically modified organisms “Frankenfood” because they believe that they can cause potential health hazards to humans. “Frankenfood” threatens human health due to the health problems it may bring such as allergenic reactions, potential diseases, antibiotic resistance in the gut and also a decrease in levels of other nutrients in the modified food
Although genetically modified food has a lot of benefits, there are some unpredictable influences which may lead GM food to be banned. For example, genetic modified foods were developing the “superweed”. Superweed means the GMO seeds can tolerate greater the use of herbicides and pesticides because the weeds development were resisted herbicides. The farmland was created stronger as more herbicides are sprayed but more farmlands were resisted. The farmers are losing the effectiveness tools to eliminate weed but weeds are going forward.
According to Michael Pollan (2006), “What we are, or have become, is not just meat but number 2 corn and oil” (p. 84). This is a quote that is hard to accept as true behind the health and environmental challenges faced by the current human generation owing to its deviation from its hunter-gather origins to dependence on industrial food. Unquestionably, most of the foods in grocery stores, local markets, and supermarkets are products of modern industrial processes. Major aspects brought out include the kinds of food and their sources, as well as the people’s views on the food. The term “omnivore” symbolizes human beings.
Many large and small scale companies are involved in trade of these food items. In many countries government operates trade of these products. Genetically modified food items are agricultural goods or livestock that is modified by means of biotechnology into better quality food items. These GM food items do have some drawbacks such as harm to environment and human health. Not all the countries approve GM food products.