Genetically Modified Foods: Controversies and Concerns

Running head: GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS
GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS
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GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS
Genetically modified food (GMF) also called the GM food has been found to be
produced from plants as well as animals whose DNA had been modified and altered through the
systems of genetic engineering. The genetically modified organisms are called GMOs in short
(Cinici, 2016). Genetic engineering can be discussed as the procedure of manipulating the genes
of the organisms directly like transplanting DNA from different types of other organisms. It is
quite different from the other types of the conventional method like that of the selective breeding
of plants as well as animals in order to get the required traits. All over the world, there is a broad
scientific consensus that the genetically modified foods in the market pose no additional health
risks than that of regular foods (Ribeiro et al., 2016). However, the matter of the use of GMF is
considered controversial. Opponents argue that GMO can result in increase in the utilization of
the chemical herbicides and they have also found that GMOs are mainly owned as well as large
companies patent them. This situation had resulted in debates over whether GMSs should be
labeled or tightly regulated. This assignment would talk about different aspects of GMF in
details.
The benefits of the genetically modified crops are mainly seen to include effective
breeding of diseases resistant crops as well as herbicide tolerant strains. Such crops can also
developed in ways by which they contain vitamins that might be lacking in many important
staple varieties. However, according to the UK Green space Website, the introduction of
genetically modified crops has been considered to be one of the worst disaster (Ishi et al., 2016).
Experts are of the opinion that the science of taking genes from one species and thereby inserting
them into another was considered to be a giant leap forward. However they are of the opinion
that it had posed a threat to the biodiversity as well as to the health of citizens. In addition,
experts opined that the real reason for their development is not to end the world hunger but

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GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS
mainly to increase the different types of stranglehold that most of the multinational biotech
organization already have on their food production. The experts have been seem to argue that
GM technology is not required to possess future food security. they believe that if the sustainable
and organic farming methods is utilized successfully, they can help in repairing the damage that
had been already done by the industrial farming along with that of the reduction of the excessive
utilisation of fertilizers and even herbicides and other man-made chemicals making GM crops
redundant. Messer et al., (2017) have stated that there is already enough food production in the
world and that the hunger crisis is mainly caused because of the problems that had been created
by food distribution as well as politics but not because of production. Therefore, people should
not be made exposed to any forms of foods that might carry some degree of risks. () are mainly
found to be opposed to genetic engineering as they are of the opinion that with the result of
current methods of recombinant technology, there would be no ways of ensuring that genetically
modified organisms would remain under control (Mahgoub, 2016). Moreover, they are also of
the opinion that the use of this technology outside that of the secure laboratory environment
represents multiple acceptable risks associated to both the farmed and even the wild ecosystems.
In the year 1996, Brazil nut genes were found to be spliced into soybeans by an organization
namely Pioneer Hi-Bred. Some of the individuals who were found to be allergic to this nut were
seen to get into stages of anaphylactic shock that had the potential of causing death to the
individuals. Azadi et al., (2015) have realized that the increased use of the GM crops had
resulted in a shift of power in the domain of agriculture towards that of the biotechnology
companies that are gaining more and more control over the production of chains of crops and
foods and even over the farmers for using their products.

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GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS
A significant event can be depicted here to show how the shift to biotech companies can
be a risk to the citizens of the nation. In the year 1989, dozens of the Americans were found to
have died and several thousands were found to be afflicted and even impaired by the genetically
altered version of the food supplement namely the L-trytophan. The organization namely Showa
Denko is a Japan based organization and had been the main reason behind the massacre that took
place. This third largest chemical company of their nation tried to implement the settlement of
around $2 billion dollars but this could not save the lives of the citizens who had faced an
untimely death because of the genetically modified foods that they have consumed. Even another
incident had taken place on august 18 in the year 2006 where exports of rice from America to
that of Europe had to be interrupted (Sybesma et al., 2017). This was because it was found that
the crops of the US had been contaminated with different types of unapproved engineered genes
mainly because of the accidental cross pollination with that of the conventional crops. In the year
2005, incident reports suggested that Australia had faced one of the most severe genetic
contamination events in the history. The western Australian government had confirmed that there
have been low levels of genetically modified canola that had been found in the non-GM canola
(Raley et al., 2016). Moreover, in the year 2005, a decade long project for developing the
genetically modified peas with that of the built-in-resistance had been found to be abandoned
after tests showed that they had resulted in the allergic lung damage to that of mice. Therefore, a
famous environmentalist called Jeremy Rifkin had been of the opinion that "They're now turning
those seeds into intellectual property, so they have a virtual lock on the seeds upon which we all
depend for our food and survival."
World Health organization had however supportive of the use of the genetically modified
crops. Tagliabue et al., (2016) is of the opinion that there are some perceived advantage either to