Are Genetically Modified Organisms(GMO) Safe?
Megan Kim
He found out that more than 90% of farmers in three
countries in Africa has benefited from GM crops
since 2011.
What is GMO?
what does GMO stands for? What is GMO?
GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) are made
by artificial laboratory process through
crossbreeding and selection that modifies DNAs
from different foods, plants, and/or animals.
Rumors about GM-animals
There are horrific rumors about animals created by
altering DNA using genetic engineering such as
chickens with several legs stuck on their bodies to
increase sale of the product. However, this is not
true.
There is no GM animal such as the rumor of
genetically altered chicken is in the U.S. and EU
market.
However, the animals might have been fed with
genetically modified soybeans or corns but it is clear
that genetically modified animals are not directly
altered with their DNA or some species’ DNA to
manipulate more.
Only GM salmon is the one currently selling in the
U.S. market.
Future Work of GMO
GM crops can possibly help diseases and disorders
that are results of malnutrition such as vitamin A
deficiency disorders, protein energy malnutrition, etc.
Genetically modified organisms can possibly prevent
illness and remove allergens so that many people can
intake variety of foods with no harm.
However, GMO have so much potential benefit that
can be reached in the future.
Is it Safe to Consume?
For the recent 10 years on updates on GM foods,
GM crops do not have negative effect. The scientific
research conducted so far have not observed and
caught any hazard and toxic in genetically modified
crops.
None of scientific evidence proves that GM foods
cause toxic or allergic effects.
José Domingo of Food and Chemical Toxicology
confirms in his article in 2016 that genetically
modified corns, wheats, soybeans, and rice that are
being sold are safe to eat as conventional foods.
I believe that GMO can help feed the people who are
in need since it is scientifically proven that GMO is
safe.
How GMO Has Helped the World
About 16 million people fight with hunger because
of its environment in Southern Africa.
Adenle Ademola, whose research is on
biotechnology in unconditional agriculture in Africa,
talks about how it is important for Africa to have
genetically modified organisms in his article. He
states that GM foods have brought so many benefits
such as crop productivity, food security, and overall
quality of people’s lives in Africa.
How GMO can Help Us?
GM foods were introduced in commercial in mid1990s in the United States. About three-quarters of the
soybean and corn acreage in the US were starting
seeded using GM seeds in 2002. This indicates that
GM foods made by artificial laboratory process
through crossbreeding began to emerge around the
beginning of twenty-first century. People have been
familiar with genetically modified crops
since that time. However, GMO actually have helped
us around the whole time!
The foods that contain GMO enhance the human wellbeing by contributing beneficial aspects in many
different ways: enhancing nutritional benefit,
increasing number of crops and reducing pesticides
and malnutrition.
Reference:
Adenle Ademola A. "Response to Issues on GM Agriculture in
Africa: Are Transgenic Crops Safe?" BMC Research Notes 4.1
(2011): 388. Web.
Bertheau, Yves, and John Davison. Genetically Modified and NonGenetically Modified Food Supply Chains : Co-Existence and
Traceability. Wiley-Blackwell, Sept. 2012. Web.
Blanchfield, J. R. "Genetically Modified Food Crops and Their
Contribution to Human Nutrition and Food Quality." Journal of
Food Science J Food Science 69.1 (2004): n. pag. Web.
Domingo, José L. "Safety Assessment of GM Plants: An Updated
Review of the Scientific Literature." Food and Chemical
Toxicology 95 (2016): 12-18. Web.
Nicolia, Alessandro, Alberto Manzo, Fabio Veronesi, and Daniele
Rosellini. "An Overview of the Last 10 Years of Genetically
Engineered Crop Safety Research." Critical Reviews in
Biotechnology 34.1 (2013): 77-88. Web.
Siipi, Helena. "Is Genetically Modified Food Unnatural?" Journal
of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 28.5 (2015): 80716. Springer. Web.