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The debate on Genetically-Engineered food, or GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) has been stewing since 1992. This issue has subjected to more innuendo, misrepresentation, and just plain ignorance than any other subject in the past 100 years. It rivals the Witch-Hunts of the Middle Ages.
A GMO is a plant, or animal, that has had it's genes directly modified to produce desirable qualities, or to suppress undesirable ones, and these traits can be passed on to future generations. This is done by inserting a gene for the desired trait, often from a completely different organism, into the gene of the target species, creating a new species with these traits. This is just a faster way of doing what farmers, dog and cat breeders, and ranchers have been doing with selective breeding for over 5000 years.
Why is there so much controversy? We've been testing foods for hundreds of years, so you'd think it would be easy to run some standard tests and make a determination, right? If it were just a scientific issue (which it should be), you'd be right. Unfortunately, like so many other simple issues, it has been contaminated with the bane of the modern world.....politcs.
On one side, you have the Money-Makers, those who have a financial interest in promoting either the use of GMOs, or getting them banned so that their 'organic' foods will get the lions share of the market, and on the other side, politicians who are trying to get elected, or re-elected by either promoting GMOs, or slamming them, whichever brings in the most money and votes at the time.
The media is no help whatsoever. Instead of being a calling with high ideals of discovering Truth, and communicating it to the world, they instead are only concerned with what sells the most newspapers and magazines, or attracts the most people to their airtime slot so that you will watch their sponsor's commercials. And, at least in the US, our education system has fallen to such depths that a modern High School graduate can tell you all the different ways on how to put on a condom, but is unable to describe what Avogadro's Number, or Plancks Constant is, or when the Constitution was ratifed and by how many states, or even how to solve a simple Quadratic Equation. Without a good grounding in science and mathematics, it is impossible to be able to disseminate information, and determine fact from fiction. I consider science and mathematics second in importance only to the ability to read and write. Considering all this, it is little wonder that the average person doesn't have a clue about the real issues with GMOs, and instead relies on whatever the media tells them, and that will be whatever is making them the most money at the time.
To start with, humans have been eating GMOs for over 5000 years. The entire field of agriculture is concerned with the modification of crops and livestock for more desirable traits, and to minimize less desirable ones. In the past it was done through selective-breeding, which can take many generations to achieve the desired effects. Now, it can be done by direct manipulation of the genes, with the same results, only much faster. Plants and animals have always been selected for their resistance to pests, abilities to withstand droughts, cold and heat, yield, taste, appearance, ripening, and other traits. GMOs are no different. Its' just faster, and allows for a wider range of traits that can be enhanced, such as nutritional value, and allergens. As far as safety, no food in the history of agriculture has been subjected to more testing than GMOs, including conventionally produced foods.
Opponents to GMOs have stated many objections to the use of genetically-altered foods. Some of the more popular ones are:
• GMOs are “Frankenfoods” with unknown and unanticipated dangers. They are afraid the monster will get loose. There is no way to protect against the 'unknown'. Even conventionally produced foods run this risk. We can only deal with things we can test, or reasonably anticipate.
• GMO foods have health risks associated with them. No more than conventionally produced foods, and most likely less, because they don't have to be sprayed with heavy doses of deadly organophosphates, which contaminate the entire environment for miles and miles around, and even get into the water-table.
• Many polls have indicated that the majority of Amercians want GMOs to be labeled as such, and they won't buy GMOs if they know about them. I would consider a GMO label as a good selling point, so I have no objection to labels. And no one has ever asked me what I would, or wouldn't buy. Did anyone ask you????
• GMOs may interbreed with conventionally grown crops, and permanently contaminate them. Again, no more than conventional crops do with each other. If you doubt this, try planting cucumbers too close to melons, or squash. The results will be, shall we say, interesting....
• GMOs could trigger new diseases that will be resistant to antibiotics, because they sometimes take genes from bacteria and viruses . Engineers, especially Genetic-Engineers, aren't stupid. Any strains of bacteria or virus used are well-known species and can be completely controlled, or they wouldn't be using them in the first place.
• GMOs raise the risk of cancer. No more than conventionally produced foods, and in fact, this risk could even be lessened considerably by gene-modification.
• GMOs can harm the enviroment by removing a pest that other animals depend on. This one is incredibly silly. There are no surviving animals that depend on just one source of food to survive. And GMOs only effect pests that are feeding on those crops. What would the pests have eaten if crops hadn't been planted there? Nothing is stopping them from going back to that food source.
• GMOs could be toxic to an organism and lead to it's extinction. This one is so ridiculous that it is not even worth a comment.
None of these claims are backed up by any legitimate data. One study they like to quote claims that rats that were fed only GMO corn, suffered dysfunctions in the liver, kidneys and brain. The actual study ( de Vendômois JS, Roullier F, Cellier D, Séralini GE. A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health. Int J Biol Sci 2009; 5:706-726. Available from http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm ) concluded nothing of the kind. The authors even said themselves that the results were inconclusive, and that further study should be done. And this study has been refuted by as many scientists as it has supporters, citing flawed experimental methods.
On the other hand, there are many documented benefits to GMOs, and more to come:
• GMOs use naturally-occurring insecticides that are harmless to humans, and the environment, certainly much safer than the traditional organophosphates.
• Some GMOs have been enhanced to increase their nutrition, rice in particular. Conventionally produced rice is deficient in iron and Vitamin A. Countries where rice is the main diet are plagued with vitamin deficiencies, causing health problems such as blindness. Golden Rice has been genetically altered to include beta carotine, from carrots. Beta carotine is something the body needs to be able to synthesize Vitamin A. It is eliminating the nutritional deficiency in rice for people who have to depend on this crop for food.
• Food allergies effect up to 12% of the population, some with life-threatening results. Peanuts and soy beans are a major culprit. Although it hasn't been done, yet, it is possible to modify these foods to make them less allergenic, with greatly reduced reactions.
• All GMO foods have been exhaustingly tested to ensure that they are at least as safe as their conventionally produced counterparts, and in most cases, are even safer. GMO foods are tested far more extensively than traditionally produced foods.
• GMO crops and livestock produce a much larger yield, meaning that more food can be produced to combat world-wide hunger (and anyway, hunger isn't caused by a lack of food being produced. It is caused by politics....Maybe someday they can make the 'politcal gene' become recessive......)
To date, after over 15 years of extensive use, there has not been a single case of treatment by health care professionals, anywhere in the world, for any adverse health condition specific to the use of GMO foods. Nothing, period. This is the nail in the coffin for opponents of GMOs (The Safety of Genetically Modified Foods Produced through Biotechnology- Oxford Journals, Life Sciences & Medicine, Toxicological Sciences, Volume71, Issue 1, Pp. 2-8.).
There are continuous studies being done on GMOs, but for now, I wouldn't worry about it much. Go ahead and eat what you like. Chances are, you'll be fine.....
By: Dr. Joel C. B
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