Summary: Position paper discussing the reasons why genetically modified foods should be labeled.
Chris Martin
12 December 2010
Should it be required for Genetically Modified Foods to be labeled?
Freedom of choice - Isn?t that one of the founding principles under which our country was founded? As Americans, we take pride in the liberty of our freedoms, but how would we react to a scenario where we may have been left uninformed, and therefore do not have any idea as of the existence of other options and choices? Would you place food in your body that went against your ethical or religious standpoint? Would you ingest the food if you knew that it had potential health risks? Whether you answered yes or no, the bottom line is that you would at least like to be informed of these risks so that you could turn to other alternatives if you felt it was necessary, and labeling of these foods is one way to definitely keep the public informed of these issues.
Genetically Modified (GM) foods first hit the American market in 1996 with the introduction of a GM soybean. This new type of soybean was genetically modified to be resistant toward herbicides. Genetic modification is the use of certain technologies to alter the genetic structure of a variety of organisms, including bacteria, animals, and plants. Its technology involves combining genes from different organisms. A few of the primary purposes for genetically modifying a plant is to make it herbicide and pesticide resistant, as well as to produce a higher yield. The process of genetically modifying a food or plant is similar in concept, but greatly contrasts in process to the conventional method of cross-pollinating. ?Traditional ?engineering? techniques involved naturally cross-breeding two different plants to produce a more desirable outcome - something that happens naturally in the evolutionary process. Genetic engineering is entirely different, involving splicing DNA and introducing various proteins, bacterias, and artificial chemicals? (Gardner). Labeling genetically modified foods would help clear up the distinction between the two.
There are numerous objections to GM foods. The three main objections are personal health risks, environmental damage, and the ethical standpoint of playing God. There is also a deep concern among certain sections of society about consuming animal genes in plants and vice versa. Many religious and cultural communities are against genetically modified foods because they see it as an unnatural way of producing foods by tampering with God?s creations.
Other than a religious standpoint, there is also the environmental detriment that GM foods inflict. Genetic modification can violate the intrinsic values of a natural organism. ?The extent of damage genetic modification causes organisms like soil microbes is still being examined, but its likely outcome is loss of flora and fauna biodiversity? (Gardner). Due to the natural cross-pollination via pollen in the air, there is also a huge concern for cross-contamination. ?On August 18, 2006, American exports of rice to Europe were interrupted when much of the U.S. crop was confined to be contaminated [sic.] with unapproved engineered genes, possibly due to accidental cross-pollination with conventional crops? (Butcher). One major concern that stems from cross-contamination is ?crop plants engineered for herbicide tolerance and weeds will cross-breed, resulting in the transfer of the herbicide resistance genes from the crops into the weeds. These ?superweeds? would then be herbicide tolerant as well. Other introduced genes may cross over into non-modified crops planted next to GM crops? (Butcher). There needs to be a more efficient system implemented to better confine and separate GM crops from natural crops.
Another threat that GM foods impose onto the environment is how it can accidentally alter a plants genetic structure to be immune to ?helpful insects.? Many of these genetically modified plants are structured to be insect resistant, so cross-contamination amongst genetically modified and natural plants can cause an unintentional immunity for some natural plants toward some ?helpful? insects, which in turn completely alters the development and evolution of these plants. A laboratory study was published in Nature last year showing that pollen from B.t. corn caused a high mortality rate among monarch butterfly caterpillars. B.t. corn is a corn that has been genetically modified to protect it from pests. ?Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants, not corn, but the fear is that if pollen from B.t. corn is blown by the wind onto milkweed plants in neighboring fields, the caterpillars could eat the pollen and perish. Unfortunately, B.t. toxins kill many species of insect larvae indiscriminately; it is not possible to design a B.t. toxin that would only kill crop-damaging pests and remain harmless to all other insects? (Waltz). This process causes an ?unnatural selection.?
Aside from the negative environmental repercussions that GM foods impose, it also intrudes upon one?s personal health. The biggest threat caused by genetically modified food is that they can have harmful effects on the human body. In 1989, the Japanese company, Showa Denko, the worlds third largest chemical company, settled a $2 billion lawsuit for their genetically altered version of the food supplement - L-tryptophan. Showa Denko?s L-tryptophan caused the death of dozens of Americans, as well as the cause for several thousand more to be afflicted and impaired. Seven years later in 1996, an overzealous company by the name of Pioneer Hi-Bred spliced the genes of a Brazil nut into a soybean. However, some individuals were so allergic to this hybrid that they went into anaphylactic shock (similar to a severe bee sting reaction), which can result in death (Whitman). Many of these side effects can be linked to the alterations being made to various bacteria strains, which can eventually have a significantly greater repercussion than benefit.
Death is obviously the greatest consequence that goes along with GM foods, but there are also many other health risks that exist. According to scientific research, it has been shown that those who eat genetically modified foods tend to see an increase in their allergic reactions to the types of foods they are already allergic to. By eating these genetically modified foods people also form allergies to foods which they were never allergic to before. Some GM foods have also caused many children in the US and Europe to develop life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other foods (Whitman). There is the obvious possibility that the introduction of a gene into a plant may create new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals.
As research continues, there is more evidence exposing the harms of GM foods. As individuals ingest more genetically modified foods and organisms into their bodies, it has been shown that the body?s toxicity increases, which leads to a ton of other potentially serious health problems. As stated by NaturalNews.com it has been proven that there is a definite link between obesity, cancer, and toxicity due to the body?s introduction to new and genetically modified organisms (Smith). They are finding that GM foods are a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses, and since the digestive system is where the body is exposed when ingesting these harmful foods, reversing the damaging effects of these foods is nearly impossible.
Companies fear that labeling GM foods would scare consumers away and suffocate their market. As a consumer, one would prefer to be educated about their purchases. Since its first introduction to the US market in 1996, GM foods have come to currently consume two-thirds of shelf space in our grocery stores. Yet most of the public is not aware of their existence, let alone the potential risks and consequences of these products. Labeling of GM foods would not only inform consumers of their existence, but it would also create a better educated consumer base for these potentially harmful foods.
Works Cited
Gardner, Sue. ?Should governments require that genetically modified foods be labeled?? Debatepedia. Wikipedia,
n.d., Web. 2 December 2010.
Butcher, Mavis. ?Genetically Modified Food ? GM Foods List and Information.? Disabled World. N.p., 22
September 2009. Web. 2 December 2010.
Whitman B., Deborah. ?Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?? Pro Quest. CSA, April 2000. Web. 2
December 2010.
Waltz, Emily. ?GM crops: Battlefield.? Nature. N.p., 2 September 2009. Web. 2 December 2010.
Smith, Jeffrey. ?Questioning Modified Foods.? Natural News. N.p., 27 October 2010. Web. 2 December 2010
12 December 2010
Should it be required for Genetically Modified Foods to be labeled?
Freedom of choice - Isn?t that one of the founding principles under which our country was founded? As Americans, we take pride in the liberty of our freedoms, but how would we react to a scenario where we may have been left uninformed, and therefore do not have any idea as of the existence of other options and choices? Would you place food in your body that went against your ethical or religious standpoint? Would you ingest the food if you knew that it had potential health risks? Whether you answered yes or no, the bottom line is that you would at least like to be informed of these risks so that you could turn to other alternatives if you felt it was necessary, and labeling of these foods is one way to definitely keep the public informed of these issues.
Genetically Modified (GM) foods first hit the American market in 1996 with the introduction of a GM soybean. This new type of soybean was genetically modified to be resistant toward herbicides. Genetic modification is the use of certain technologies to alter the genetic structure of a variety of organisms, including bacteria, animals, and plants. Its technology involves combining genes from different organisms. A few of the primary purposes for genetically modifying a plant is to make it herbicide and pesticide resistant, as well as to produce a higher yield. The process of genetically modifying a food or plant is similar in concept, but greatly contrasts in process to the conventional method of cross-pollinating. ?Traditional ?engineering? techniques involved naturally cross-breeding two different plants to produce a more desirable outcome - something that happens naturally in the evolutionary process. Genetic engineering is entirely different, involving splicing DNA and introducing various proteins, bacterias, and artificial chemicals? (Gardner). Labeling genetically modified foods would help clear up the distinction between the two.
There are numerous objections to GM foods. The three main objections are personal health risks, environmental damage, and the ethical standpoint of playing God. There is also a deep concern among certain sections of society about consuming animal genes in plants and vice versa. Many religious and cultural communities are against genetically modified foods because they see it as an unnatural way of producing foods by tampering with God?s creations.
Other than a religious standpoint, there is also the environmental detriment that GM foods inflict. Genetic modification can violate the intrinsic values of a natural organism. ?The extent of damage genetic modification causes organisms like soil microbes is still being examined, but its likely outcome is loss of flora and fauna biodiversity? (Gardner). Due to the natural cross-pollination via pollen in the air, there is also a huge concern for cross-contamination. ?On August 18, 2006, American exports of rice to Europe were interrupted when much of the U.S. crop was confined to be contaminated [sic.] with unapproved engineered genes, possibly due to accidental cross-pollination with conventional crops? (Butcher). One major concern that stems from cross-contamination is ?crop plants engineered for herbicide tolerance and weeds will cross-breed, resulting in the transfer of the herbicide resistance genes from the crops into the weeds. These ?superweeds? would then be herbicide tolerant as well. Other introduced genes may cross over into non-modified crops planted next to GM crops? (Butcher). There needs to be a more efficient system implemented to better confine and separate GM crops from natural crops.
Another threat that GM foods impose onto the environment is how it can accidentally alter a plants genetic structure to be immune to ?helpful insects.? Many of these genetically modified plants are structured to be insect resistant, so cross-contamination amongst genetically modified and natural plants can cause an unintentional immunity for some natural plants toward some ?helpful? insects, which in turn completely alters the development and evolution of these plants. A laboratory study was published in Nature last year showing that pollen from B.t. corn caused a high mortality rate among monarch butterfly caterpillars. B.t. corn is a corn that has been genetically modified to protect it from pests. ?Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants, not corn, but the fear is that if pollen from B.t. corn is blown by the wind onto milkweed plants in neighboring fields, the caterpillars could eat the pollen and perish. Unfortunately, B.t. toxins kill many species of insect larvae indiscriminately; it is not possible to design a B.t. toxin that would only kill crop-damaging pests and remain harmless to all other insects? (Waltz). This process causes an ?unnatural selection.?
Aside from the negative environmental repercussions that GM foods impose, it also intrudes upon one?s personal health. The biggest threat caused by genetically modified food is that they can have harmful effects on the human body. In 1989, the Japanese company, Showa Denko, the worlds third largest chemical company, settled a $2 billion lawsuit for their genetically altered version of the food supplement - L-tryptophan. Showa Denko?s L-tryptophan caused the death of dozens of Americans, as well as the cause for several thousand more to be afflicted and impaired. Seven years later in 1996, an overzealous company by the name of Pioneer Hi-Bred spliced the genes of a Brazil nut into a soybean. However, some individuals were so allergic to this hybrid that they went into anaphylactic shock (similar to a severe bee sting reaction), which can result in death (Whitman). Many of these side effects can be linked to the alterations being made to various bacteria strains, which can eventually have a significantly greater repercussion than benefit.
Death is obviously the greatest consequence that goes along with GM foods, but there are also many other health risks that exist. According to scientific research, it has been shown that those who eat genetically modified foods tend to see an increase in their allergic reactions to the types of foods they are already allergic to. By eating these genetically modified foods people also form allergies to foods which they were never allergic to before. Some GM foods have also caused many children in the US and Europe to develop life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other foods (Whitman). There is the obvious possibility that the introduction of a gene into a plant may create new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals.
As research continues, there is more evidence exposing the harms of GM foods. As individuals ingest more genetically modified foods and organisms into their bodies, it has been shown that the body?s toxicity increases, which leads to a ton of other potentially serious health problems. As stated by NaturalNews.com it has been proven that there is a definite link between obesity, cancer, and toxicity due to the body?s introduction to new and genetically modified organisms (Smith). They are finding that GM foods are a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses, and since the digestive system is where the body is exposed when ingesting these harmful foods, reversing the damaging effects of these foods is nearly impossible.
Companies fear that labeling GM foods would scare consumers away and suffocate their market. As a consumer, one would prefer to be educated about their purchases. Since its first introduction to the US market in 1996, GM foods have come to currently consume two-thirds of shelf space in our grocery stores. Yet most of the public is not aware of their existence, let alone the potential risks and consequences of these products. Labeling of GM foods would not only inform consumers of their existence, but it would also create a better educated consumer base for these potentially harmful foods.
Works Cited
Gardner, Sue. ?Should governments require that genetically modified foods be labeled?? Debatepedia. Wikipedia,
n.d., Web. 2 December 2010.
Butcher, Mavis. ?Genetically Modified Food ? GM Foods List and Information.? Disabled World. N.p., 22
September 2009. Web. 2 December 2010.
Whitman B., Deborah. ?Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?? Pro Quest. CSA, April 2000. Web. 2
December 2010.
Waltz, Emily. ?GM crops: Battlefield.? Nature. N.p., 2 September 2009. Web. 2 December 2010.
Smith, Jeffrey. ?Questioning Modified Foods.? Natural News. N.p., 27 October 2010. Web. 2 December 2010
Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/howtowiki/~3/3ZC2VOrAQjE/Modified_Foods
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