Genetically Modified Foods
What are genetically modified foods?
Genetically modified foods are organisms (plants or animals) within which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that doesn't occur naturally.
Genes carry the instructions for all the characteristics that an organism inherits. Genetic modification allows us to supply plants, animals and micro-organisms with specific qualities. Traditional methods of breeding involve mixing thousands of genes. Genetic modification allows one individual gene, or alittle number of genes, to be inserted into a plant or animal which enables them to be used in new and really precise ways. Plants or animals like this are called genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GM foods are foods that contain or consists of GMOs, or are produced from GMOs.
The process of creating a GMO plant is complex, but it follows these basic steps:
• Researchers identify the genes in a plant that cause specific traits, such as resistance to insects.
• They then make copies of these insect resistance genes in a lab.
• Scientists next insert the gene copies into the DNA of another plant's cells.
• These modified cells are then used to grow new, insect-resistant plants that will go through various reviews and tests before they are sold to farmers.
Pros of Genetically modified foods:
GMOs may have fewer pesticides. Many GMO crops are altered to be less at risk of insects and other pests. as an example, Bt-corn, a GMO crop that includes a gene added from Bacillus thuringiensis, a present soil bacterium. This gene causes the corn to supply a protein that kills many pests and insects, helping to shield the corn from damage.
This means that farmers don't must use the maximum amount pesticide on crops like Bt-corn – a 2020 study found that farmers with GMO crops reduced their pesticide use by 775.4 million kilograms (8.3%) between 1996 and 2018. the use of fewer pesticides in crops may result in fewer health risks for people eating them and fewer damage to the environment.
GMOs are usually cheaper. GMO crops are bred to grow efficiently – this suggests that farmers can produce the identical amount of food using less land, less water, and fewer pesticides than conventional crops. Because they will save on resources, food producers can even charge lower prices for GMO foods. In some cases, the prices of foods like corn, beets, and soybeans could also be cut by 15% to 30%.
GMOs may have more nutrients. Certain GMO crops are designed to produce more nutrients like vitamins or minerals. for instance, researchers are ready to create a modified style of African corn that contains:
• 2 times as much folate when compared to traditional crops
• 6 times as much vitamin C when compared to traditional crops
• 169 times more beta-carotene than traditional crops.
• This may be especially helpful in regions where people suffer from nutritional deficiencies.
Cons of genetically modified foods:
GMO crops offers many advantages in costs and nutrition, but some experts worry that they carry health risks, as well.
GMOs may cause hypersensitivity. Because GMO foods contain DNA from other organisms, it's possible that the new DNA can trigger allergies in those that wouldn't normally be allergic to the food. In one instance, a GMO soybean crop created using DNA from a Brazil nut was unsafe for people with nut allergies and couldn't be released to the general public. However, GMO foods undergo extensive allergen testing, in order that they shouldn't necessarily be riskier than conventional crops.
GMOs may increase antibiotic resistance. When GMO scientists insert new DNA into plant cells, they'll often add in a further gene that makes the modified cells resistant toantibiotics. they will then use an antibiotic to kill any plant cells that did not successfully absorb the new DNA.
Antibiotic resistance could be a dangerous consequence of our tendency to overuse drugs
However, researchers are finding that these antibiotic-resistant genes don't always depart once you digest GMO foods, but can actually be passed through your faeces into sewage systems. Some experts worry that these genes could also be absorbed into harmful bacteria found in sewers or your gut which will cause serious illnesses like staph infections. this suggests that the standard antibiotic treatments would be powerless against these new super-bacteria.