Genetically modified foods and you
Posted on Sat, 24 Apr 10
The food biotechnology industry is blanketing propaganda about the safety of Genetically Modified Foods in the face of warnings about serious risks to human health from scientists and public health officials (1). There is a mass genetic experiment going on in our environment and diet and you are the guinea pig.
Franken foods
Genetically Modified (GM) food differs from classical plant breeding in that new genetic material is inserted into the genes of plants. While traditional plant breeding typically involved crossing the same or closely related species GM crops can be engineered using genes from any living organism including unrelated plants or animals. GM foods thus contain proteins that have never before been consumed as food and carry potential health risks (2).
Your hazard is high
Current estimates suggest that as much as 80% of processed foods in the U.S. contain GM foods such as such as corn starch, high fructose corn syrup, corn oil, canola oil, soybean oil, soy flour, soy lecithin, or cottonseed oil (2). Importantly, you may consume GM foods inadvertently due to contamination of food crops. For example GM corn intended for animal feed and not approved for human consumption was found in corn products and linked to suspected allergic reactions. Subsequently more than 300 brands of taco shells, crisps and other corn products had to be withdrawn from shops (3).
Dinner plate propaganda
The food biotechnology industry claim that there are advantages to GM crops, particularly increased food production and crop yields to combat world hunger, however the reality is more sinister. The argument that GM food crops are more productive has been criticised. Using ecological farming methods studies in china for example found that rice production dramatically increased and pesticided use was virtually eliminated without the need for expensive, patented gene-modified seeds (4).
It is more likely that commercial interests such as seed patents (seed and crops are owned by the GM seed producer) and the ability to engineer sterility into seed (harvested seed cannot be cultivated and has to be bought) is driving GM food production (4).
Risk to human health
Serious concerns have been raised about the safety of GM foods. Animal toxicity studies with certain GM foods have shown that they may pose health risks such as allergy, infertility, damage to organs and unexplained death. Unfortunately adequate safety data in humans is lacking despite the widespread cultivation and contamination of our global food supply with GM foods by a genetic engineering industry that claims to be “feeding the world (5).”
References
1. Rubin J, Tesmenitsky A. Selling before telling: why the government needs to take a second look at genetically engineered foods. New Solut. 2002;12(3):297-316
2. Lemaux PG. Genetically Engineered Plants and Foods: A Scientist's Analysis of the Issues (Part I). Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2008;59:771-812.
3. Friends of the Earth. Briefing, Genetically modified crops and food. January 2003.
4. Margulis C. The hazards of genetically engineered foods. Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Mar;114(3):A146-7
5. Dona A, Arvanitoyannis IS. Health risks of genetically modified foods. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2009 Feb;49(2):164-75.
Tags: Genetically Modified Foods
Comments (3)
I think this article is scare mungering quite a bit. In modern food we constantly come in contact with chemicals our bodies have not evolved to deal with. Pesticides and trans fats from deep frying. Highly refined sugars found in bread and flour based products are all foods are bodies have not evolved to process well. Farming on an evolutionary scale is still only a recent invention. It sustained large cities and allowed modern civilisation to thrive.
But still our bodies are not ideally suited to processing large amounts of sugars leading to the modern day dilemma of obesity and diabetes. Not to mention the other myriad of problems caused by insulin spikes such as increased risk of heart disease.
I would much rather eat GM food than food grown using pesticides. Furthermore we have been artificially modifying food for years cabbage, broccoli sprouts have all been genetically bread from the same common ancestor.
The sad thing is that people would sooner dismiss a new technology because they don't understand it and run for the pitchforks rather than having a sensible conversation and understanding the facts.
~The health benefits are massive. Adding antioxidents found in berries to common foods such as tomotoes could prevent a whole range of degenerative diseases. Why would you put protiens in a food that the body has not been used to breaking down. Or to be more accurate proteins that the body cant break down? This would not happen, as long as the protein follows certain properties the body would be able to process it.
What ever happens these new technologies will be developed. If we embrace them consciously then we can prevent it being misused. However blocking science doesn't work. Someone somewhere will always develop the technology the only difference is they will be not be monitored or controlled. Which is worse?
Posted by scientist
on
Tue, 11 May 10 - 12:00am
Scientist, I think that you have an Utopian view of the genetic modification process, and are looking at what science COULD achieve instead of looking at what these companies ARE doing with the technology. Producing plants that do not produce viable seeds, selling them to third world countries and then funding legislation that prevents seed saving are not the actions of organisations intent on improving health or feeding the world. Nor is suing farmers whose crops have been contaminated by supposedly sterile genetic modifications for stealing their "property". (And yes, the company did win against the small farmer) These technologies are being misused. They are not being controlled. They are continuing unopposed and they lack any serious long term studies, ecologically or in human and animal health. In all science, the question of whether or not you can do something needs to balanced against whether or not you should. We know we can, but do we really know the impact on health or environment? It's not scare mongering to ask these questions, its just good science. (PS Check out The Corporation for Vandana Shiva's great comment on scientists working for such companies)
Posted by Rach
on
Wed, 12 May 10 - 12:00am
Hi Pseudonym/Scientist; thanks for your opinion. To address some of the points you raise my personal opinion is that the safety of GM foods is far from clear and there is already evidence of threat to environmental and human health (see ref 5). Vegetables (including tomatoes) are naturally rich in disease fighting chemicals and can be grown effectively without pesticides (see ref 4). Patents on the major plants that contribute to the world food supply is cause for alarm. If people who are genuinely concerned about food security, their safety and the environment are viewed as pitchfork wavers, thank goodness there is someone waving a fork while we still own the farm.
Posted by Ben
(http://wwwt.timeforwellness.org)
on
Thu, 13 May 10 - 12:00am
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