Ashley Ehlers

Mrs.McGriff
Comp 1
T/Th12:15-1:30
10/20/2014

Reasons to avoid Genetically Engineered foods/GMO

Ever ponder over the ingredients on the back of a cereal box or some other contained food? Ever notice
how it's mostly words that are hard to pronounce? Doesn't it seem a little odd, it seems as though we
barely know what we're actually eating? Corporations have begun to take over the food industry, and
have taken down people in the process. There are multiple companies who have created and legally
owned new plants and animals one by one, turning completely unnatural. These companies need to be
knocked out, and the best way to do so is to buy locally and avoid them. There is research that has
attempted to prove that GMOs are useful and safe, although it has been proven that the pesticides,
herbicides, and many other chemicals that have been put into food has caused multiple cancers for
people, hazardous allergic reactions due to food splicing, and altered makeup of the plants and animals
from gene splicing. The previous hazards just stated are reasons that should be enough to prove that
there needs to be some changes with the food that we are receiving.

To start off, as its been said in Ronnie Cummins article Genetically engineered foods are hazardous states
how cows are injected daily by the FDA sale of Monsantos rBGH, another chemical most of us probably are
unaware of. This not only affects the cows but the meat and dairy they produce as well. It has been said to cause the
cows udder infections, increasing antibiotic treatments which is even more of a hazard. Ronnie Cummins also

explains in his article "Genetically engineered foods are hazardous" that scientists have warned that high levels of
the growth hormone have caused human breast, prostate, and colon cancer. There have also been dietary
supplements that have been genetically modified causing hundreds to thousands of Americans to die. Sadly though,
our FDA still approves many of these chemicals, while they see GMOs as a benefactor due to the increase of food it
brings, even though its not good for the body.

Moving on to another important matter, how genetically engineered food has spliced foods with many unnecessary
foods from nuts, to soybeans to more, causing many bad allergic reactions to deaths for humans. Many of us
normally assume what we're buying won't harm us because we know what our allergies are and we avoid the sales of
whatever it may be. Although how can we avoid it when anything we're allergic to could be spliced into whatever
we're eating, without our knowledge. Even by checking the back of a box, the chemicals, and large names only
shows you something that will just confuse you rather than tell you the ingredients. Yet any of those names you read
could have anything you're allergic to in them. Researchers try to claim that the GMO food has increased pest
resistance, and disease resistance, which is quite the opposite with disease, especially with illness that it causes with
the allergies and so on.

Last but not least, many plants and animals are being completely altered by the chemicals being put in them.
Relating back to Ronnie Cummins article once again, Animal genes as well as human genes have been randomly
inserted into the chromosomes of plants, animals, and fish. This being said, it has completely changed the natural
genetic form for all of these life forms. The gene- altered crops are more unpredictable than chemical pollutants
because they can migrate and mutate. Once these gene-altered animals and crops have been set out, it's impossible to
recall them. With the crops being altered, it causes pollution to the ecosystem, and throws off the whole ecosystem
cycle. It has been said that the pollen in these plants have been poisonous to certain bugs and creatures, leaving
pollution not only in the air but to all living creatures.

In conclusion, we are at a war with our own food producers. Consuming unnatural food that is also becoming
known as poisonous. From cancer, to food splicing, to gene-splicing, how can we eat and know we'll be okay? The
FDA tries to explain to us that GMOs are beneficial due to the increase of food it brings, yet it has many more cons
than pros. Luckily, recently our food has been receiving labels for GMO, to know which is which when we are
buying our food. Although, not everything is labeled, and it still causing havoc. The best way to avoid all
GMO/genetically engineered foods, would be to shop locally, and find organic food. Hopefully soon, the worries of
deathly foods will be no more.

Works Cited

Cummins, Ronnie. "Genetically Engineered Foods Are Hazardous." Genetically

Engineered Foods. Ed. Debra A. Miller. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue.
Rpt. from "Hazards of Genetically Engineered Foods and Crops: Why We Need A
Global Moratorium." Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.

American Chemical Society. "First comprehensive test to detect genetic modification in food."
ScienceDaily. 15 January 2014