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Running Head: GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS

Genetically Modified Foods

Gabriela Gonzalez
University of Texas of El Paso

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Abstract

This paper addresses two arguments that concern the use of genetically modified foods. The first
being that they are indeed safe for human consumption and consumers should be less hesitant to
purchase GM foods. If consumers still feel that they are unsafe then the government should
require companies to label their products as genetically modified, so as to reach a compromise.
The second that the FDA should update their regulations so that they can be current with the type
of technology that is being used in genetic modification. Technology is ever changing in the
world today so our regulations towards technology should be no different. This paper also
discusses some major potential benefits that can come from genetic modification. Some of these
major benefits can solve many global issues that the world is facing today and even what it will
face in the future.

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Genetically Modified Foods

There is always controversy over anything that is new or with concepts that are not fully
understood. This is exemplified in the debate over genetically modified organisms, or commonly
referred to as GMOs. Although GMOs have now been around for quite some time now, there are
still arguments being made towards the safety of them in reference to human consumption.
Another argument could also be made toward the rigor of the policies that declare these foods to
be safe.
Genetically modified foods are defined to be crop plants created for human or animal
consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques (Barak, Mudgil, Khatkar, 2010,
p.550). What this means is that the DNA of crops is genetically modified to accommodate a
certain need whether it be to be grown in a harsher condition than accustomed or to be less
susceptible to certain pesticides. The ability to be able to do this can be done with thanks to when
DNA was first discovered and then decoded so that genes are able to be manipulated. To be able
to choose how a plant grows or what they can withstand is a remarkable achievement.
There are many reservations against genetically modified food, but the most prevalent
argument is over the safety of these foods for human consumption. The main issues people
mention when discussing safety are the possibility of a higher risk for allergic reactions to occur,
the fact that the foods can lead to antibiotic resistance, and also that new types of toxins could be
a possible outcome of the process (Barak, Mudgil, Khatkar. 2010. P 554). Though these are
genuine concerns that people should have with any new technology, especially when it concerns
the food that consumers buy, there has been countless research that has been conducted to be
able to ease the minds of the public. For example, according to The Journalist (2015):

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According to a Maize Trust survey over a 12-year period 2002-2012, GM maize was
planted accumulative on 16 million hectares in South Africa. This produced a grain crop
over 40 million tonnes of maize consumed annually by 50 million people, 800 million
broilers, 1.4 million cattle in feedlots and three million pigs, without any substantiated
scientifically or medically proven adverse effects to human, animals or the environment.
Not even a tummy ache.
This further proves that even in a country that relies heavily on a GM crop like maize, or corn,
has yet to have reported any such health concerns a mentioned earlier. Furthermore, he process
that is used when judging the safety of these products or foods is quite extensive that if the safety
of these foods were ever called into question the government would not make these products
readily available to consumers. The United States is the leading country in using GMOs in just
about any and every kind of food but more specific to cotton, corn, and soybean. The FDA found
that, in 2012, GE cotton accounted for 94 percent of all cotton planted, GE soybeans accounted
for 93 percent of soybeans planted, and GE corn accounted for 88 percent of corn planted
(FDA, 2013). Today there are many countries that due to the outcry over GMOs not being safe,
they have decided to make it law to label genetically modified foods so that consumers have the
freedom to choose for themselves to deem these foods safe or not. If there can be no resolve with
the same issue here in the U.S., then the government should make an effort to follow suit with
the same law of labeling genetically modified products that other countries have done.
The FDA is the main institution in the United States that regulates the safety of all food
and drugs, including the safety of genetically modified. The FDA states, while FDA regulates
foods and ingredients, including foods made from GE plants, the agency neither supports GE
plants based on their perceived benefits nor opposes them based on their perceived risks (FDA,

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2013). The policies that are currently in place that the FDA often considers when deciding on the
safety of GMOs were put in place under the Reagan Administration when this type of technology
was first d (Marden, 2003, p.738). According to the FDA website the act that they follow in order
to classify GM foods as safe is the Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics Act which describes how
traditionally grown crops should be regulated for safety (FDA, 2013). Genetically modified
foods should adhere to a different set of regulations because they are different than their
traditional grown counterparts. In this day and age technology is constantly changing at an
alarmingly fast pace, it seems as if every year there is something new being updated or made in
the technology industry. Genetic modification is a part of this world of technology; therefore it
must also be constantly changing whether it is from new forms in the technology or an update in
the practices. I propose that the FDA should update their policies on regulation that are currently
in place so that it can be up to date with the technology that is being used in the process. It only
seems fair that believes technology should be updated to keep up with the times, so should the
policies concerning the safety of those technologies including genetic modification.
There are so many benefits that can come from GMOs including solving global issues
such as the major problem of how to feed or provide enough food for every single man, woman,
and child that is presently on this earth, as well as those in the future as the population grows.
This issue is a major motivator behind this kind of work because, through this kind of gene
selecting process it allows scientists to create plants that are resistant to certain pesticides so that
pests can be properly exterminated without harming the plant itself. Also, plants can be modified
to potentially be grown just about anywhere thus allowing more food to be made to support a
greater population. An even more interesting benefit from genetically modified plants is that
some plants can be modified to even clean the soils they are in by extracting the pollutants that

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have been introduced to that soil. The potential benefits that can stem from this kind of genetic
modification research or process are endless.
In conclusion, consumers should be less afraid to purchase these kinds of products due to
the health risks since there is so much research done that has proven that it is safe to consume
them. The FDA should update their regulations and hold this kind of technology to a different
standard than traditionally bred crops. Although there can be a strong argument against the use of
these kinds of foods, I believe that consumers should completely dismiss them because the
benefits that can stem from this kind of work are enormous.

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References

Barak, S., Mudgil, D., & Khatkar, B. (2010). Genetically Modified Food: Benefits, Safety
Aspects and Concerns. Asian Journal of Food and Agro-Industry, (1906-3040), 548-560.
Retrieved from www.ajofai.info
FDA. (2013 May). FDAs Role in Regulating Safety of GE Foods. U.S. Food and Drug
Administration. Retrieved from
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm352067.htm
The Journalist. (2015, June 30). GMO Foods Are Here to Stay but Lets Broaden the Debate.
The Journalist: Context Matters. Retrieved from allafrica.com
Le, B., Fernndez, S. & Gabriel, L. (2004, May 3). Genetically Modified Food. The Traprock, 3,
37-40. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?
doi=10.1.1.136.1843&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Marden, E. (2003). Risk and Regulation: U.S. Regulatory Policy on Genetically Modified Food
and Agriculture. Boston College Review, 44(3). Retrieved from
http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2236&context=bclr
O'Sullivan, K. (1997, June 3). Frankenstein Fodder or food for the gods? Is genetically altered
food a nightmare or a panacea? Either way, it's here to stay and consumers should know
what they're getting. The Irish Times, p. 13
Unnevehr, L.J. & Hasler, C. (2000). Health Claims and Labeling Regulation: How Will
Consumers Learn About Functional Foods? AgBioForum, 3(1), 10-13. Retrieved from
http://agbioforum.org/v3n1/v3n1a03-unnevehr.htm