Melina Garcia

Introduction
A GMO or genetically modified organism refers to an organism whose genetic material
has been modified due to genetic engineering techniques. (Wald 129) These types of organisms
can be found in many foods and medicines us Americans use on a daily basis. GMOs have their
advantages and disadvantages on a case by case basis. However, current laws do not require
companies to label their items as GMO product. One can take a careful look at labels and
ingredients when grocery shopping and find that some products proudly label themselves as
non-GMO. It is rare that there is a product labeling themselves as a GMO product. If GMOs
are as safe as scientists advertise them, there shouldnt be a problem with having required
labels. Unlike the US, Europe and other countries around the globe are required, by law, to
include GMOs in their ingredients. My research discusses the advantages and disadvantages of
Genetically Modified Organisms and the struggle to require proper labeling of these products in
America. As human beings, we should have the right to be aware of what we are putting in our
bodies. It is unfair that unless we see a label that says non-GMO, the products we are using are
a complete mystery.
Literature Review
The production of Genetically modified organisms came about from the Monsanto
Company, an American multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation headquartered in
Missouri. Developed by John Francis Queeny in 1901 and the main focus of the company
originally was to produce plastics, polystryrene, and synthetic fibers. In 1983, Monsanto with the
help of three academic teams, developed the first genetically modified plant cell. The first food
to be genetically modified was a tomato (Wald 129). Ironically enough, Monsanto Company has
not been known for its honesty or transparency. A major lie of the Monsanto Company was the
the safety and benefits of the ingredients in GMOs were well established. In fact, no long-term
studies about either the safety or benefits of GMO ingredients exist (Wald 129). The fact that
there has apparently been no long term study about the safety and benefits makes the non
requirement of labeling even more risky. It is questionable whether or not the FDA is thoroughly
examining the products that are being sold to consumers.
The battle for the passing of the law to require labeling of GMO products has been an
ongoing process for years. Congress has split opinions on the idea which is why labeling still
isnt required today. Link discusses this debate in his article and states, A bill introduced in
April that proposes mandatory, nationwide labeling of genetically modified organisms in food
product has yet to capture broad support in Congress, and some question whether the bill has yet
to capture broad support in Congress, and some question whether the bill would adequately serve
consumers desire.(1) The bill did not pass but Link mentions how Congress compromised the
situation. Similarly to the way the National Organic Program can label their food as 100%
organic or made with organic ingredients, companies can have their products as non-GMO
instead of including the presence of GMOs. Connor concluded that the bill of required labeling
will unlikely pass any time soon which may cause potential dangers to consumers. The agri-food
industry opposes to this statement because they believe GMO foods are safe and mandatory
labels would have a costly and detrimental effect on consumers, food producers, and food
manufacturers (Bain and Dandachi 9457). The Food and Drug Administration will evaluate

food based on the same standards and processes as naturally cross-bred foods (U.S. Food and
Drug Administration 2015 qtd by Fairfield-Sonn 62). It is the food producers responsibility to
provide all necessary information about their product to the FDA and once the FDA believes that
the product is safe enough, they will release it to the public for consumption (Fairfield-Sonn 62).
Although you can find products that are non-GMO certified, it still imposes the risk that
products that arent labeled contain genetically modified organisms and we are unaware of its
presence. Regardless if it is safe or not, if the FDA requires companies to correctly label all of
the ingredients contained in their products. This should also include ingredients that are
genetically engineered.
In other parts of the world, such as Europe, the cultivation of GM crops has been banned
in many countries and there are strict labeling laws in place (Martin R356). Twardoski and
Malyska mention the ingredients Europeans are most worried about that are found in food. This
includes, pesticide residues, the presence of antibiotics or hormones in meat, and pollutants
such as dioxins and mercury, as well as GMOs, in food products (1) Twardoswki and Malyska
also discuss the different ways in which the United States and Europe process and inspect
products that contain genetically modified organisms imported in their territory. Europes
approach is much more strict in that they inspect them on a case by case basis very carefully. The
United States still goes through a very detailed examination process but it takes 1.5 to 2 years
shorter than Europe. (Twardoski and Malyska 1) James Fairfield-sonn mentions in his article that
genetically modified organisms are even banned completely in Peru and Kenya (62). The United
States has a very lenient approach to the use of genetic engineering in products and labeling
compared to other parts of the world.
There are many advantages and disadvantages of using genetically modified organisms in
food products. Some examples are foods can be pest-proofed, food production can be increased,
and the food can be nutritionally improved (Goldbas 22). Although GMOs provide benefits, the
worry is that if GM crops are grown in close proximity to wild species that are closely related,
hybridization between the two could lead to genetic contamination (Martin R356). Also, Wald
mentions in his article that GM-foods may cause antibiotic resistance in people who consume
the GM pesticide containing foods (130). Philip Landrigan explains that the chemical herbicides
used in these products could be cancerous to humans. There are also certain allergens, such as
soy, that are found in Genetic engineered foods that are not found in products without GMOs.
(694) The Food and Drug Administration is over-looking these potential risks. GMO products
are not necessarily bad overall but they do need to be considered on a case-by-case basis to avoid
risks from a consumer and environmental point of view.
Interview
To further conduct my research on the debate of whether or not genetically modified
organisms should be labeled or not, I asked someone who is more educated on the subject. Creed
Dennis is a childhood friend of mine and has always been very cautious about what she puts in
her body. She is now a graduate student at University of South Florida studying nutrition to help
others form a healthier diet and create a better lifestyle. During her studies, she learned all about
GMOs, including their benefits and risks. I asked her seven interview questions over the phone
to get her opinion on the regulation of labeling in the United States and GMOs in general. With a

broader approach, I simply just asked her the risks and benefits of GMOs and whether on not she
agreed with the whole concept. She discussed the benefit of providing more food for people
around the world but some people have allergies to products found in GMO foods. Also, some
ingredients can be very cancerous to humans. She believes that each product should be inspected
very carefully and taken into consideration on a case by case basis. She agrees with the use of
GMOs because of todays low supply of resources but she would rather have food that is pure
and not scientifically modified. During my research, I learned that we can create more product
and possibly end world hunger through use of GMOs. Creed said she also learned this during her
nutrition major classes. She believes that genetically modified organisms could end world hunger
but there are much more natural ways that we can work together as a society to do rather than
creating something in a lab. One example is eating less meat. This can end world hunger because
the food used to over feed and mass produce these animals causes no resources to be left over
for human consumption (Dennis). We also discussed how people do have the right to know what
is being put in their body. It would be nice to have that piece of mind that the stuff we are
consuming isnt a mystery. Creed feels that it should be mandatory and each product should be
examined for safety very carefully. It is a fairly new concept so even though scientists believe it
is safe, it is hard to tell unless it is inspected on a case by case basis. Creed compared this issue
to people with nut allergies. Its like not wanting peanuts in your food and getting them anyways
because it wasnt listed in the ingredients. Thats why it should be labeled. There are people out
there, including Creed and myself, that are very cautious about what is being put into their body.
Although it is not a requirement for a company to reveal their use of genetically modified
organisms in their product, producers who dont use any modification have the option to proudly
label themselves as a non-GMO product. When Creed is shopping, she compares different
products and brands and chooses the ones that have the non-GMO labels. Although she isnt
super cautious and will still buy some items that dont have the label, it gives her a piece of mind
and self awareness of what she is purchasing. She recommends people that have the same
worries to do the same thing. She also discussed how there is no reason to fear GMOs, even
some organic food is genetically modified. It does not mean it is bad for you, it just means it is
less natural. I feel the interview with Creed gave me further insight on the issue of improper
labeling around the United States. She provided more information from her years of education
along with her own personal opinion on GMOs.
Conclusion
Before my conducted research from several peer reviewed articles and interview with
graduate student Creed Dennis, I had very little background information on GMOs from a small
section taught in my environmental science class last spring. Lately, I have been very cautious
with reading labels when I am grocery shopping not only looking for use of genetically modified
organisms, but also just looking for other ingredients that could possibly be harmful to my body.
Throughout the readings, the benefits and risks of GMOs were discussed. The benefits are that
this concept could possibly feed millions from all over the world that are hungry and it is deemed
completely safe by scientists. Risks include that some ingredients used to genetically modify
an organism could be potentially dangerous to consumers especially ones with certain allergies.
Europe and other countries around the world take these GMOs with a different approach. Europe
especially, understands how carefully inspected these products need to be and require companies
to label themselves as a GMO product. The supreme court is redundant to passing this law and

will unlikely pass the bill that requires labeling any time soon. For now, companies can still
choose to label themselves as non-GMO. Part of the reason why this law will not pass is from
a producer perspective. Producers believe that if they do label themselves as a GMO product,
people will stop purchasing their product out of fear. I feel that if the public was more educated
on genetic modification, there wouldnt be an issue. Although I prefer having my food natural
and not modified in a lab, after reading these articles and going through the discussion with
Creed, I understand that GMOs are not completely dangerous. They just need to be thoroughly
examined and considered on a case by case basis. I feel that if people were more educated on
Genetic engineering, there would be less fear associated with it. Without fear, producers will be
more willing to label their food as a GMO product and their sales would not be affected by it.
All in all, regardless if it is safe or not, consumers have the right to know exactly where their
food and medicine came from and what it has in it.

Citations
Bain, C., & Dandachi, T. (2014). Governing GMOs: The (counter) movement for mandatory and
voluntary non-GMO labels. Sustainability, 6(12), 9456-9476
Fairfield-Sonn, James. "Political Economy of GMO Foods." Journal of Management Policy and
Practice, vol. 17, no. 1, 2016., pp. 60-70
Goldbas, Abbie. "GMOs: What are they?" International Journal of Childbirth Education 29
(2014): 20+. Print.
Landrigan, Philip J., and Charles Benbrook. "GMOs, Herbicides, and Public Health." The New
England journal of medicine, vol. 373, no. 8, 2015., pp. 693-695
Link, Connor. "Boxer-DeFazio GMO Labeling Bill Unlikely to Pass." Nutrition Business
Journal, 2013
Martin, C. "The Psychology of GMO." Current biology : CB 23.9 (2013): R356-9. Print.
Motta, Renata. "Social Disputes Over GMOs: An Overview." Sociology compass 8.12 (12):
1360; 1360,1376; 1376. Print.
Twardowski, Tomasz, and Aleksandra Malyska. "Uninformed and Disinformed Society and the
GMO Market." Trends in biotechnology, vol. 33, no. 1, 2015., pp. 1-3