Genetically Modified Organisms And The Current Food System

“Eat your vegetables, they're good for you”, The words a kid never wants to hear. People scan food packages for whole grains and fibers, avoid sugar, and don’t even think about buying something with trans fats. Just when people thought they knew how to eat healthy, there's another problem: Genetically Modified Organisms. Some opponents would have you believe these ingredients are the dietary curse of the decade. How concerned should people really be though? This is one of the most debated questions around the world. Many environmental organizations protest against genetic engineering, but numerous companies continue to use it in food production. The issue of Genetically Modified foods has been investigated by many different scientists for many

Whether Americans realize it or not, most of them consume genetically modified organisms every time they eat a snack or a meal. According to Robin Mather’s article “The Threats from Genetically Modified Foods”, “you’re eating genetically modified foods almost daily unless you grow all of the food or always buy organic” (Mather). This can be a scary thought for those who know about the numerous effects of GMOs or those who didn’t know what was in the food they’ve been ingesting for years. When Nielsen selected 1,200 Americans for a survey on GMOs for The Wall Street Journal, “61% of consumers had heard of GMOs and nearly half of those people said they avoid eating them” (Gasparro). The only difficulty with avoiding genetically modified organisms is that they make up approximately eighty percent of the ingredients used in processed foods that put together most of the regular American diet (Gasparro). The reason that genetically modified organisms are in most processed foods is because most processed foods contain corn or high fructose corn syrup that comes from genetically modified corn plants. Of all the corn, soybeans, sugar beet, and canola crops grown in the United States, over ninety percent of those crops are grown from genetically altered seeds (Gasparro). Ever since 1996, when genetically modified plants were first commercially grown for the public, the use of genetically modified seeds has been on a sharp increase (Charman). Although the use of genetically modified

In todays society, people are more concerned about what they put into their body. They eat healthy and maintain a stable diet, but unknown to a number of these people is their food may have been tampered with in the form of Genetically Modified Organisms or, for short, GMO's. Genetically Modified Organisms are plants or animals whose DNA has been altered to favor a certain characteristic or trait which is already in the DNA. This includes enhancing the DNA in plants to make them bigger, invincible to pests, or invincible towards weeds. Although, the reason why GMO's are a controversial topic is because of lack of knowledge. Genetically Modified Organisms are risky and potentially to dangerous to be handling because of the unknown side effects

Genetically Modified Organisms. Sounds familiar, right? GMOs have become a controversial issue all around the world. What are GMOs exactly? GMOS are special organisms with artificially altered genetic makeup produced in a lab from the splicing of specific genes from another organism. Even its’ description seems overwhelming. What’s worse is the fact that there’s seldom any warning labels for GMOs on products. It isn’t very helpful that the United States does not require GMOs to be labeled on store-bought foods. Most of the time, people are oblivious to the foods they consume and how those foods are a detriment to their health. All the same, I am also a part of the oblivion. I, too have consumed modified foods without any knowledge of its

In the past few years, society has been made more aware of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Because of this, GMOs are being replaced in diets with more natural and organic options. GMOs have been researched and found to cause adverse effects on human health because of the gene splicing, or genetic alterations that are done to create them through genetic engineering. Before this issue became an issue, many people were eating processed and even healthy foods without understanding what chemicals and toxins they were actually putting into their bodies. GMOs are infused into food without awareness because one never really understands what all those unpronounceable words, label GMOs, really are. Due to recent research, it has been found that genetically modified organisms are harmful and can lead to increased risks of disease and cancer.

Genetically modified (GM) foods are helping lives one life at a time! The question everyone is asking in today's society is if GM foods are helping people or hurting people. Some people believe that GM foods are going to end up hurting the environment just like the Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, (DDT) did in the 1940's. Just because the scientist are changing the genetic code of the plant does not mean it is hurting anyone. The foods are healthier, larger, and they can provide food in a time of need. GM foods are a big help in today's society.

Imagine knowing what is really in the food on our dinner plates every night. Probably organic, naturally grown foods, right? That might be the case in some foods, but now a days, most crops are grow genetically modified (GM). GM foods are foods that have been altered with a gene or protein from another living organism to give it a quality or characteristic that it never had before. Some examples of GM foods are apples that do not brown and potatoes that do not bruise. These are made when the organisms are genetically modified to reduce the levels of enzymes that cause browning and bruising. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are unsafe. While they can be beneficial, GMOs are unhealthy for human consumption, cause environmental impacts, and have

A growing debate today is the effect of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, on our health and the stability of the environment. Emily Anthes, a journalist who mainly writes about current issues in science, posted an article on the New York Times titled “Don 't be Afraid of Genetic Modification”. In the article, Anthes presents a few examples of genetically modified animals that have been considered for consumption and the obstacles that the biotech companies who created them face. Anthes is discussing a very prevalent topic here. GMOs are here to stay, and it is important for people to understand what a GMO actually is.

“What is a GMO?” asked Jeremy Seifert, creator of the documentary “GMO OMG”, to several ordinary, everyday consumers on the street. The answers ranged from, completely clueless, to almost understanding what it means. The amount of people who admitted that they have no idea was appalling. Some people got as far as “genetically…I don’t know the rest.” and “genetically modified….I forgot the last word”. Once informed of what the acronym stood for, Jeremy then asked these same individuals whether or not they would feel comfortable eating these types of products. The response was unanimous. “Absolutely not!” GMOs are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering. This relatively new science creates unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods. Virtually all commercial GMOs are engineered to withstand direct application of herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide. Despite biotech industry promises, none of the GMO traits currently on the market offer increased yield, drought tolerance,

In the United States today we consume genetically modified organisms in nearly everything we eat, and some of us are not even aware of it. Even though GMO’s have been around for nearly two decades, only recently they have been getting increasingly more attention. The author of The Threats From Genetically Modified Foods explains that “genetic modification refers to the manipulation of DNA by humans to change the essential makeup of plants”(Mather). However, a large portion of the American population is concerned about whether or not they should be wary of these new advancements in produce, if they should allow their food to be produced the way it has been done for centuries, and if they even have a choice. These are the concerns that are

Think back to the last meal you had; now think about how much of that food you consumed was genetically modified . Around 80% of today’s processed food contains genetically modified organisms, otherwise known as GMO’s. If you have never questioned where the food you consume on a daily basis comes from, it is time to start questioning. A genetically modified organism is a new version of a plant or animal that is created by altering genes using biotechnology . Today, more than 40 types of plants have been genetically modified and on the market to buy . An astonishing 90% of Canola, 88% of Corn and 94% of soy are GM . The FDA claims that GMO’s are nothing to worry about, and that it is perfectly healthy to consume food that is

Americans deserve to know what they are consuming and they do not want to involuntarily be a part of the ongoing experiment for the side effects of eating or drinking genetically modified organisms. There are currently 61 countries that already label genetically modified organisms, GMOs, and these countries make up over 40% of the world’s population (Kingston). However, GMO labeling is not required in the U.S. Although a recent survey found that 92% of Americans want GMOs to be labeled on their food and drinks, the federal government refuses to establish food labeling laws (“Where GMOs Hide In Your Food”). A genetically modified, or genetically engineered,

Genetically modified organism are not a rare sight in the United States. Genetically modified organism, otherwise known as GMOs, are everywhere, from our foods to our clothes. Genetically modified organism is simply any organism whose genetic material has been altered. In recent years, many people have written off GMOs as a harmful component, as supermarkets will often market their products as GMO free or non-GMO labeling. These products are often more expensive than its GMO equivalent. The United States is one of the leading countries that are producing GMOs, the European Union has decided to ban GMOs from production in their countries(Clive James ISAAA). It would be good to clear up one thing about GMOs first, GMOs are not a recent discovery.

What’s really in our food? The fact is many of our foods contain chemicals and genes not originally in the organism, making them Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). GMOs were made legal in the U.S. in 1995, and in 2010, 10 percent of the world’s farm land was being used for GMO agriculture (genetically modified organism 1). The use of GMOs has increased the productivity of agriculture, by increasing yield, requiring less pesticides, and making crops immune to pesticides to increase pest control ability. However, there are questions as to whether GMOs are safe and healthy for humans to consume. Similar questions about whether these foods should be labeled have also been raised. The debate on GMOs has various perspectives both for and

Do you ever question what is really in the food you eat? Is a piece of steak really just a piece of steak from a cow’s body? Is a bowl of rice really a bowl of rice grown on a farm? If you answer no to any of these questions, don’t feel bad you’re just like 90 percent of other Americans. The multibillion dollar genetically modified food industries have evolved immensely over the past two decades, and it has secretly entered our lives today. We are not aware of the damage genetically modified organism can bring, by altering the natural traits of our foods not only impact our environment but it also impacted our abilities to functions as regular humans. We are not aware because GMOs are not labeled; government regulations right now do not