Genetically Modified Organisms ( Gmo )

GMOs, (genetically modified organisms) have been a topic of interest in the social eyes for years. Since they’ve been created, many people have voiced and written about their opinions on GMOs, and whether they are dangerous or not. Created to expand the genetic diversity of crops and animals, many don’t know whether GMOs are good or bad, and neither do researchers. Though there hasn’t been any evidence claiming whether GMOs are good or bad, it has certainly not stopped the public from creating their own opinions. Since no one knows the truth behind GMO, it has opened a window of opportunities for companies including Monsanto to voice their support of GMO, while other companies like the Non-GMO Project voice their

The battle over whether food with GMOs should be labeled as such or not, continuez in The Battle Over GMOs by Alessandra Potenza illustrates what a GMO is and why they need to be labeled. First of all GMO stands for genetically modified organism, meaning GMOs are organisms that have been genetically modified to include a gene from another species to produce a certain trait. The reason that some people are very upset at the whole GMO thing is because some companies that include GMOs in their products are refusing to label the fact that they use GMOs. Outrage has sparked everywhere over this and people are demanding that companies using GMOs in their products must label them. The companies on the other hand are claiming that they have a right to privacy and are claiming that the FDA, which stands for Food and Drug Administration, have approved the GMO usage in their products.. This reader believes that we the people have a right to know what is in our food and decide if we still want to consume it.

Many people say that foods that are modified can be bad for the health. Americans have been eating GMO foods for many years now and they didn’t know till researchers found them in different types of foods. We actually know that GMO foods are actually dangerous to some extent, but if people say that it is not harmful it actually doesn’t means it is safe and healthy for humans. Scientist did research on genetically modified foods and found out that it could damage some parts of our bodies when eat foods that have growth hormones in it. They used animals on their studies to see if GMO foods are harmful. They found out that it could damage the immune system, liver, and kidneys. So it is important for stores to tell the people if it is safe to buy and eat and they will be aware of it. Every food store should have labels that say that is has been genetically modified with organisms and by this people will decide if they want to buy the product and it will help people with health issues in the future.

The Federal Government should require labeling of GMO’s on genetically modified foods. The people deserve to know what they put in their bodies. Some of the food is very unhealthy and some people are completely unaware of that fact. Many food companies do not put out all the information about what goes into the food in which we consume, if the Federal government were to require labeling of all GMO foods then the people could be well educated about what they put inside their bodies, and know if it is good for them or not. GMO stands for genetically modified foods, a genetically modified food is “..an organism whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found

The fight to know what’s in your food is not a new one. Consumers have fought long and hard for foods to have labels containing their simple ingredients. Finally in 1990 the Food and Drug administration established the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (fda.gov). However the fight to know what is in our food is far from over. Bioengineering has come a long way and has resulted in food that grows faster and with more consistent quality. This is at the expense of the consumer. With the change in the way that food is produced, there are no longer “simple ingredients.” More than 70% of the food in the grocery store and ⅔ of the crops grown in America contain biologically engineered ingredients (Caplan).

Do you want to know what you are eating? Have you gotten sick over the past few years and not known why? Many people have gotten sick over the increase of food products with GMOs within them. Over the years many have argued that GMOs aren’t what is causing the increase in death and the decrease in birth, but many say it is the problem. GMOs should be labeled on our foods today because of the amount of health problems, and consumers want to know what they are eating. After all, it is what is going into our bodies.

Food is everywhere. It is an integral part of society and is a major part of everyday life. We plan our days around mealtimes, pack snacks for work and school, and visit the grocery store at least once a week. However, even our best, well thought out efforts to achieve a healthy lifestyle leave us mostly in the dark about what we are really putting into our bodies. GMOs, Genetically Modified Organisms, are organisms that have been bioengineered, planted, and sold to the public as food. These organisms are unnatural and have proven to be harmful. Unfortunately, the labeling of foods containing GMOs is not government mandated. Monsanto, the largest GMO producing conglomerate, will go to all lengths to convince the public that their product is safe and does not need to be labeled for consumers, despite the fact that countries around the world have stood up and refused to sell their products to their citizens. Unfortunately, the United States is not only not among these countries, but the government has shown little care for the global issue. Everyone has the right to know exactly what they are putting into their bodies and feeding their loved ones. For this reason I will be exploring how, with the existing research, GMOs are FDA approved, as well as how this relates to Monsanto’s fight against GMO labeling.

The FDA and Regulation of GMOs have defined GMOs as “Those in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in such a way that does not naturally occur.” My audience, people in the legislative branch of the government, hold varying viewpoints on the topic of GMO labeling. Some believe that the American people have the right to know what composes their food. Conversely, others believe that there exists such an overwhelming quantity of genetically modified foods that labeling would be impractical and expensive. However, considering that a person can, if they so desire, study the back of a cereal box in order to learn about its ingredients, they should also have the right to understand what makes up the ingredients going into a product.

There is a general scientific agreement that food from genetically modified crops is not inherently riskier to human health than conventional food, but should be tested on a case-by-case basis.[138][139][140][141] No reports of ill effects have been proven in the human population from ingesting GM food.[138][142][143][144] Although labeling of GMO products in the marketplace is required in many countries, it is not required in the United States and no distinction between marketed GMO and non-GMO foods is recognized by the US FDA. In a May 2014 article

A portion of our population, of which I am apart of, do not really read the labels on food we purchase on a daily basis. Then there are those that religiously read labels and want to know exactly what they are eating. There are two sides on this issue like all others. First the negative implications of labeling GMO’s. The AAAS argue that labeling GMO’s could “mislead and falsely alarm consumers” (source 2). I can see this side of it basically making a mountain out of a mole hill. Then again we do have a basic human right to know exactly what we are eating and where/how it was grown for our consumption. Another negative for labeling GMO’s is that it would “impose a cost on all consumers- including those not desiring such information” (source 2). Being that this would require separate facilities for the GMO products I can see how the cost would filter down to the consumer eventually. Do we really want to pay the price just so we can know this information? Some would say yes I myself would say no, but I can understand the other side of this

In “Consumers Call on FDA to Label GE Foods” Colin O’Neil feels that not labeling GMOs infringes on an American citizens freedom. Colin O’ Neil argued that “one choice Americans are not free to make is whether their food contains genetically engineered ingredients” based on the fact that the FDA is not required to label GMOs (O’Neil 31). Back in 1992 “the FDA issued a policy statement that GE foods were not ‘materially’ different from non-GE foods and thus did not need to be labeled”(O’Neil 31); Colin O’Neil rebutted “We as consumers no longer base our decisions solely on what we can see or taste or smell, so why should the FDA continue to do so?” (O’Neil 32) The FDA believed that GE foods were the exact same as non-GE foods and did not need any labels because the consumer could not tell the difference. O’Neil wanted to change the FDA’s stance on labeling because “90 percent of Americans want GE foods to be labeled and consumers do not expect food to be genetically engineered absent labeling” (O’Neil 32) even with a great portion of American citizens wanting labels the FDA still insisted that there was no need despite the fact it is the duty of the FDA to protect consumers. The FDA’s stance on labeling GMOs affects the American consumer because they cannot make the decision whether or not to purchase an item containing GMOs thus forcing them to consume something that contained a substance

Foremost in the arguments concerning GM foods are the practices and standards of labeling. Currently sixty four countries require mandatory labeling of these products. The United States is not one of these countries that require mandatory labeling. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is currently using a very lenient standard for informing consumers according to

Although parts of the world may need GMO products, I believe we should all be aware of the products we are buying. If a company wants to increase production or create new plants by changing DNA it is ok as long as we have the ability to know what is in our shopping cart. The Non-GMO Project has created a new standard in the industry allowing for full disclosure of such items. This organization has been the leaders in the testing and verification of Non-GMO products creating their seal of approval for the sale of these products. As stated on Non-GMO Projects website, “While you may see other claims regarding GMO status (e.g. “GMO free”), these are really not legally or scientifically defensible, and they are not verified by a third party. The Non-GMO Project is the only organization offering independent verification of testing and GMO controls for products in the U.S. and Canada”(Non-GMO, 5) As labeling

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) is one of the most important issues around the world. Genetic engineering is a process where scientists take genes from one species and force it into the DNA of other species. GMO has long been in practice to breed select individuals of a species to produce offspring of the desirable behaviors. It is used in conventional livestock production, crop farming and even pet breeding. It involves combining elements of DNA from different sources to create a new DNA molecule that has a different combination of genes than original, which occurs naturally. There are some scientific methods for producing GMOs; for instance, recombinant DNA technology and reproductive duplicating. Recombinant DNA technology involves the addition of one or more individual genes from an organism of one species into the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of another; On the other hand, reproductive duplicating technology generates descendants that are genetically identical to the parent by the transfer of an entire donor nucleus into the enucleated cytoplasm of a host egg (Genetically modified organism). In recent years, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have replaced our diet with genetically altered foods, which have undesirably affected human health as well as local communities. GMOs have raised subjects over their own benefits in the way that they are resistant to disease, help humans suffering from famine, produce greater yields, and improve the nutrition of foods.

Genetic modification (GM) is a fairly new area of scientific interest in the public eye. Genetically modified food is produced by taking the genes of one organism and inserting it into the genes of another (Thompson 8). GM is often done to increase product yield and to resist drought or insects (“Agricultural Seeds”). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) claim there is no reason for GM foods to be labeled or further research. There is no justification for the proposed bill, House Resolution (H.R.) 1599, which would make it illegal to require Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) labeling (Byrne). H.R. 1599 is also called the DARK act, or “Denying Americans the Right to Know” act. A large part of the American dream has always been based on our ability to make personal decisions. The DARK act and other pro-GMO campaigns are taking that freedom away. We have seen this form of government control throughout American history. It is time to change that aspect of our culture. Consumers have the right to know about their food. Time and time again, we have seen the United States government take away our personal choices.