So lately while we have been obsessively counting calories in each morsel of food and deliberating over the plethora of dietary information found strewn all over the internet, are we forgetting or rather conveniently ignoring the bigger picture? You might be familiar with the amount of carbohydrates and proteins that you are consuming on a daily basis, but chances are, you are unaware of the fact that the food that you are eating right now is genetically modified. Yes, we are talking about GMOs or Genetically Modified Organisms!
GMO- An Overview
GMO’s are Genetically Engineered Organisms, both plants and animals, whose genetic material has been altered through gene splicing techniques of biotechnology. In GMO’s, the DNA from bacteria, virus or even other plants or animals is introduced into the genetic material of other organisms artificially, thereby, resulting in the production of organisms that do not occur in nature. This is indeed different from traditional crossbreeding techniques.
Ever thought about eating a strawberry recombined with fish DNA? As weird as it sounds, this is the basic concept behind GMOs. Another example would be combining the DNA of corn with a bacterium known as bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), known for producing a protein that kills insects. This trait of the Bt is in turn passed on to the corn, which makes it produce its own pesticide.
In the United States, the Flavr Savr tomato introduced by the Monsanto Company (MON) 20 years ago became the first GMO that was approved for human consumption. Corn, soy, canola, sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya etc. make it to the list of widely consumed GM foods. More recently, GM salmon became the first GM animal that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for consumption by humans. This would further pave the way for more experiments on cows, pigs etc. and serve as an impetus for the prevalence of untested GMO foods in the market on one side, as well as an overwhelming uproar of ethical concerns on the other. Despite the many qualms about GMO and the possible side effects of human intervention in the process of creation, it might come as a bit of shock to learn that around 75%-80% of all the food products in America contain GM ingredients in one form or the other.
So this genetic manipulation is our way of challenging Mother Nature by developing organisms with lucrative claims of better yields, resistance to diseases, enhanced flavour and nutritional values, reduction of allergenic potential, tolerance to pests, cold and drought, lesser cost etc. This enhancement of particular desired traits through biotechnology is much faster and more accurate than conventional techniques of breeding. So if GMO sounds like the solution to creating perfect organisms without any inherent flaws, what is all current anti-GMO buzz about?
GMO’s have gone on to become the most contentious issue faced by the food industry till date. Though they were initially thought of as the much awaited solution to starvation and hunger plaguing our world, there is a lot of scepticism and speculation surrounding the topic due to the uncertainty of what it could possibly do to our health and environment in the longer run. Much of this concern stems from the lack of conclusive evidence to prove that GMO does not pose a threat to human health and does not lead to potential environmental hazards. The lack of long term scientific studies on humans along with the disturbing results evident from animal studies point to issues related to increased mortality, decreased fertility, slower growth rates etc. There is also the question of the violation of farmer’s rights and consumer’s rights in connection to GMO production and sale.
So, in the guise of producing more cost effective and appealing products, we might end up creating mutant organisms with the potential to alter the course of history itself. Or, are all our fears unfounded and baseless?
Content by info@AlphaSMC.com
