Emmanuel Gonzalo Professor Lago College Writing 11/24/2013 Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms

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Technology has impacted everyone and the way they live their daily lives. When most think about technology they think about computers and other electronic gadgets. What many are not aware of is that technology can have a negative side. One negative side is when technology affects our health by eliminating the nutritional value of our foods. A majority of technologies do us good and help advance the human race but debatably genetically modified foods do not. These foods are terrible for our body and organs but many of us are highly uniformed on this matter. We as consumers need to be more aware of what is going into our bodies. Genetically modified foods are an issue that a vast majority of the population is not even aware of. Since the early 1990s scientists have been able to enhance the genetic make up of organisms. This enables crops engineered in a lab to be able to give off their own pesticides and have other abilities the crop would not normally have. While it truly is amazing science, most of the food we eat today is not natural. Since it is not natural many of its original nutritional properties are not present. One of the main plants being modified is corn and it finds its way in a lot of the foods we eat. Someone might easily say just avoid corn and other possibly modified crops but it is not that simple. That corn can be in foods such as cereal and

Gonzalo 2 chips. It can also be in anything with high fructose corn syrup, which is in a lot of common foods. It can even be in meat due to that animal eating the modified crops. Other plants that are being modified the in the U.S. are canola, soybeans, cottons, sugar beets, alfalfa, Hawaiian papaya, zucchini and yellow squash. Today scientists are still not sure of the health effects this can impose on humans. One fact they are certain of is that they are not healthy for us. The Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture for assume it is safe until proven otherwise. Independent scientists that discover any results must get approval from the corporations such as Monsanto before they can legally publish any findings. Those who attempt to publish studies with out permission are threatened. Jeffery M. Smith gives an example of threats by saying Tragically, scientists who voice their criticism, as well as those who have discovered incriminating evidence, have been threatened, stripped of responsibilities, denied funding or tenure, or fired(The Campaign). The corporations are trying to keep the addition of these ingredients in their food a secret at all costs. Many have lost their jobs and benefits due to the power the corporations have. Lab tests performed on animals, such as rats, show that there are many unhealthy effects. These animals show that the bacteria from the genetically modified organisms do not fully digest but instead continue to harvest in the intestines. Jai Godheja states, Scientists also acknowledge that little is known about the long-term safety of consuming food made from GM products. No real long term

Gonzalo 3 testing has been done, so as of now a there are only theories of what can actually occur. Other studies on animals have shown that infertility and other reproductive issues come up. They also heavily influence the risk of obesity in these animals. The corporations are the only ones who are allowed to perform standardized test but they end up doing whatever tests they want. They also refuse to give out all information but insist they are proven safe in their testing. The US government has not done its job in overseeing the testing of these products before they become available to consumers. Another known possible health effect is from the pesticides. The pesticides cause the stomachs of the insects eating them to split open. This pesticide called Bacillus thuringiensis has also been known to be the cause of death for many animals that graze from plants enhanced with Bt. This pesticide is capable of affecting humans as Smith confirms people around the world who have traced toxic or allergic reactions to eating GM products, breathing GM pollen, or touching GM crops at harvest(The Campaign). Bt has caused many allergic reactions and flu like symptoms in humans due to is allergic properties. There could be a connection between genetic manipulation and the increase of food allergies and asthma. Bt in these crops is developed to be more toxic. Unlike regular pesticides that can be washed away, these cannot be due to being internal in the genes. The issue with GMOs (genetically modified organisms) becomes more alarming when many are not aware that they are consuming it. Unfortunately GMOs

Gonzalo 4 have made there way into almost all of our processed foods. Tim Anderson goes on to explain Today, foods containing GMO products account for 60 percent of food and agriculture products sold in our markets. There are no labeling requirements to identify them as such. The United States and Canada are currently the only industrialized countries that do not require the labeling of GMOs. The only way to avoid GMOs in food is if it says 100% organic. If it just says organic it means at least 95% of the ingredients are organic. Several countries including Greece, Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria have entirely banned the growing and selling of GMOs (Protect Yourself). Most Americans think GMO foods should be labeled and many petitions have gone around. The biotech industry, big agriculture and food manufacturers are afraid that labeling might scare off customers and hurt their profits. Because of this they refuse to label their foods with this information. On the other hand as the population of the world continues to grow this might be the future of agriculture. Pearson argues In developing countries, efforts to meet the growing demand for food will probably result in further exhaustion of existing farmland, leading farmers to cut down more forest acreage in a search for fertile soils. GM crops offer an alternative to this environmental catastrophe by providing increased yields from existing farmlands Many nations have been having a difficult time growing sufficient crops in order to feed their population. This is due in particular to droughts, storms, and pests. The ability of the plants to possibly require less water and have pesticides in their genetics will dramatically increase

Gonzalo 5 the success rate of crop growing. It is estimated that hunger and malnourishment that have caused 300 million deaths worldwide since 1970 (Pearson). Some foods might taste delicious but unknowingly are diminishing your health. I have only learned about this issue about a year ago but since I have learned about it I have slowly started taking steps to protect and educate myself on this. Many more need to be further educated on this subject. Once they know about these genetically modified foods and their potentially harmful effects they can make their own decision if they would like to continue to consume them, but it is unfair to unintentionally consume these foods. If genetically modified foods continue to be in our market the least the FDA should do is ensure its labeling. Everyone has the right to know what exactly is in the food they eat.

Gonzalo 6 Works Cited Anderson, Tim. "Counterpoint: GMO Foods Are Unsafe." Points Of View: Genetically Modified Foods (2013): 6. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. Godheja, Jai. "Impact Of GMO's On Environment And Human Health." Recent Research In Science & Technology 5.5 (2013): 26-29. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. Pearson, John. "Point: The Many Benefits Of Genetically Modified Foods." Points Of View: Genetically Modified Foods (2013): 5. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Smith, Jeffrey M. "THE CAMPAIGN For HEALTHIER EATING In AMERICA." Total Health 29.2 (2007): 38-40. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Smith, Jeffrey M. "Protect Yourself From Genetically Modified Foods." Total Health 27.3 (2005): 23-26. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.