Genetically modified organisms

Genetically modified organisms

Name

School

Instructor

Date due

Introduction

Technological development has led to innovation of various strategies in the company. Genetic modification of organism was started in 1980 which have been a very effective method of improving weak unproductive plants. A genetically modified organism involves an organism which have undergone alteration to contain a portion of another organism’s DNA (Loureiro, 2013). Since invention, this strategy for modification of genes have been implemented to make copies of the genes, determine the function of the gene and creation of disease models. This method of gene modification have greatly been adopted in agriculture to develop diseases resistant crops and also increase productivity.

People have had different opinions on genetically modified organisms. Some people are so afraid of eating food from plants which have been genetically modified. This is because the crops are exposed to a variety of chemicals for pesticide control as well as growth boosters. This paper will help us to understand the benefits and weaknesses from genetically modifying organisms.

What is the purpose of genetically engineering of crop plants?

Crops are genetically modified to acquire different traits. They are those crops that are modified in order to become insect resistant. This trait is beneficial to the farmers as they acquire long protection against insects thus minimizing the number of pesticides application. Other crops are modified to for the purposes of drought control. When crops are genetically modified they become drought resistant making them adaptive to harsh weather conditions which occur when there is a drought. For instance, cotton and corn are genetically modified to help them survive the weather changes especially when there is a drought. There are some crops that are modified to to make them herbicide tolerant. Many farmers control weeds in the farmer by applying herbicides which affects the soil. When crops are modified farmers reduce the number of times herbicides are applied. Farmers need to be concerned with activities that promote crop production and not factors that negatively affect the soil like soil erosion (Azadi, 2010). There are some plants that are genetically modified to enhance nutritional value like enrich vitamins. Finally, other crops are genetically modified to help them survive from diseases that affect crops leading to poor harvest.

How are GMOs created?

Genetically modified organism are created by inserting the new DNA structure into the chromosomal DNA of the organism. During the process, one requires the physical DNA with particular base subsequence.

Which foods in your supermarket contain GMOs?

In most supermarkets there different foods that contains GMO. These are; soy products which have additions on proteins and vitamin supplements, corns and all its products like corn chips, infant formula, salad dressing, cookies and cereals. Canola also contains GMO; processed foods, crackers, cereal, candy and oil blends.

Are foods that contain GMOs safe for human consumption?

Many people have argued on either sides about safety of GMO foods to human health. It is automatic that people always have fear of the unknown. From research, it is evident that before food is taken to the market, it has to be approved by the FDA. By saying that food with GMO is not safe for consumption it definitely means that the Food Safety Authority is corrupt (Qaim, 2013). Therefore, foods with GMO is safe for human consumption.

What types of regulations exist for these foods?

In the US there has been a conflict on which body is responsible for setting food standards and regulation policy. Consequently, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was formulated to approve the use of GMF’s. It is through this policy that GMO was developed. This policy provides guidelines to the food manufacturing industries on the level of chemicals that can be used without causing harm to human beings. The policy allows experimenting of all the food substances of any presence of poisonous substances. Labelling is also regulates by the FDA (Loureiro, 2013). The policy states that the manufacturer has to clearly label their food products. They also should include all the facts about the product and the ingredients involved. When the council of regulation was formulated, they required that products to be labeled if they were produced through GMO. For instance, soybeans were labeled ‘produced from genetically produced soybeans.’

Conclusion

GMO has been of great importance to solving the issue of food security. Through GMO the world has realized consistent food production thus solving earlier challenges on drought and nutrition deficiency. The relevant bodies in the food market need to ensure that the food industries do not over use chemical substances that may be poisonous for human consumption. There is need to ensure that food standards are maintained. Finally, people should not fear consuming GMO food since the food has been tested and approved by specialists.

References

Azadi, H., & Ho, P. (2010). Genetically altered and organic crops in developing countries: A review of selections for food security. Biotechnology advances28(1), 160-168.

Loureiro, M. L. (2013). GMO food labelling in the EU: tracing ‘the sources of dispute’. EuroChoices2(1), 18-23.

Qaim, M., & Kouser, S. (2013). Genetically altered crops and food security. PloS one8(6), e64879.

Place an Order

Plagiarism Free!

Scroll to Top