Genetically altered foods are modified using genes from other organisms. A majority of genetically engineered foods are produced using plant substances. Foods are genetically altered to enhance their size, durability, nutrition, color or taste. Genetically altered foods can allow for more nutritious foods, but they may also produce harmful by-products.
Reasons for Genetic Engineering
Foods are often genetically engineered to protect crops and ensure that they make it from the farm to your grocery store. Plant foods such as corn and maize are routinely genetically modified to express traits that allow for pest resistance. This enables farmers to use far fewer chemical pesticides, which may pose a greater risk to human and environmental health. Furthermore, genetic engineering is used to help plants resist herbicides, disease, cold, droughts and other environmental factors that could potentially damage crops.
Genetically Engineered Foods and Malnutrition
Because malnutrition affects a large portion of the world's population, the use of genetic engineering provides a beneficial option for relief. Many developing countries around the globe rely on a single crop such as rice to sustain themselves. In cases like these, foods may be engineered to produce beneficial nutrients like beta carotene or vitamin A that the food lacks in its natural state. Genetically altered foods are also more likely to yield higher crops, which can help to relieve world hunger. The majority of modified foods, however, are genetically engineered for herbicide and pest tolerance rather than to supplement human nutrition.
Altering for Nutrition
Food may be altered a number of ways to improve its nutritive value. For example, oils may be engineered to have less fat content and tomatoes may be altered to increase flavonoid production, thereby increasing the efficacy of inherent antioxidants. Foods with higher flavonoid content can help reduce the risk of several cardiac disorders. The possibilities for improving the nutritive value of foods are endless, but many potential risks exist as well.
Potential Hazards
Genetically altered foods face some significant concerns about their effects on other organisms. Toxins released from genetically altered foods such as corn and potatoes often kill not just their intended pests, but many other unintended species such as aphids and monarch butterfly larvae. This may lead to profound negative effects on the earth's ecosystems. Furthermore, genetically altered foods may increase the development of potentially life-threatening allergies to products like peanuts. Foods that have been altered using genes from Brazil nuts have induced allergic reactions in vulnerable individuals.
References
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: Genetically Engineered Foods
- "Food and Chemical Toxicology"; Assessment of the safety of foods derived from genetically modified (GM) crops; A. König; July 2004.
- New York Times: Genetically Engineered Foods
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