In recent years, GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, have become an essential component to food production in the United States. While many other countries have different opinions on genetically modified products, countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Canada also grow genetically modified crops. Genetically modified products have been around since the mid-1990s. About 60% of all processed foods in the United States contain ingredients from engineered soybean, corn, or canola. There are three different federal departments in the United States that regulate GMOs–the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA reviews data on allergens, toxicity, and nutrient levels given to them voluntarily by farmers and decide if they are eligible to be produced or need to undergo further testing.
Different types of genetic modifications
The Food and Drug Administration identifies three common kinds of genetic modification the United States uses. First is the oldest form of genetic modifications called cross-breeding. Scientists take related species and cross-pollinates them to create another related species that carries specific genes from the parent organisms. For example, this can result in an organism with an improved growth rate. Next there is genetic engineering, which takes a gene or multiple genes from a donor organism and insert it into another organism so that the specific gene is apparent. An example of this could be a rat gene inserted into lettuce to make it produce Vitamin C or to make a plant have a tolerance to herbicides that kill weeds without affecting the crop itself. Last, is genome editing which creates new crop varieties. This allows scientists to make specific changes to the DNA of an organism. The most common form of genetic modification is genetic engineering, or GMOs, that are found all over our supermarkets and inside almost every processed food.
Genetic Engineering
GMOs are under the category of genetic engineering. Genetically modified organisms can also be called transgenic or biotech crops. Transgenic food crops such as corn, squash, canola, soybeans, and cotton are currently on the market. There are transgenic animals such as salmon, cows, and sheep, but those are not on the market yet. Dean DellaPenna of Michigan State University believes that genetically engineered foods are the key to new advances in agriculture and health; however, critics believe that these genetically engineered products are being brought in too fast without their effects fully understood. GMOs have proven to increase crop yields, reduce costs for food or drug production, reduce the need for pesticides, enhance nutrient composition and food quality, resistance to pests and diseases, provide greater food security and medical benefits to the world’s growing population. GMOs are not only used if food production, but also medicines such as insulin. They are also used in the textile industry. Foods that contain GMOs are not required to have a label in the United States. In 2018, the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS) was published requiring that some GMO products will have to be labeled by 2022. This gives consumers knowledge of which foods they are purchasing have undergone genetic engineering.
GMOs in our Food
https://www.centerfornaturalhealthcareredwing.com/2016-11-7-gmo-foods-beware/
People are unknowingly consuming foods that have been genetically modified everyday. Ingredients such as cornstarch, corn syrup, corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, and granulated sugar have all been produced using GMO crops. Produce items such as potatoes, summer squash, apples, and papayas are available in GMO varieties. A lot of the foods we are are produced using GMO ingredients; however, most GMO crops grown in the United States are used in animal feed. More than 95% of meat and dairy animals in the United States eat GMO crops; however, the meat, eggs, or milk from the animals are not considered GMO. About 92% of corn, 94% of soybeans, and 94% of cotton grown in the United States is genetically engineered. These crops are used to make many of the ingredients that are found in processed foods. The more processed a food is, the higher chance that it will contain some type of GMO ingredient–which is extremely easy to find in the United States.
Blog post by Skylor Tucker
Sources
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. (2020, April 22). Science and History of GMOs and Other Food Modification Processes. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/science-and-history-gmos-and-other-food-modification-processes
Ackerman, J. (2016, September 28). Altered Food, GMOs, Genetically Modified Food – National Geographic. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/food-how-altered/
Phillips, T., Ph.D. (2008). Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Transgenic Crops and Recombinant DNA Technology. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genetically-modified-organisms-gmos-transgenic-crops-and-732/
What is a GMO? (2016). Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts/what-is-gmo/
GMO Facts. (2016). Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts/
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. (2020, March 4). GMO Crops, Animal Food, and Beyond. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/gmo-crops-animal-food-and-beyond
Pacumbaba, P. (2020, July 20). GMO Food Facts: Bioengineered Crops – A look at modern agriculture. Retrieved September 21, 2020, from https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/fruits-vegetables-urban/gmo-food-facts-bioengineered-crops/