GMO Labeling Debate

Should products that are genetically modified or are made with them be labeled?What about the food that an animal raised for human consumption ate? Do you want to know if your food is or contains GMO's? Should GMO's be labeled? There seems to be a lot of talk and controversy around labeling genetically modified organisms.

Before we get into labeling and such, let's talk about GMO's. GMO's or genetically modified organisms are organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. The DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. You may have heard it called gene splicing. GMO's are the constituents of genetically modified or biotech foods. This process can only happen in a laboratory. It does not happen in nature. I am not talking about selective breeding, plant breeding and animal breeding.

The most common application of GMO's is to withstand herbicides or to produce an insecticide. No GMO traits are on the market for bigger yields, drought resistance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit. You have probably heard of Round Up ready crops. They are plants that have been genetically engineered to be resistant to glyphosate. Glyphosate is a broad spectrum herbicide used to kill weeds. It inhibits an enzyme that plants need in order to grow. Without this enzyme plants are unable to produce other proteins essential for growth. Bt corn is another type of GMO. It is bioengineered to resist the European corn borer. The borer can cause significant damage to crops. The moth's larvae feed on maturing ears of corn. Bt, bacillus thuringiensis, is a live microorganism that kills certain insects. The GMO Bt corn includes part of the bacterium's DNA in its own genetic material. As the corn grows the poison builds up and destroys the digestive system of the moth and butterfly larvae. Susceptible larvae like the European corn borer eat fatal doses while feeding on the corn. The most common GMO crops right now are corn, soybeans, sweet corn, cotton, canola (rapeseed), and sugar beets.

The biggest controversy around GMO's is food safety. Are GMO's safe to eat? In the US the regulation of GMO's falls under the EPA, USDA, and the FDA. Those three agencies deal with different areas of regulation. The EPA evaluates for environmental safety. The USDA evaluates if something is safe to grow. The FDA decides if it is safe to eat. The EPA requires growers to have a license to grow GMO crops. The EPA regulates GMO's that contain a pesticide, like Bt. The USDA regulates pre-release field testing. The USDA has groups that assess and monitor GMO crops for safety. These groups can stop the production or movement of anything deemed unacceptable and can destroy the products. Under USDA regulation a genetically modified plant does not require a permit if it meets the following six criteria.

1. Is not a noxious weed.

2. Has whatever genetic material that was introduced stably integrated into the plants own genes.

3. The function of the introduced gene is known and does not cause plant disease.

4. Is not toxic to non-target organisms.

5. Will not cause the creation of new plant viruses.

6. Does not contain genetic material from animal or human pathogen (germ).

Once the plant is grown it is under FDA regulation. Agro-biotech companies may voluntarily ask the FDA for a consultation, including an evaluation of how eating the product affects people. The companies creating new GM foods do not have to consult the FDA, nor are required to follow the FDA's recommendations after the consultation. The FDA does not require nor test GMO's for safety. Since 1992, the FDA has claimed that each GMO brought to their attention is 'generally recognized as safe' (gras) and that no independent testing is needed.

Are GMO's the biggest scientific experiment on humans and largely without our knowledge? Should GMO's be labeled? The FDA does not demand special labeling of genetically modified foods. They contend that they are substantially equivalent to non GMO foods. Safety is the most controversial aspect of GMO production. There are concerns about allergic reactions, transfer of antibiotic resistant markers and other unknown effects. Is there a possibility of environmental effects on other organisms, a transfer of trans genes through cross pollination, loss of flora or fauna and biodiversity?

Simple question, what is the purpose? The purpose of Round Up ready plants is the application of more pesticides. Glyphosates harm grazing animals and infiltrate wells and ground water. There already are resistant super weeds to Round up. It removes minerals from the soil it is sprayed on. Might I also mention that glysophates create sterility and birth defects among animals and humans? Most of the honey bee die-off, or colony collapse, is attributed to glyphosates. If enough pollinating bees disappear, our food chain is endangered further. The purpose of Bt crops is food with the pesticide already in it. This may have created mutated insect species. Research has confirmed that at least 8 populations of insects have acquired resistance to Bt crops and spraying. Please refer to natural society dot com for information and links to studies. There is a French study in which rats were fed genetically modified corn and developed tumors. Seventy percent of females died prematurely and just about all had organ damage. The study is entitled, "A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health." You can find links to the abstract at natural news dot com. To sum up, in my opinion, the purpose is more pesticides dumped in the environment. The result being resistant plants and insects and negative health effects on animals and humans. It's in the water! I'm really not feeling the benefit. How about you?

Let's get back to my original question. Should GMO's be labeled? I think they should be given the information that I have learned. I want to know if any part or whole of a product I am buying contains genetically modified organisms. Label them and let consumers decide. It will come down to supply and demand. I do not think GMO and non GMO are the same. One plant will die if dosed with an insecticide and the other will not. One plant has an insecticide in its cells and the other does not. These plants did not acquire these traits on their own.

The controversy surrounding GMO's is vast and it definitely goes beyond labeling. Personally, I don't wish to be involved in a scientific experiment against my will. Other countries are banning GMO's and performing longer studies on the effects of them, so I have hope. Unless and until labeling is required I will buy organic and look for GMO free labels.

Carol Burnham is a health and wellness coach and self-proclaimed health nut. She specializes in health coaching customized for anyone who has been or is in an alcohol recovery program. The primary focus is on nourishing and cleansing the body and becoming addicted to good, vibrant health. She also enjoys yoga, hiking and playing rock band with her family. To learn more please visit http://www.healthcoachcarol.com

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For Fear of Genetically Modified Organisms

There are currently an abundance of genetically modified foods available at the market place. The seeds for such products can readily be purchased in just about any garden shop and run no more in cost than the traditional heirloom varieties.

People often ask what are genetically modified foods? In short, they are any organism which has had its genetic makeup altered. As we have come to understand the process of combining various genes from different organisms is frequently referred to as recombinant DNA technology. Those organisms which result are known as genetically modified, engineered or simply transgenic. Genome sequencing programs are currently underway for hundreds of organisms producing detailed genetic maps to allow new and more exciting agriculture products to be introduced.

In agriculture these genetically changed vegetables result in insect or disease resistant plants which may produce larger or in some cases greater amounts of fruit. To date there is in excess of 252 million acres planted worldwide of transgenic crops which include staples such as alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton and soybeans (Ornl.gov, 2008). We have trials currently being undertaken on virus resistant sweet potatoes and rice enriched with iron and vitamins. On the future horizons we find bananas which will provide human vaccines to guard against infectious diseases like hepatitis B; we see fish being breed which will mature in a fraction of the time it currently takes and finally our farmer's herds of cows will be resistant to the dreaded bovine spongiform encephalopathy or as commonly called mad cow disease. Most fruit trees are being engineered to yield produce years before their conventional counterparts.

Delaware being a major agricultural state provides a pivot point in this research. As you travel past the University of Delaware Agricultural Research center in Georgetown, Delaware you can view field after field of corn trials each with specific characteristics and all GMO dominant. Generally, these products are not openly available to the public but are still in the research stages. For my subject today I have selected Bt Corn (Sammons, 2005) as a topic of discussion. Bt corn has within its makeup a bacterium gene which aids it in manufacturing its own form of insecticide. This organism offers great hope towards decreasing the amount of residual pesticides found in the environment.

Crops which are engineered to resistance disease or to be pest resistant are frequently monitored closely by the EPA, Bt corn is one of those crops. The Bt corn crop contains a soil bacterium gene known as Bacillus thuringiensis. This bacterium generally will produce spores which possess a crystalline type protein. When this composition is eaten by an insect such as the European Corn Borer, the bacterium starts to break down and produces a toxin referred to as delta-endotoxin. As a result of eating the product the toxin will create holes within the intestines of the insect which degrades their digestive system to the extent that ultimately it causes their death within days.

Having mentioned the benefits associated with Bt corn let's now turn our attention to the negative aspects of the product. There have been expressions of concern as to whether the corn could have any impact upon the local butterfly populations. In all honesty, butterfly larvae are especially vulnerable to the Bt corn toxin therefore we will merely have to wait and see what the long term effects are.

The major complaint centers upon the concept that we simply do not know enough about the corn to deem it harmless to humans. In reality, we can not know what the long term effects are. Occasionally, mankind must take chances and GMO crops are just that - educated chances. I believe it is extremely important to consider the benefits which BT corn can bring to humanity. Every year farmers lose vast numbers of their crops to common insect pests and at the end of the growing season they take a loss. Think for a moment the amount of pesticides which are usually sprayed on our regular corn crop merely to keep the insects at bay. It all comes down to the fact that as a consumer would you prefer to eat a meal of healthy GMO corn or a regular grown corn soaked in uncertain pesticides?

Our population continues to grow larger with each passing year, while at the same time acres of farm land are being sold to developers to build apartment complexes to house these people. Somewhere we must have a handoff. We can not have it the way it has been for hundreds of years. The farmers that we have left must grow enough food to compensate for those who have now sold the farm and moved on. To me genetically engineered foods which can contribute twice the amount of conventional foods are necessary. I for one support the idea of genetic engineered foods with the understanding that they are properly managed and follow-ups conducted to ensure the human safety factor.

Government control is inevitable and will take place. I would like to think that their major role in this process would be merely to oversee the safety aspects of the GMO foods and not to dictate their own whims as to whether it is right or wrong. They should pass label legislation which informs the consumer that they are about to purchase a modified food. In this way the individual is afforded the opportunity to either accept the food or go elsewhere to purchase it such as an organic farm. In no way should conventional foods be outlawed as many people fear will happen.

Reference

Ornl.gov. (2008). Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms. Retrieved from http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml

Sammons, A. (2005). Genetically Modified Corn. Retrieved from http://lwicker.myweb.uga.edu/corn.htm

http://www.survival-training.info

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The Future of Food - Trailer

Full film available here: www.videoproject.com There is a revolution happening in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat. The Future of Food offers an in-depth exploration of several important developments in agriculture today including the diminishment of biodiversity, patenting of life, loss of family farms, consolidation of seed companies and the globalization of our food system. Using genetically engineered crops as a primary cause and result of these new developments, the film delves into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled the worlds grocery stores for the past decade. From the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada to the fields of Oaxaca, Mexico, The Future of Food gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by new, patented GMO seeds. The film uses animation to explain the process of recombinant DNA technology which allows genetic engineering, the movement of DNA from one species to another. The legal foundations for, and consequences of, patenting life are explored in depth. The health implications, government policies and push towards globalization are presented as some of the reasons why many people are alarmed by the takeover of our food supply by corporations and their genetically engineered crops. The global battle over agricultural genetic engineering is as fierce now as ...

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Genetically Modified Foods in America | Health Documentary

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. Organisms that have been genetically modified include micro-organisms such as bacteria and yeast, insects, plants, fish, and mammals. GMOs are the source of genetically modified foods, and are also widely used in scientific research and to produce goods other than food. The term GMO is very close to the technical legal term, 'living modified organism' defined in the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which regulates international trade in living GMOs (specifically, "any living organism that possesses a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology"). This article focuses on what organisms have been genetically engineered, and for what purposes. The article on genetic engineering focuses on the history and methods of genetic engineering, and on applications of genetic engineering and of GMOs. Both articles cover much of the same ground but with different organizations (sorted by organism in this article; sorted by application in the other). There are separate articles on genetically modified crops, genetically modified food, regulation of the release of genetic modified organisms, and controversies.

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