I keep hearing it is bad for health from a bunch of misinformed people with no knowledge who just say random junk. Scientists say there is no difference better GM and normal foods for health? So how is it bad? Please give me a reason why people think GM foods arre bad for ones health. And no, GM foods are not more suspectibe to E Coli (taco bell incidence), plenty of normal food gets it a lot.
Biology - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
it could be because the GM foods have hormones implanted in them for growth, taste, whatever. i still think that natural foods are best. as long as you know what is in your food and where it came from, you should be fine....
2 :
Benefits of GM foods There is a need to produce inexpensive, safe and nutritious foods to help feed the world’s growing population. Genetic modification may provide: Better quality food Higher nutritional yields Inexpensive and nutritious food, like carrots with more antioxidants Foods with a greater shelf life, like tomatoes that taste better and last longer Food with medicinal benefits, such as edible vaccines - for example, bananas with bacterial or rotavirus antigens Crops and produce that require less chemical application, such as herbicide resistant canola. Advocates argue that GM foods are potentially better for the environment. By using genetically engineered crops that are resistant to attack by pests or disease, farmers and primary producers do not have to apply large amounts of pesticides and chemicals to the surrounding environment. Developing crops that are resistant to particular herbicides and pesticides may reduce the amount of pesticides used in food production and the residual pesticide levels in the environment. The risks of genetically modified crops Food regulatory authorities require that GM foods receive individual pre-market safety assessments. Also, the principle of ‘substantial equivalence’ is used. This means that an existing food is compared with its genetically modified counterpart to find any differences between the existing food and the new product. The assessment investigates: Toxicity (using similar methods to those used for conventional foods) Tendency to provoke any allergic reaction Stability of the inserted gene Whether there is any nutritional deficit or change in the GM food Any other unintended effects of the gene insertion. A GM food will only be approved for sale if it is safe and is as nutritious as its conventional counterparts. The safety of GM foods is still being debated, as it is impossible to predict all of the potential effects on human health and the environment. Some public health experts, however, advocate caution and believe that ‘we are only at the "scientific starting line", we simply don’t know whether GM foods are safe’. Stephen Leeder, ‘Genetically modified foods - food for thought’, MJA www.mja.com.au Some concerns that have been raised by scientists, community groups and members of the public include: New allergens could be inadvertently created - known allergens could be transferred from traditional foods into GM foods. For instance, during laboratory testing, a gene from the Brazil nut was introduced into soybeans. It was found that people with allergies to Brazil nuts could also be allergic to soybeans that had been genetically modified in this way. No allergic effects have been found with currently approved GM foods. Antibiotic resistance may develop - bioengineers sometimes insert a ‘marker’ gene to help them identify whether a new gene has been successfully introduced to the host DNA. One such marker gene is for resistance to particular antibiotics. If genes coded for such resistance enter the food chain and are taken up by human gut microflora, the effectiveness of antibiotics could be reduced and human infectious disease risk increased. Research has shown that the risk is very low; however, there is general agreement that use of these markers should be phased out. Stephen Leeder, ‘Genetically modified foods - food for thought’, MJA www.mja.com.au, John Huppatz and Paula A Fitzgerald, MJA 2000 Cross-breeding - other risks include the potential for cross-breeding between GM crops and surrounding vegetation, including weeds. This could result in weeds that are resistant to herbicides and would thus require a greater use of herbicides, which could lead to soil and water contamination. The environmental safety aspects of GM crops vary considerably according to local conditions. Pesticide resistant insects - the genetic modification of some crops to permanently produce the natural biopesticide Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin could encourage the evolution of Bt-resistant insects, rendering the spray ineffective. Wherever pesticides are used, insect resistance can occur and good agricultural practice includes strategies to minimise this. Biodiversity - growing GM crops on a large scale may also have implications for biodiversity, the balance of wildlife and the environment. This is why environmental agencies closely monitor their use. Cross-contamination - plants bioengineered to produce pharmaceuticals (medicines etc) may contaminate food crops. Provisions have been introduced in the USA requiring substantial buffer zones, use of separate equipment and a rule that land used for such crops lie fallow for the next year
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