Genetically Modified Foods - Literature review Example

Genetically Modified Foods of the 19 April Genetically Modified Foods How many people will go about including a genetically modified tomato in their salad if they know that it carries a toad gene? Genetically modified foods are such foods, some aspect of which has been modified using the genetic engineering (Weirich, 2007). Today an array of fruits and produce that have been designed genetically are available in the market for human consumption. As per the guidelines of the Food and Drug Administration, it is not necessary to separately label such GM foods (Weirich, 2007). As per the information provided by the companies that design or produce genetically modified foods states that this is totally safe to grow and produce genetically modified foods. According to them, genetically modified foods pose no threat to the human health or the larger environment. The creation and production of genetically modified foods is something that is still in a very early stage. It is too difficult to study and consider their impact on the humans and other plants and animals. The public and expert opinion regarding the genetically modified food is highly polarized. Practically speaking the supermarkets today are flooded with genetically modified foods. This is giving way to much resistance against genetically modified foods. Not everybody thinks that genetically modified foods are safe for human consumption. Yet, there are people who believe that genetically modified foods are the future of humanity. While there are some experts who believe that genetically modified foods are safe, there are others who believe that in the absence of authentic safety studies, genetically modified foods are a risky thing. Many experts believe that genetically modified foods could do much harm in the long run (Weasel, 2009). Genetically modified foods are produced by tampering with the natural genes of the natural plants to highlight some specific effects of the produce as desired by the scientists. However, the thing is that producing genetically modified foods is like playing with nature. Manipulating the genes of natural plants and animals could lead to the creation of such biochemical or species that my not only turn out to be poisonous, but could also harm the health of the people who are consuming them. For instance how could a GM company ascertain that the genetically modified cucumber it has created will have no toxic impact on the friendly insects present in the soil it is grown (Weasel, 2009)? It is too early to document the overall impact of genetically modified foods or the harmful impact they could have on human populations. Besides the thing is that once the plants and animals carrying the mutant genes are released in the nature, there is no turning back. Once the plants and animals with toxic genes are set free, they could play havoc with the human and animal health and could jeopardize varied other plants and animals species residing in the wild. Besides, these plant and animals could reproduce with varied other non-target species and could create such organisms that were never intended by the nature and which could badly impact the stability of the natural plant and animal species (Weasel, 2009). Producing and creating genetically modified food is like handing over the role of Mother Nature into the human hands. This argument is indeed valid as no scientists could conclusively delineate the overall impact of any specific gene. In that context Mother Nature rules out harmful species by natural selection over a period of thousands of years. However, left to human hands, such genetically modified species could go haywire and cause havoc. However, the people supporting genetically modified foods do believe that genetic manipulation and selection is something that nature does on a regular basis (Toke 76). It is not something abnormal, evil or strange. Nature does temper with the genes of organisms over time. So, what is wrong if this gets done in the laboratory. It is readily possible to check the safety aspects of genetically modified foods under strict and creative laboratory environment (Toke 177). The humanity should not be deprived of a viable source of health and nutrition just because it got created in laboratory rather than by natural selection. Thereby, genetically modified foods are actually a gift of science. Till now, humanity has been largely unable to manipulate the genes of the plant and animal species that the propagated for food purposes. This was owing to a lack of the required technologies and scientific way outs. However, today science has provided the humanity with the required tools and opportunities to manipulate the genetic attributes of animal and plant species tended for food. Hence, now is the time that the farming communities should take the aid of science to enhance their productivity and grow plant species that have better attributes. Today science has indeed made it possible to enhance such features of the food crops that add to their nutrition profile and productivity (Toke 76). Now it is possible to grow such plants that are better sources of protein or that give a much higher yield. The advantages of genetically modified foods should not be set aside because they have been improved and genetically modified in a laboratory environment. In the times to come the science of genetics will get more refined and sophisticated. Thereby, it will be able to produce such plant and animal species that will have higher nutrition content and that will be totally safe against the potential pests and plant diseases. Thereby, humanity then will be in a much better situation to find answers to the problems caused by food scarcity and the large scale destruction of food crops by pests, rodents and diseases. The other argument that disfavors the genetically modified foods is that till now there are no fool proof procedures and processes that could thoroughly ascertain the overall safety of genetically modified foods (Pilnick, 2009). In the absence of such procedures, it is vital to exercise restraint in the creation and production of genetically modified plant and animal species. The scientific community at present is not in a position to access the overall impact of genetically modified. Hence, it will be utterly naive to move on with the industrial scale production of genetically modified foods. There is a valid possibility that any harmful or toxic aspect of some genetically modified food if left undetected could do much harm to the human population in general and the larger environment in particular. Thereby the scientific community should go about the proliferation of genetically modified food in a very responsible and accountable manner. The scientists should not hurry with the introduction of genetically modified foods in the market. They should rather take their time and ascertain the safety aspects of genetically modified foods under laboratory conditions. Protocols and procedures need to be set to first ascertain the safety of genetically modified food under laboratory conditions. Once it is done, only than the scientists should think of introducing genetically modified foods in the marketplace. Supporting the creation and large scale production of genetically modified food without being aware of the eventual repercussions of it will be really irresponsible and naïve. This argument is really relevant. Genetic engineering is a science that is still in its nascent stage and thereby, producing and supporting genetically modified food with an incomplete documentation and identification of its eventual effects is indeed unethical and wrong (Pilnick, 2009). Yet, the supporters of genetically modified food do say that just because genetics is a relatively new science, this no way means that it should be stopped from benefitting humanity by creating genetically modified foods (Goldstein & Goldstein 244). If the humanity had been so conscious about every new science, the human society would never have progressed the way it has. So like other sciences, the humanity should respect the gains made by genetics by creating genetically modified foods. Just because genetically modified foods are a new thing this is no reason to be fearful about them. The thing that needs to be kept in mind is that almost all scientific inventions and discoveries did face a measure of resistance to begin with. Yet, if humanity had given way to the objections raised against scientific inventions like antibiotics, vaccines or chemical fertilizers, it would not have been able to progress in the way it actually has. The same stands true of the science of genetics. At present it is relatively a new science. Thereby the genetically modified foods are bound to face a measure of social and expert opposition. However, if the larger humanity gives in to such baseless objections and logic, than the humanity would never be able to get rid of the issues like hunger and malnutrition. In that context, genetically modified foods are a step in the right direction. Genetically modified foods should not be opposed because they happen to be a relatively new introduction to the world food markets. Rather the consumers and experts need to welcome them so as to encourage the scientists who are creating genetically modified foods. The relative novelty of any scientific discovery is not a valid reason to oppose or deny it. Hence, genetically modified foods may be a new thing, but it no way means that they are something dangerous or evil. Genetically modified foods do deserve a big yes from the consumers and experts. There is a growing body of experts who believe that genetically modified foods are the eventual and conclusive answer to the problem of world hunger (Jefferson, 2006). They believe that conventional crops owing to their low yield and susceptibility to parasites and decay have not been able to give way to a hunger free world (Jefferson, 2006). According to them by producing and creating genetically modified foods that have a very exceptional yield per hectare and that are not vulnerable to natural parasites and rodents, one could create a hunger free world. As per them genetically modified foods are the key to do away with a world situation where thousands of people die of hunger every day. However, the thing that needs to be understood is that in the name of defeating hunger, one could not produce food whose harmful effects are not fully known (Jefferson, 2006). In case such food turns out to be toxic or capable of playing havoc with the natural cycle of crops, it may even worsen the problem of world hunger. So just to solve an existent problem, it makes no sense to let the humanity contend with much bigger issues brought into existence by genetically modified foods. Just because a large proportion of humanity is going hungry, this no way justifies infiltrating the world food markets with genetically modified foods. The thing is that nothing is known till date as to the overall harmful effects of genetically modified food. Besides, the scientific community still lacks the tools to ascertain the overall impact of genetically modified food on the human health and larger environment. Thereby, opting for genetically modified foods without having a complete idea regarding their safety profile and toxic potential will be really irresponsible and greedy. One cannot let loose crops and produce with a doubtful safety profile in the name of hollow claims that this will do away with the problem of hunger. Hence, bringing in genetically modified foods to the market place in the name of faulty scientific reasoning is a wrong thing to do. Genetically modified foods still pose much risk and danger to the human health and well being. Hence, for the time genetically modified foods should be barred from market place. References Goldstein, Myrna Chandler, & Mark A Goldstein. Controversies in Food and Nutrition. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002. Print. Jefferson, Valeria. “The Ethical Dilemma of Genetically Modified Food”. Journal of Environmental Health 69.1 (2006): 33-37. Print. Pilnick, Alison. Genetics and Society. Philadelphia: Open University Press, 2009. Print. Toke, Dave. The Politics of GM Food. New York: Routledge, 2004. Print. Weasel, Lisa H. Food Fray. New York: AMACOM, 2009. Print. Weirich, Paul. Labeling Genetically Modified Food. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print. Read More