2008 Woodie Awards
FUTURE SHOCK FOOD: Genetically Modified Foods - Boon or Bust?
"New" foods are here, for better or worse.
Tiffany Farmakis and LaGina Phillips
Issue date: 5/19/04 Section: News
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Scientists have figured out a way to combat blindness in children, which is primarily problematic in third world countries. Genetically modified "golden rice," infused with daffodil and bacterium remedies vitamin A deficiency, the cause of the disease. However, to be effective, the children would have to eat 10 times their consumable amount, and would hardly be financially feasible.
GM crops help farmers produce at a lesser cost while supposedly spreading less pesticides, but at the same time the modified crops and animals are causing irreversible environmental and health effects.
"To use genetic engineering to manipulate plants, release them into the environment and introduce them into our food chains is scientifically premature, unsafe and irresponsible," Richard Steinbrecher, a geneticist working for the Women's Environmental Network said.
The term GM foods or GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) refers to crops created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. The plants are modified by receiving transplants of foreign DNA to augment desired traits like an increased resistance to pesticides or improved nutritional content.
GM foods are already being produced and sold in supermarkets nationwide. Soybeans and corn are the two most widely grown GM crops with cotton, canola and potatoes trailing behind.
In 1989, dozens of Americans died and several thousand were afflicted and impaired by a genetically altered version of the food supplement L-tryptophan. Showa Denko, Japan's third largest chemical company, was ordered to pay $2 billion dollars to the victims' families.
Most genetic foods are created in the United States by companies such as Monsanto, the world's leading GM food producer.
In 1994 Federal Drug Administration's (FDA) approved Monsanto's rBGH, a genetically produced growth hormone, for injection into dairy cows. Scientists warned the resulting increase of IGF-1, a potent chemical hormone, is linked to 400-500 percent higher risks of human breast, prostrate, and colon cancer.
Cows injected with rBGH have a much higher level of udder infections and require more antibiotics. This leaves high levels of antibiotic residues in the milk. Scientists have warned of public health hazards due to growing antibiotic resistance. Milk from cows with rBGH also contains substantially higher levels of pus, bacteria, and fat.
The infected cows caused thousands to contract diseases such as cancer, and even caused death.
GM crops help farmers produce at a lesser cost while supposedly spreading less pesticides, but at the same time the modified crops and animals are causing irreversible environmental and health effects.
"To use genetic engineering to manipulate plants, release them into the environment and introduce them into our food chains is scientifically premature, unsafe and irresponsible," Richard Steinbrecher, a geneticist working for the Women's Environmental Network said.
The term GM foods or GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) refers to crops created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. The plants are modified by receiving transplants of foreign DNA to augment desired traits like an increased resistance to pesticides or improved nutritional content.
 Media Credit: Photo Illustration by Salvador Aguilar |
GM foods are already being produced and sold in supermarkets nationwide. Soybeans and corn are the two most widely grown GM crops with cotton, canola and potatoes trailing behind.
In 1989, dozens of Americans died and several thousand were afflicted and impaired by a genetically altered version of the food supplement L-tryptophan. Showa Denko, Japan's third largest chemical company, was ordered to pay $2 billion dollars to the victims' families.
Most genetic foods are created in the United States by companies such as Monsanto, the world's leading GM food producer.
In 1994 Federal Drug Administration's (FDA) approved Monsanto's rBGH, a genetically produced growth hormone, for injection into dairy cows. Scientists warned the resulting increase of IGF-1, a potent chemical hormone, is linked to 400-500 percent higher risks of human breast, prostrate, and colon cancer.
Cows injected with rBGH have a much higher level of udder infections and require more antibiotics. This leaves high levels of antibiotic residues in the milk. Scientists have warned of public health hazards due to growing antibiotic resistance. Milk from cows with rBGH also contains substantially higher levels of pus, bacteria, and fat.
The infected cows caused thousands to contract diseases such as cancer, and even caused death.
