The safety of genetically modified foods has been a significant matter of dispute in the last years. Many people are suspicious of GMOs claiming that they have been introduced not so long ago and may bear considerable risks. However, during nearly twenty years that “bioengineered foods” have been on the market, there haven’t been documented any serious cases of health hazard due to their consumption (AMA CSAPH). Thereby, it can be stated with a high level of certainty that it is secure to eat genetically modified products.
A wide range of respectable institutions supports the idea that all currently marketed GM foods are safe for human health. These include the World Health Organization, the Joint Research Centre (the EU research laboratory), the U.S. National Research Council, the American Medical Association, the National Academies of Sciences, the Royal Society of Medicine, etc. They haven’t noted any evidence of danger to the health in the course of continuous research of GMOs (Haspel; Ronald). Both national and international organizations conduct special studies to ensure that bioengineered products do not cause harm to the consumers. Up to date, these efforts have proved to be effective.
In fact, genetically modified foods are subject to thorough control. Each new bioengineered product should pass special safety tests before it can be released to the market (AMA CSAPH). Particular attention is paid to potential allergenic and toxic properties of the novel GMOs. In contrast, such assessments rarely apply to conventional foods which are often considered to be safe a priori (“FAQ on GM Foods”). GMOs are a rather new invention, and it is true that they should be examined carefully, but it seems strange that only a few care about the safety of new types of non-GMO products.
The ways of testing transgenic foods differ from country to country. The USA practices the method of “substantial equivalence” consisting in rigorous comparison of the novel GM product with its unaltered counterpart. If the characteristics are similar, the product is considered to be safe; otherwise, it undergoes further testing (AMA CSAPH). Some states perform a “case-by-case” assessment for all new GMOs (“FAQ on GM Foods”). This means that each bioengineered food is analyzed in the same way. At all events, no matter what methodology the country chooses, each novel transgenic product is thoroughly examined before people may consume it.
Moreover, genetic engineering appears to have more advantages than traditional selective breeding, despite GM opponents think differently. Both methods have the same aim to improve the qualities of the products, but GM technology gives more precise results within less time spent. During GMO creation, a single gene may be inserted into the organism, and scientists may predict and control the situation (Freedman). On the contrary, selective breeding implies more significant changes. Thus, GM technology presents less risk than the traditional one.
Besides, most countries require labeling of genetically modified foods in order to keep the consumers calm. The United States mark only those bioengineered products which differ considerably from the original ones in accordance with the “substantive equivalence” policy. However, the customers may choose foods labeled “USDA Organic” in case they do not trust the GM technology (AMA CSAPH). Some countries have more rigid legislation in this sphere. The European Union applies mandatory labeling of all bioengineered foods that contain more than 0.9% of GMOs (Davison). Thus, information about the GMO content in products is provided to customers, and those who are still suspicious of the bioengineered foods may choose the conventional ones.
However, despite the fact that there is a consensus on the safety of GMOs in the scientific circles, there are still opponents to this notion. Some anti-GMO scientists have conducted researches which results shocked the public. For example, in 1998, a biochemist Arpad Pusztai claimed that GM potatoes provoked dangerous changes in the immune system of rats. Though, later these findings were negated due to improper methodic used in the experiment. Similarly, another scientist Seralini stated that GM corn caused high rates of cancer in test rats. As in the previous case, the results of his research were disclaimed as that species suffered from tumors too often (Freedman). At present, there aren’t any recognized research works that would prove GMO harmfulness.
Besides, many people believe that bioengineered foods are more likely to be allergenic and toxic. However, as stated above, GMOs undergo thorough testing so people shouldn’t have doubts about the safety of currently marketed GM products. Any novel food, no matter whether it has been obtained through genetic engineering or conventional breeding, can be potentially risky, but the security measures for the bioengineered products are stricter (“FAQ on GM Foods”). Thus, it is a well-known fact that many traditional products like peanuts, carrot or fish may provoke allergies. So why there is such a fear of GMOs taking into account their strict assessment requirements?
Finally, the GMO opponents argue that there is still a risk of adverse long-term effects of consuming genetically modified foods. They assume that the next generations may experience all the obnoxious results of eating such products. However, the pro-GMOs disagree as gene mutation is a natural thing that has been happening on our planet for millions of years (Freedman). The only difference is that in the case of genetic engineering the process runs faster and undesirable outcomes are less probable. Everything around us is a result of mutation, and it is unlikely that a single gene transfer under intent control of the scientists should cause serious problems.
Thereby, no negative effects of consuming genetically modified foods have been reported up to date. A broad scientific community believes it is safe to eat bioengineered products as all novel GMOs pass special trials before they can be released to the market. Moreover, the GM technology even proves to be more effective and secure than the traditional selective breeding. Besides, most countries require labeling of the GM foods. So, people shouldn’t be suspicious of bioengineered products just because they have appeared recently as there is enough evidence of their safety.
Works cited
AMA Council on Science and Public Health. 2012 Annual Report Labeling of Bioengineered Foods, 2013. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
Davison, John. “GM plants: Science, politics and EC regulations”. Plant Science 178.2 (2010) : 94–98. Web. 30 Jan. 2016.
Freedman, David. “The Truth about Genetically Modified Food”. Scientific American, 1 Sept. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
“Frequently asked questions on genetically modified foods”. World Health Organization. World Health Organization, 2016. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
Haspel, Tamar. “Genetically modified foods: What is and isn’t true”. The Washington Post, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2016.
Ronald, Pamela. “Plant Genetics, Sustainable Agriculture and Global Food Security”. Genetics, 5 May 2011. Web. 30 Jan. 2016.
