Are we breaking the rules of nature?

So this past weekend I watched the movie "Food Inc" (http://www.foodincmovie.com/) is about where food comes from and I can tell you A) you should watch this movie and B) you will probably not look at food the same way ever again.

One of the topics discussed throughout the movie was Genetically modified food/organisms (GMOs). We've been hearing about this type of thing for years but to be honest I have never given much thought to it, until I started eating clean and actually looking into and caring where my food comes from...so I thought that this would be a good topic and hopefully one that makes you think about what you're eating.

What the heck is a GMO?
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) — also known as genetically engineered organisms — are living things whose genetic makeup (their DNA structure) has been changed by the addition of genes from another living thing. This tampering is done primarily to make plants and animals more useful in food production.

Crops can be genetically modified so that they resist insects, herbicides, and disease or so that they contain extra nutrients or even vaccines. Animals can be genetically modified to produce lower-fat meat, resist certain diseases, or create less waste.

GM crops are common in the United States, and no labeling is required; in fact, it’s believed that upwards of 70 percent of foods in U.S. supermarkets contain some element of genetic engineering. It’s highly likely that you’re eating GM ingredients in your food without even realizing it. Some of the foods and ingredients currently subject to genetic manipulation include:

Soybeans: Soy is one of the main sources of genetically modified ingredients in food and can be found in everything from chocolate to potato chips, margarine to mayonnaise, and biscuits to bread.

Canola: Canola oil comes from certain types of canola plants. GM canola may be used for oils in making potato chips and animal feed.

Corn: GM corn is used as cattle feed (which is weird because cows should eat grass) but also is used in all sorts of packaged food, such as breakfast cereal, bread, corn chips, and gravy mixes.

Milk: Cows are injected with a genetically engineered growth hormone to increase milk production.

Pros and Cons of GMOs

PROS

Crops
> Enhanced taste and quality
> Reduced maturation time
> Increased nutrients, yields, and stress tolerance
> Improved resistance to disease, pests, and herbicides
> New products and growing techniques

Animals
> Increased resistance, productivity, hardiness, and feed efficiency
> Better yields of meat, eggs, and milk
> Improved animal health and diagnostic methods

Environment
> "Friendly" bioherbicides and bioinsecticides
> Conservation of soil, water, and energy
> Bioprocessing for forestry products
> Better natural waste management
> More efficient processing

Society
> Increased food security for growing populations

Cons / Controversies

Safety
> Potential human health impacts, including allergens, transfer of antibiotic resistance markers, unknown effects
> Potential environmental impacts, including: unintended transfer of transgenes through cross-pollination, unknown effects on other organisms (e.g., soil microbes), and loss of flora and fauna biodiversity
> Access and Intellectual Property
> Domination of world food production by a few companies
> Increasing dependence on industrialized nations by developing countries

Ethics
> Violation of natural organisms' intrinsic values
> Tampering with nature by mixing genes among species
> Objections to consuming animal genes in plants and vice versa
> Stresses on animals. Example of this would be fast maturing chickens which cannot handle the amount of weight and quick development. In some cases leading to heart failure, breathing problems and in some cases mobility problems.

Labeling
> Not mandatory in some countries
> Mixing GM crops with non-GM products confounds labeling attempts

Society
> New advances may be skewed to interests of rich countries

So how do I know what am I eating?
The best way to find out whether your food choices contain genetically engineered ingredients is to choose local options so that you can talk to the producers and find out from them exactly what went into the food. If you can’t do that, then try talking to the managers or owners of local grocery stores — they may not be able to tell you about production methods, but the fact that you asked them may help to convince them that they should pay more attention to this issue.


*GMOs for dummies, Copyright © 2009 & Trademark by Wiley Publishing, Inc.