“Technology, it’s what’s for Dinner”

Such rapid advancement could provide many benefits; Cathy Becker of ThriveOnline writes that such technology could make foods more nutritious, cause an increase in crop yields, provide more powerful control over pests and weeds, reduce the use of some pesticides and herbicides, and enhance the nutritional value of crops. However, such ge

netic modification of our food could also bring many potential controversies. Many worry about political and corporate control over the food supply, as well as the ethical dilemmas that go along with altering and often patenting life. The major concerns, however, involve the effects on the environment and on human health. Regulating genetically modified (GM) foods is difficult because pollen and seeds can easily be spread, making a recall of a harmful type of food nearly impossible. More importantly, GM foods could threaten human health, as very few studies have been conducted to determine the long-term effects of human consumption. We have become more knowledgeable and dexterous, but our ideals still seem to be “vague and tentative.” Although GM foods could bring some benefits, I strongly believe that the possible dangers especially to the consumer and the environment greatly outweigh the benefits. I feel that GM foods should not be marketed to consumers until long-term studies have been conducted, and even then, strict labeling regulations should be established.

Most importantly though, are the dangers genetically modified foods present to human health. Many people have life-threatening allergies to a variety of foods. There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals (Whitman). Allergic reactions could be difficult to detect, since symptoms may take a while to develop. The gene may transfer new or unidentified proteins from one food to another and could trigger allergic reactions to the altered food. “Exposure of human populations to large amounts of novel proteins that have never previously been in the human food chain could cause unpredictable problems” (SCOPE). Genetic engineering methods also have the potential to create unexpected dangers that would be difficult to foresee. Insertion of transgenes could affect unintended traits of the organism as well as the intended trait creating unanticipated outcomes. As Katherine DiMatteo said, “The long-term health effects on consumers of genetically engineered foods are unknown.” Although the biotechnology industry is quick to claim that no deaths or illnesses have been linked to genetically engineered food, how is it possible to be sure? Without labeling, there is “no way to trace whether someone who gets sick has eaten a genetically modified food” (SCOPE). Current testing regimes are not adequate; further study and prudence are needed. Professor Richard Lacey sums up the argument against GM food health risks saying, "The fact is, it is virtually impossible to even conceive of a testing procedure to assess the health effects of genetically engineered foods when introduced into the food chain, nor is there any valid nutritional or public interest reason for their introduction" (Ford 75).

Scientists have developed a number of techniques for getting a desired gene into a plant. One technique makes use of a soil bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The BBC News explains that this microbe, nicknamed the "first genetic engineer", has the ability to insert sections of DNA into plants. The bacterium naturally does this to force the plants to produce the particular chemicals it needs to survive. Scientists have been able to use that ability to deliver genes of their choice into plants. Biolistics is another technique used in the laboratory to create genetic modifications. In simple terms, this technique involves using “a gun to fire the desired gene into a plant's cells.” The DNA to be added is carried on tiny pieces of gold that are shot in through the cell wall. The plant is supposed to receive the DNA and start to read out its instructions, but this technique is often a matter of chance. Another method relies on protoplasts, plant cells which have had their tough walls removed, making it easier for foreign DNA to access to the cell inter

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