Several years ago, a Californian company, Calgene, launched its new line of Flavr Savrs, the first commercially distributed genetically modified crop. The Flavr Savr was a genetically engineered tomato, which promised to be more resistant to rotting and softening. On May 18, 1994, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed its thorough review of the tomato, searching for health risks and inconsistencies in genetic makeup. In its final review, the FDA concluded that the Flavr Savr did not lose original characteristics of a modern tomato and provided the exact same nutritional value. Evidently, the FDA approved the Flavr Savr for production and distribution. While Calgene may have started a breakthrough in agriculture, it has also started a war against GMOs with people claiming that they present health risks. Although genetically modified foods have been known to be in opposition among some groups, they should not be banned in the United States as they present solutions to purchasing foods economically and with more nutritional/environmental benefits without any evidence of health risks.
Genetically modified organisms are created via a very technical process of selecting favorable traits from one organism and transferring them to another. For instance, most tomato crops tend to wither away during the winter and are prone to attract various pests. With GMOs, scientists can engineer traits such as winter survivability and pest resistance into a tomato seed to have crops perform better under different conditions. However, some organizations such as The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) argue for the ban on this practice. They claim that genetic modification in foods cause a possibility of long-term health problems and are susceptible to a lack of testing. However, these arguments do not stand up against the current studies and discoveries of GM foods. In response to the current oppositions against GMOs, many researchers have taken the extra step in analyzing the refutations against GM foods.
