Are We Overlooking the Dangers of Genetically Modified Foods?
If you were to ask ten people the question, "do you consider genetically engineered foods to be safe?" Seven out of those ten would probably tell you that they do not know what you are talking about. The genetic engineering of crops is a subject that the public is not well informed on. As hard as it is to believe, it is a process that has been going on for nearly eleven years now. The first test of a genetically engineered crop was reported in 1990, according to "Seeds of Change" (44). The foods that are currently being genetically altered range from corn and tomatoes to infant formula and soybeans. "Seeds of Change" states that "Today, a mere three years after the first large-scale commercial harvest, genetically engineered crops cover one-fourth of U.S. cropland - more than 90 million acres" (43). The public is unfortunately unaware of this and they should not be. People need become more aware of what is being modified and, more importantly, is it safe. When you ha!ve little or no knowledge on a significant topic, such as your health, you tend to speculate the worst. I know that my first response over this subject was one of questioning and concern. So why are crops being genetically engineered?
Blake, Kevin. "Genetically Modified Food Plan." Consumers' Research Magazine 83 June 2000: 6. The safety of this process is literally impossible to monitor. If a tomato has been genetically altered then everything that has tomatoes as an ingredient would have to be labeled. Your pizza could include tomato sauce that has been genetically altered and your V8 drinks could contain tomato juice from a tomato that has been genetically modified. According to "Are You Eating Test Tube Food", the USDA has approved fifty genetically engineered plants; some of them include: beets, canola, chicory, corn, cotton, melons and papaya; and soon to come: apples, strawberries, cucumbers, rice, sugar cane, walnuts and wheat (126). With all these and new foods being tested each day, the industry would never be able to keep up. "If the consumers demand labeling - even if we think it doesn't convey a lot of good stuff - we're probably going to end up with a labeling scheme" states "Seeds of Change" (51). Some also believe that labeling will increase the surveillance of health issues. I! Teitel, Martin. Rain Forest in Your Kitchen: The hidden connection between extinction and your supermarket. Washington: Island Press, 1992. Overall I believe genetically engineered foods to be unsafe. The unknown harms are what scares and infuriates me the most. As with any new technology, there are certain risks that can only be discovered with new knowledge on the subject and a given period of time. So the only alternative the public has to try and refrain from this epidemic and to become more aware of what is going on is to shop at organic stores and write letters to the government to demand FDA labeling. In Martin Teitel's book "Rain Forest in Your Kitchen" Jeremy Rifkin notes, "Whoever controls germ plasm, and therefore genetic engineering, is as important as who controls oil" (35). As American citizens, it is our given right to know what we are buying and feeding our families. So the next time you are parading through your local ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods." Lancet 01 September 2000. 29 May 1999 1811. Some plac
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Approximate Word count = 1565
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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