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Genetically Modified Food

GM Foods are genetically modified to have more appealing properties or to be more practical. Some traits that are modified are resistance to insects and disease while growing, delayed ripening, better color, or larger growth. While this is good for businesses, the practice is highly controversial within some circles. There are health and safety concerns surrounding these foods.

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How are GMO foods healthy?

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Asked by Wiki User

GMO foods are not healthier for you. In fact, there are concerns and anecdotal evidence that they could actually cause health issues.

Except for Golden Rice, which was created to produce Vitamin A, and possibly a few others, many genetic modifications are not made to make the plant healthier or more nutritious as a food, but to be resistant to herbicides, create a substance that kills insects in the plant itself, or for other traits that have nothing to do with making them healthier. Some argue that GMO foods actually have negative effects on health. Even the claims that Golden Rice provides Vitamiin A in quantities that is actually beneficial has been questioned.

What is one argument used by critics of genetically modified foods?

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Asked by Wiki User

There are many. One is that horizontal breeding (a gene being taken from one species and inserted into a totally different species) is different than vertical breeding (within a species), and the effects of horizontal breeding may not be known yet, especially since it is now known that genes act with other genes to produce a trait and it is not known if unintentional changes may occur.

What are the disadvantages of GMO food?

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Some supposed disadvantages (none of which have been proven) include that the food is harmful to the environment and/or humans. Overall though, no major health hazards have come to light since GM food was introduced.
One of the main disadvantages of GM food is the effect on our body can sometimes be harmful. The same hormones or chemicals used to grow the food can pass into our systems and effect our body. When you see GM chickens, they are often young, but hormones help them grow faster. If this hormone was passed to us by the chicken, young children's growth could eventually be sped up. That's the disadvantage. Hope that helps.....
1.Harm to other organisms

2.Gm food may cause health problems

3.Possible damages to the environment

4.GM food may gain undesirable properties

Choose a type of genetically modified food?

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Asked by Wiki User

Sadly, almost all the food out there is genetically modified(gm). You can find more natural foods by purchasing organic or all natural products, but they are not guaranteed to be gm free.

What type of food that contain GMOs?

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Asked by Wiki User

GMO: genetically modified organisms.

Genetically Modified Organisms are created by taking Genetic Material from 2 different sources and combining them into one molecule. They're created by taking certain traits from the organism they came from and supposedly make something else better. The first patented GMO was created to help clean up oil spills.

Do foods have gmo?

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Some believe GMO foods are no different than natural foods. Others believe people should not eat GMO foods because they are not the same as natural foods and they are net yet proven not to be harmful.

What are negatives about gm foods?

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Asked by Wiki User

Since genetically modified foods have been available to consumption for a short period of time, only short-term studies have been conducted. And so far there has not been any side-effects to GM foods reported.

Regarding long term effect, there is not enough data available to even speculate or theorize on it's affect.

What are some reasons for introducing genetically modified food?

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Asked by Wiki User

Genetically modified foods are plants or animal products that have been enhanced to improve some desirable quality: size, production, flavor, a certain needed vitamin, or resistance to pesticides or disease.

Natural genetic modification (cross breeding) has been going on for millenia, for example, farmers with a particularly productive milk cow will breed her to get calves that have similar high production or to get a bull that could breed with other cows to birth other high milk-producing cows. This kind of genetic modification is also regularly performed today.

A modern technique used for genetic modification is that scientists will identify the genes responsible for giving a plant desirable qualities, and using bacteria or viruses, modify the DNA of other plants to develop that desirable quality.

Can genetically modified food cause mutations?

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Asked by Wiki User

There are some who say they don't and that science proves it, but others claim there is evidence that GMO foods cause health problems, though not necessarily mutations, to humans.

What is the most common genetically modified food?

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Asked by Wiki User

Assuming that you mean the first crop with non-natural genetic material inserted artificially by humans, the first genetically modified crop was tobacco, with the first plants having been created in 1982.

What is the definition of 'GM food'?

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They are foods that have been 'genetically modified' (taking some genetic information from another source and inserting it into the plant you wish to grow) to give the plant beneficial properties - e.g disease resistance (preventing starvation in third world countries), additional vitamins (important in countries which rely upon one grain as their primary foodsource), increasing drought tolerance or growth rate. I think, so far GM foods are not currently allowed into the human foodchain directly - however I believe cattle and animals for human consumption can be fed GM feeds.

Why are people against GMO food?

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Asked by Wiki User

The reasons vary, but generally they involve the belief that the safety of GMO foods has not been proven and/or the belief that more harm is being done to the environment and animal and human health.

Called the Flavr Savr what was the first genetically modified food to be sold to the American public?

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Asked by Wiki User

First GM food was Tomato, 1994. First GM crop was tobacco, 1983.

What type of scientific evidence would be needed to show that a genetically modified food is unsafe?

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A clinical trial using lab animals that became sick (or dead) from eating the food; or
Chemical detection of a known poison in a significant number of samples of the food.

What are the requirements for labeling GM foods in the US?

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in the United States GMO foods are not labeled. Some foods that do not contain GMOs are voluntarily labeled, often with the Non GMO Project label. Due to cross contamination, even foods with the Non GMO Project label may not be totally free of GMOs. Foods in the UK that contain GMOs are labeled.

What are some examples of gm food available to buy?

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Asked by Wiki User

The availability of GM (genetically modified) food available depends on where you live. In some parts of the world, GM foods are banned for human consumption. In the US, most GM foods are considered by FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to be equivalent in nutritional value and safey to their non-GM counterparts. Most foods made in the US that contain soy, corn, or canola oil contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms), and you can't be sure unless the label says they DON'T contain these, because there is no rule to ensure GMO containing foods are labeled as such in the US (GMO labeling is voluntary in US). Some GM zucchini, apples, papayas, sugar beets, and milk are sold in supermarkets. In fact, it is hard to know which foods have GMO's and which do not, in the US.

Is GMO food harmful?

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Asked by Wiki User

GMO, also known as genetically modified organism, is a type of organism whose DNA has been altered with the use of genetic engineering. Some believe that GMO food is bad for us because it's not natural and may lead to health risks.

How many foods have genetically modified organisms?

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Asked by Wiki User

hard to say because it is not always stated on the packaging if it has been genetically modified.

Answer:60 to 70% of food in grocery stores are genetically modified. You don't know for sure, but most of what you eat has been genetically modified (unless you eat only organic foods, or something).

Which reason best supports the central claim genetically modified foods?

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Asked by Wiki User

Increased production and disease resistance, in the most benign scenarios. In the dirtiest scenarios, modified crops are engineered and then given a sort of 'copy protection' to prevent future generations of seed from being viable, forcing the farmers to purchase new seed each year.

Reasons you would or would not be concerned about eating genetically modified food?

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Asked by Wiki User

I would: I would be concerd about eating genetically modified food because you would get energy

I wouldn't: I would now be concerd eating generally modified food because you would get virus in your body

Does genetically modified food affect human health?

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Asked by Wiki User

Yes. Research with genetically modified foods approved by the FDA have been found to be safe and otherwise normally tolerated. Perhaps the biggest concern in creating new genetically modified foods is the potential for allergies- a plant containing a peanut gene might cause a reaction in those allergic to peanuts.

Does McDonald's use GMOs in their food?

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Asked by Wiki User

Keeping up with the demand of McDonalds and other fast food restaurants are half the reason we have GMOs. McDonalds uses corn in chicken nuggets and mc chickens and that is GMO it also cooks in soy or canola oil, both of which are GMO

What are advantages of GMO food?

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Asked by Wiki User

No advantages of GMO foods are known, except for the farmers who grow them and the companies that engineer them.

What does mince mean in cooking terms?

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To mince is to chop up into tiny pieces.

What is the effect of eating foods having GMOs?

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This is an area that has not been studied enough to provide an easy-to-understand answer or even something that could be encapuslated into a few sentences. No peer-reviewed publications of clinical studies on the human health effects of genetically modified food exist. Even animal studies are few and far between. Most studies undertaken to assess whether Genetically Modified foods have been sponsored by companies DOING the modifications with the goal of making a specific crop insect or disease resistant, or increasing the output. Thus stated, they have a vested interest in seeing the study produce positive results that affirm the safety of the product. Such studies cannot be relied upon as accurate. Scientists have identified some of the significant risks of introducing modifications to the genetic structure of crops and livestock, and they include: * GM foods may cause allergies. Introduction of genetic elements into the existing system which has been refined by millions of years of natural selection, can have unpredictable results. Toxins and allergens may be produced. * DNA does not always breakdown completely in the digestive tract, and bacterial flora present there may actually take up components of those genes and incorporate them into their own structure. This can lead to antibiotic resistance. Few genetically modified foods are brought to market with the intent of improvement of the health of the person consuming them. The reasons most often have to do with the economics of producing the product, or making the product hardier to prevent monetary loss from insect damage or spoilage. Other reasons may include changing the flavor or texture of a food, to make it more palatable to a larger segment of the population, which would naturally increase sales.