What are the concerns about genetically modified foods?

Answer 1

The ramifications of some of these changes may not be known for thousands of years.

Genetically modifying foods is a relatively new science. Scientists and nutritionists are not certain of all the effects of eating such foods. The capacity of these foods to cause diseases, Allergies and other conditions are not well understood.

Additionally, the effects on microorganisms associated with the modified species are not known, or are poorly understood.

Answer 2

That depends on where you lie in the organo-environmental spectrum.

It is certainly possible to make a food harmful with genetic modification. Simply add genes that produce some naturally occurring toxic or carcinogenic substance. Of course, no one would do this on purpose - the nearest someone would come is adding something toxic only to invertebrates - like pyrethroids, which daisies produce - to make a plant pest resistant.

Many suggest that this could happen by accident - while adding one gene, it links with another, and produces something unexpected. Those that actually work with genetics see this as impossible, and test for it anyway.

The scientific answer is that they are not harmful - if any tests show anything harmful, they would not release it. The deep suspicion of Genetic engineering - not entirely without reason - means that many are not willing to accept that answer.

Answer 3

Some concerns about genetically modified foods include:

• The regulatory process: The FDA has declared GMO foods to be "substantially equivalent" to non-GMO foods, the developers of the GMO varieties are responsible for safety testing which creates concerns over conflicting interests, foods are approved through a voluntary consultation process.
• Possible harm to the environment: It is not yet known if the transgene in GMO crops will horizontally transfer to other plants.
• Faster resistance to herbicides: Though weeds develop resistance to herbicides regardless of whether they are GMO or not, there is evidence that use of GMO crops speeds up that resistance and increases the amounts and types of herbicides needed to control them. This leads to issues of environmental pollution and harm.
• The question of safety: It is not yet known if GMOs are safe for human and animal consumption. Some site scientific studies as showing that they are safe, but others point to things like people not knowingly eating GMOs on the advice of their doctors and their health improving as evidence that they are harmful.

Answer 4

There are risks that more pesticides are needed for crops are resistant to them, which is already happening with glysophate. This, in turn is leading to crops that are resistant to other varieties of herbicides being created, which will lead to even more environmental harm and pollution than was had before GMO crops were developed.

Danger of the genes that are forced into genetically modified crops may have unknown effects on the environment, which man would not be able to control if those effects were negative.

GMO crops have also been shown to cause even greater weed resistance than non-GMO crops.

The varieties of GMO crops that are engineered to produce an insecticide within the plant are suspected of harming non-targeted and beneficial or harmless insects. If these crops are responsible for bees being killed, it could result in not having pollinators for crops that need them in order to produce foods.

Answer 5

The risks for genetically modified foods can be drawn from popular factoids (information based on rumour and CNN) or from science. Factoid information indicates these foods cause everything from dull chakras to cancer. allergies, autism, sexual malfunction and mutant children.

Scientific studies indicate that these problems do not happen as a result of eating GM foods.

Almost all modern foods are the result of cultivating mutated base stocks that are tastier, easier to grow, healthier and more pest resistant. As a consequence all food is "genetically modified"

Answer 6

Generally, when food is genetically modified, a gene from one species is forced into the DNA of a totally unrelated species.

Answer 7

It is not known. Some believe evidence suggests that transgenic (GMO) foods may cause new allergies, fertility, and other issues.