What are GM foods? Why are they controversial?

The majority of people would know what a genetically modified food is these days – also known as a GM food, it is food that has had other genes transferred into it. A few genetically modified fresh fruits and vegetables are available these days, including potatoes, summer squash, apples, papayas, and pink pineapples. 

There are some extremely helpful reasons why people choose to genetically modify their crops, and one of the reasons why they do it is because it can prevent crop loss. It takes a significant amount of time for farmers to grow their crops, but sadly, there is a high chance that a lot of the crops might be eaten by pests or rot. By genetically modifying crops and plants, scientists can create resistance towards insects. This is typically done by adding Bt genes from bacteria, which allow the plants to produce natural toxins which repel insects. This would be helpful for the farmers as they wouldn’t need to worry about their plants getting eaten by insects. GM foods can also help with weed control, as modifying a plant’s genes to give it resistance to herbicides allows farmers to spray their fields freely. In this way, the herbicides will kill the weeds but leave the desirable crops alone. This reduces competition, meaning humans would be able to eat more clean and fresh food.

Additionally, genetic modification can increase desirable traits in crops and animals. By modifying certain foods, we would be able to increase specific nutrients that are good for people. In some cases, some foods have reasonable amounts of nutrients but people may want to increase the level of some nutrients to address particular dietary deficiencies. This was the logic behind the creation of Golden Rice, which was modified to increase its vitamin A content. Plus, GM foods can be engineered to grow faster than normal food; for example, AquAdvantage salmon are currently the first and only genetically modified fish available for human consumption. AquAdvantage salmon are capable of rapid growth in their early life so that it’s easier for humans to produce larger amounts of fish in a shorter time. Therefore, GM foods are also helpful for us as they can increase desirable traits.

Even though some may think that GM foods only offer benefits to people, there are concerns that that is not always the case. There are some controversial things that can happen because of genetically modifying specific types of food, including the methods scientists use that can lead to extremely deadly outcomes as well. When we genetically modify foods, we often add new genes from a different organism. This can mean that an allergen from one food might be moved into another. Real life cases like this have actually happened, such as when genes from Brazil nuts were added to soya. This could have caused a fatal reaction if someone with a nut allergy had eaten the soya, thinking that it was safe. Even though no harm was caused becauseof this particular case, the possibility of such consequences has caused controversy and makes people skeptical about GM foods.

In conclusion, GM foods can lend us some help and benefits, but there are concerns and controversies about the potential consequences at the same time. Therefore, when we decide to use them, we should always keep these key things in mind before proceeding.