GMO Update

Genetically Engineered Foods
by Jen Spaide

Chances are you already have many genetically modified products in your kitchen. According to Greenpeace, 60 to 70% of processed foods currently contain genetically engineered/modified ingredients. A genetically modified product is a plant, animal or microorganism (bacteria) that is "created" by artificial engineering. Many people, including consumers, agriculturists and scientists not only condone the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), but encourage it. They claim that the use of GMO crops and animal products will help solve hunger problems by producing greater quantities of food at a faster rate and that the foods will be healthier since they have been loaded with antibiotics to resist disease and infection.

But as in all things, the truth shall be revealed. The fact of the matter is that GMO foods are not the blessing of science that they are purported to be. Greenpeace provides a number of sound, studied reasons to reconsider the widespread use of GMOs. Soybeans and corn, the two main GMO crops, are used to feed livestock, providing little relief for human world hunger. In fact, GMO foods could possibly perpetuate hunger by creating cheaper substitutions for cash crops in third world countries.

Another concern is the effect these new organisms may have on the balance of life. There is no way to control the reproduction and spreading of GMOs once they are created, since they are living organisms. Cross-pollination of GMOs is creating superweeds that are hard to control and resistant to many current herbicides. Genetic engineering creates the potential for the transfer of new allergens from GMOs to humans and there is also the potential for the transfer of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria from plant or animal sources to humans due to the abuse of antibiotics.

Walter Doerfler discovered that pieces of DNA from a food source were able to survive digestion and subsequently be absorbed into the host body of the individual who ate it. According to Professor Mae-Wan Ho, viral DNA (used in GMOs) was able to withstand digestion by mice and make its way into the mouse cell genome. Similarly, R. Shubbert conducted an experiment with colleagues and discovered that bacterial DNA, also used in GMOs, not only made its way into the genome of mice, but was able to be passed from mother to fetus. Shubbert and his colleagues suggest that this transference could be a source of mutation in developing fetuses. Not only this, but bacterial DNA used in GMO crops has been shown to promote inflammation, arthritis, and lymphoma in individuals.

There is currently a lot of excitement in the GMO world over genetically modified fish. Salmon and other fish are treated with growth hormones or insect genes to make the fish grow faster, larger and more resistant to disease. Scientists at Purdue University conducted a study that demonstrated the threat these altered species would be to the wild fish population. We do not yet know what effect the growth hormones or insect genes would have on the humans who digest the altered fish.

So the next time you are in the supermarket, think about what you are buying and the effects it may have on you and your family. The fewer processed foods, the better. Always eat fresh, organic foods when possible. As Jean-Michel Cousteau stated, "I strongly urge all members of the community, from scientists to shoppers, to really take a look at what this new biotechnology of food alteration will do to our environment, and to us as humans."

For more information on genetically engineered foods visit the Greenpeace website at www.truefoodnow.org, www.greenpeace.org, or www.purefood.org.