Genetically Engineered Food Essay - 2444 Words

Genetically Engineered Food As Scientists commence the unraveling of genetic mysteries the food we eat is undergoing significant changes. From supermarket produce, milk and eggs to tofu, sprouts and garden burgers most have genetically altered ingredients. As with all new products tests are necessary. Guinea pigs, used in those tests, show the effects of the Genetically Engineered (GE) feed. So far the tests have shown elevated breast cancer from ingesting milk from cows consuming (GE) hormones. Others tests have shown possible deadly allergic reactions to foods altered with proteins from peanuts or shellfish. Most dramatically in 1989 and 1990, a (GE) brand of L-tryptophan, a common dietary supplement, killed more than thirty. Animal†¦show more content†¦These plants produce a sterile seed unable to reproduce itself. By flipping on a couple of genes a plant, is forced to make a toxic protein that will sterilize its seeds after it is fully grown . . . sterile-seed technology quickly became a potent sym bol for how genetically modified crops could cause a break in nature. Worse than that, such seeds could threaten more than a billion poor people throughout the developing world, for whom saving harvested seeds is essential. (Specter 62) In the past the best seeds were set aside by farmers. The best quality apples become the next generation of trees. The best of this years crop becomes next years seed and through the millennia farmers progressively produced a better crop. Farmers worked within plant and animal breeds improving quality. Now scientists armed with the tools of modern genetics are taking on natures secrets. This new technology breaks down not only genetic barriers between species but between humans, animals and plants. In the markets throughout the U. S. grocers sell tomatoes that have both the genes of the tomato itself with those of the pacific salmon. To the consumer that might not make sense but to the retailer it is extremely important. The fused salmon genes cause tomatoes to be resistant to bruising which extends shelf life. This gene fusing is not limited to the foods we eat but is branching out into the field of medicine. Swine are having human genes fused with their own in an attempt to raiseShow MoreRelatedGenetically Foods And Genetically Engineered Food1463 Words   |  6 PagesGenetic Engineered Crops and Animals This planet sustains various life forms and over time these organisms have evolved to better survive in the environments in which they live. Humans are constantly trying to improve the world and the organisms in it. In order to achieve this goal, there is a powerful tool scientists are using called DNA Technology. It is this technology that allows humans to modify, create, and/or destroy life as we know it. In this paper, I will review genetically engineered stapleRead MoreThe Genetically Engineered Foods : Genetically Modified Foods1656 Words   |  7 PagesThe Genetically Engineered Foods Introduction Genetic modification is a special gene technology that alters the genetic machinery of living organisms such as animals, plants, bacteria or other microorganisms. Foreign genes (genes from other organisms) combined and inserted into the original genetic codes are known as recombinant DNA technology and the resulting food is called genetically engineered food, genetically modified (GM) food or transgenic food. Human beings have bred plants and animalsRead MoreGenetically Engineered Food Essays2328 Words   |  10 Pages Genetically engineered goods are a huge controversy in the United States. There has been a lot of conflict between different groups about whether or not genetically engineered foods should be so widely sold or at least not labeled. 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However, there are arguments and even activist movements against genetic engineering of food, which begs the question â€Å"why is genetically engineered food so controversial?† The pro and con arguments of the genetic engineering of food cannotRead MoreThe Implications Of Genetically Engineered Foods1675 Words   |  7 Pages Genetically engineered foods are defined as foods that have had genes from other animals or plants (hereby referred to as foreign genes) added onto their genetic codes. The genetic engineering technique can be employed on animals, plants, or on such microorganisms as bacteria (NIH). The question of whether foods derived from such organisms should be approved for human consumption is what has raised widespread controversy among many circles. There are those who view GM foods as the ultimate solutionRead MoreFood Safety And Genetically Engineered Foods929 Words   |  4 Pagesarticle â€Å"Food Safety and genetically Engineered Foods.† It made me think more critically about food safety in the united states and GMOs and expanded on the politics behind many of our policies. The majority of the article focuses on the infrastructure behind our food safety and food regulations. Food is safer today than ever before due to better sanitation, increased awareness about contamination in both the public and private sector, and government regulations. At the federal level, the Food and DrugRead MorePersuasive Essay : Genetically Engineered Foods835 Words   |  4 PagesPersuasive Research Essay: Genetically Engineered Foods Genetically engineered foods are products that are made out of genetically modified organism, or commonly known as GMO. The modification is inherited from generation to generation. These types of foods have deeply infiltrated the world’s food supply. Almost 90% of crops like corn, soybean, cotton, canola and sugar beets grown in the United States are now genetically modified. Genetic engineering promises increased crop yields, lowerRead MoreThe Problems With Genetically Engineered and Modified Foods Essay2049 Words   |  9 Pages Genetically engineered and modified foods have recently developed into one of the most widely debated issues in the United States. Arguments aside, the problem is going to be one that the world is going to have to feel the results of, whether prepared or not. Newly expanded research regarding biotechnology presents a willing audience with a whole new outlook on just how far scientific investigation and expansion can go. The accelerating rate, at which these new progressions are being made, is a