advantages-and-disadvantages-of-GM-food.docx

AdvantagesAndDisadvantagesofGeneticallyModifiedFoodsGeneticallymodifiedfoods(GMfoods)canbedefinedasorganismsinwhichthegeneticcodes(DNA)havebeenalteredusingnon-traditional,laboratory-basedmethodsthatdonotoccurnaturally.Thetechnologyisknownasgeneticengineering.Itallowsselectedindividualgenestobetransferredfromoneorganismintoanother,alsobetweennon-rclatcdspecies.GMfoodshavehadforeigngenes(genesfromotherplantsoranimals)insertedintotheirgeneticmaterial.CommonGMfoodsincludemaize,wheat,rice,soybeans,potatoes,pineapples.Sirawberries,cottonandsoon.GMf<H>dsaredesignedforgreaterresistancetopestsandviruses,highernutritionalvaluea<llongershelflife.RegulatoryauthoritieshaveapprovedGMfoodsthatareonthemarket.IIowever,theirsafely,potentialrisksandethicalconcernsarcstillbeingdebated.1.etnwintroducetheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofGMfoods.Advantages: OneofthemajoradvantagesoGMfoodsisthattheygrowfasterthanthetraditionalfoods.Asaresult,productivityincreases,providingmorefoodtotheincreasingpopulationallovertheworld. Anothermajoradvantageofsuchtypeoffoodsisthattheyhelptocontroltheoccurrenceofcertaindiseases.Tlierearecertainfoodsthatcancauseallergytopplcaftereatingorcontacting.BymodifyingtheDNAsystemofthesefoods,theybecomenon-allergic. GMcrops,alwaysdisease-andinsect-resistantcrops,requirefewerpesticidesandinsecticides.ThisreducesthenecessityOfeXlX)SiingGMcropstoha11ni'ulchemicals,makingthesefoodsfreefrompesticidesandinsecticidesandenvironmentfriendlyaswell.Farmersneednotbotheraboutanyadditionalcosts,suchasbuyingchemicalsandthelabortoadministerthetrcatnnts.AnotherreasonforpeoplechoosingGMfoodsisthattheyhavelongershelflifeanditishelpfultoreducethespeedandquantityofgettingrottenoffds.GMrisaXWordWilhIWOHade*,Disadvantages:/ThesaleyofGMfoodsisnotverifiedyet,infact,inthelabscientistsuserastotestthesafetyofsuchfoodswithnothoroughresearchoftheirpotentialthreatsonhumanhealth./GMfoodscancausecancer.Somestudieshavesuggestedalinkbetweenengineeredfoodandcancer./GMfoodscouldraisenewallergyoutbreaksinhumans.ItwasfoundthatageneticallyengineeredsoyabeancontainingBraziliannutproteinwasallergenictohumansandwaswithdrawnfromproduction./Geneticengineeringallowstointroduceanimalproductsinplantswhichcouldraiseissuesforthosewithdietaryrestrictions,likevegetarianorcertainreligiousandculturalgroups./GrowingGMcropsonalargescalemayaffectthebalanceofwildlife.ecosystemandtheenvironment./Adverseeffectsontheimmunesystem.Astudyin2008showedthatfeedingmiceengineeredfoodfor30dayscausedanimmunereactionandalteredIhenumberofcells(hatregulatedtheimmunefunctionsinthebody./Pesticideresistantfoodcannotbecontrolledeasilywhichwillcreateproblemsinmanagingtheirnumbersandtocropproductioninthefuture.Firstandlast,tl>ereareM)methings(oremember:(I)Thebenetls,risksandethicalconcernsregardingGMfoodsarcstillbeingresearchedanddebated.(2)ThehealthrisksassociatedwithconsumingGMfoodsoringredientshavenotbeenunequivocallyestablished.(3)NocucntevidencesuggeststhatGMfoodsarcannfultohealth.(4)GMfoodsorIbodscontainingGMingredientsarerequiredtobelabelled.GMfood:hopeordanger?Inrecentyears,somePeOPIChavebeenconductingaSUrVCywhichaimstofindifgeneticallymodifiedfoodisahopeordangertous.TbcresultisthatGMfoodownst>o<hsupx>tandobjectionfnpeople.OnIhConehand.somcpeoplearelkingforwardtobebenefitedfromthewidepromotionofGMfd.hcmainreasonithatGMfood'sgrowingissupposedtobehealthierthannormalfood.Foronething.GMfooddefendsthemselvesagainstpelsanddisease.WhiChmeansmuchlesspesticideusedingrowingseasons.Foranotherhing.GMPrOduCprovidebiggerharvests.OveralI.SUPPOrIerSofGMIbodargue(hatGMfoodshowadvantagesinqualityandquantity.Ontheolherhand.GMf<ifrightenssomepeople,thatwhetherit,scompletelysafes(illremainsunk*wn.Therearequestionsinregardhumanourselves.ScientistsadmitIhalmoreIeslsshouldbedimeonGM(bod.Therearealsoquestionsonenvironment.NoonereallyknowstheinfluenceofGMfoodasitflowsintothefoodchain.Now(hatheGMfoodisnotknownforitssalety.inmyopinion,weshouldbecautiouswiththisnewtechnology(oavoidseriouscon-sequence.ProsandconsConclusionGeneticallymodified(GM)fodsarefoodsproducedfromgeneticallymudi11cdorganisms(GMO)thathavehadtheirDNAalteredthroughgeneticengineering.GMfoodswerefirstputonthemarketintheearly1990s.ThemostcommonmodifiedIbixisarederivedf11>mplants:soybean,comandco<tonseedoil.ThefirstCiMiHncrciaIIygrowngeneticallymixliGedwholeRxxlcropwasttomato,whichwasmodifiedtoripenwithoutsoftening.Between1997and2009.IhC(OIalsurfaceareaofkindcultivaledWiIhGMOshadincreased,from4.2millionacresto331millionacres.By2006.intheUnitedStales89%ofsoybeans.83%ofcotton,and61%ofmaize(com)weregcnccicallymodified.AlthoughmostGMcropsaregrowninNorthAmerica,inrecentyears(herehasbeenrapidgrowthintheareasownindevelopingcountries.In2009thelargestincreaseincropareaplanted(oGMCnOPS(soybeans)wasinBrazilBy2(X)987%OflndiancottonwasGMMoreproductiveHndhavealargeryieldOiYcrmorenutritionalvalueandbetterflavorEliiiiinalealIergy-Causingpropertiesinsomefb