Genetically Modified Foods

Quickly write down a list of the

foods or drinks that you had in the last 24 hours.

Circle any foods that you believe were genetically modified.

Where do we get our food?

Hunting and gathering Subsistence farming Agriculture Grocery Stores Restaurants

Questions to consider? Do we have enough food to feed the

world? Do we have the right types of food in

the right places? Can we increase our food supply? What is the cheapest and easiest way

to increase the food supply?

Genetically modified (GM) and genetically engineered (GE) foods provide one way to produce enough food for the growing world population and to produce the right types of food.

People have been modifying food for many years. Some types are familiar and comfortable to consumers.

Examples include:– Selective breeding of animals– Alcohol, yogurt, cheese and other dairy

products, tangelos and other hybrid foods Recent controversy surrounding

genetic manipulation of food because of its increased popularity.

What is a genetically modified food?

A food that has genes added or removed

Also:– Foods made using genetically modified

ingredients– Products from animals fed GM feed – Food products produced by a GM organism

Why are foods genetically modified?

Rapid and precise way of altering organisms to have a desired trait.

Traditional breeding methods tend to be slow, require many trials and produce many inaccurate products.

Most of these crops are being grown to benefit the producers of the food – not the consumers. (make it more efficient to grow the crop)

But the foods end up in products that are made from these GM crops

Ex: GE soybeans – get soybean oil – made into margarine.

Prevalence of GM crops In 2010

– 10% of all crops– 29 countries – Most prevalent in the US, Brazil,

Argentina, and Canada – Most common gene added allows farmers

to use weed killer on plants without killing them

GM crops

#1 Soybeans #2 Corn #3 Cotton#4 Canola

(rapeseed oil)#5 Sugar Beets#6 Alfalfa#7 Papaya

#8 Squash#9 Poplar trees#10 Potato

Tomato Carnations Radicchio Flax Petunias

Examples of GM foods

Did you eat GM food today?

Breakfast– Pop tarts– Nutri grain bars– Quaker granola

bars– Eggo Waffles– Most cereal

(Cheerios, Wheaties, Lucky Charms, Rice Krispies, Froot Loops, Cocoa Pebbles, Cap’n Crunch)

Chocolate– Cadbury– Hershey’s– Mars– Nestle

Cookies– Keebler– Oreos– Graham Crackers– Teddy Grahams

Did you eat GM food today?

Crackers– Wheat Thins– Triscuits– Cheeze-its

Snacks– Microwave Popcorn– Frito-Lay– Pringles

Campbell’s Soup

Frozen Pizza Drinks

– Pepsi Coke– Capri Sun– Fruit Works– Dr. Pepper– Hi-C Mt. Dew– Koolaid– Ocean Spray– Gatorade

4 biggest GM in foods Corn: corn oil, corn syrup, high fructose

corn syrup, corn starch, corn mealSoy: soy protein, soy lecithin, soy oil, soy sauce, soy isolatesCanola: canola oilCotton: cottonseed oil

Scientists estimate that 2/3 of food in a normal grocery store contain

something that is

genetically modified.

Check a current list non GM foods

True Foods Now has a list of foods that are considered to be non GM if a person wants to avoid them or see if a certain product contains GM ingredients.

http://truefoodnow.org/shoppers-guide/

Advantages/Benefits… Avoid chemical pesticides on food and

runoff into water supply. Weather resistant food production Increased nutrients Increased crop yields in shorter time Increased crop yields on less land Can use land of poor quality Enhanced taste or quality Longer growing season

Disadvantages/Risks… Environmental Hazards

– Unintended harm to other organisms– Reduced effectiveness of

pesticides/herbicides– Insects develop pesticide resistance– Weeds develop herbicide resistance– Crops that cross-pollinate to create

“superweeds”– Harm to beneficial insects or wildlife– Decrease biodiversity

Disadvantages/Risks… Economic Concerns

– Increase price of seeds/food– Domination of world food production by a

few companies– Increased dependence on industrialized

nations by poor countries– Rich countries have advantage

Human Health Risks– Allergies (soybeans with brazil nut gene)– Unknown effects on human health

Regulation Different governments have

different responses to regulation of GM food– Europe – products are labeled and not

well accepted– Japan – health testing of GM foods

mandatory– US – not many policies, regulated by

many different agencies

Labeling of GM foods

FDA contends that GM food are substantially equivalent to non-GM foods, and do not need labeled.

Food labels of GM food are not required in US unless nutritional values are changed.

Most industries believe that labeling should be voluntary.

Labeling of GM foods Considerations

– Cost of labeling Handling in fields, shipping, production so that

products of GM and non-GM are not mixed.

– Higher price to consumers– What are acceptable amounts of GM

before labeling needed?– Who is responsible for monitoring and

enforcing?

Future Greatest challenge is educating and

informing the public on the GM foods and policies without causing alarm or fear.

From recent surveys:– Americans have little knowledge of GM

foods– Most oppose a ban but believe that it

should be regulated by the FDA

THINK and DISCUSS Mendocino County, California became

the first county in the US to prohibit growing GM crops and raising GM animals. The ban is unlikely to have an immediate effect because no GM crops are known to be grown there. But it will give farmers a marketing tool in places where anti-biotech food sentiment is strong.

• USA Today March 4, 2004

Should foods in the US be labeled?– Should they say GM or GM free?

Would you spend more money to purchase GM free foods?

Would you vote to make your county a GM area? Why/why not?

Should farmers/food manufactures be required to disclose they are using GM products?