What are GM Foods?

What are GM Foods?
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Highlights

What are GM Foods.One of the objectives for developing plants based on GM organisms is to improve crop protection.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination.One of the objectives for developing plants based on GM organisms is to improve crop protection.

The GM crops currently on the market are mainly aimed at an increased level of crop protection through the introduction of resistance against plant diseases caused by insects or viruses or through increased tolerance towards herbicides. Resistance against insects is achieved by incorporating into the food plant the gene for toxin production from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).

This toxin is currently used as a conventional insecticide in agriculture and is safe for human consumption. Commercial sale of genetically modified foods began in 1994, when Calgene first marketed its Flavr Savr delayed-ripening tomato. Most food modifications have primarily focused on cash crops in high demand by farmers such as soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil.

The safety of such products is not verified yet, in fact, we are the lab rats to test the safety of such technology. It is feared food and water contaminated with genetically engineered material could increase the growth of malignant tumours upon contact with humans. Genetic engineering allows introducing animal products in plants which could raise issues for those with dietary restrictions, like vegetarian or vegans.

Pesticide resistant food can create super-creatures! It’s not a joke, modified genes in engineered crops that resist pesticides can transfer to insects and pests; making them pesticide resistant. These super-organisms cannot be controlled easily. India placed a moratorium on GM aubergine in 2010 fearing the effect on food safety and biodiversity. Field trials of other GM crops were not formally halted, however.

The GM mustard planted in the half-acre field in the grounds of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi is in the final stage of trials.Launched in 2002, Bt cotton, which produces its own pesticide, is the country's only GM crop and covers 95 percent of India's cotton cultivation of 11.6 million hectares (28.7 million acres).

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