Gm Foods Persuasive Essay

Words: 762
Pages: 4

In today’s modern society, biotechnology has a sizable impact on all aspects of society. This is especially true in the food industry. GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are found in a majority of consumer products. GMOs are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses, or other plants and animals (Non-GMO Project). They cannot occur in nature or form traditional crossbreeding (Non-GMO Project). This is typically to achieve desired traits or biological products (Encyclopedia Brittanica). Because of this, it is important to understand the several aspects of GMOs: how they are made, why they are used, the controversy surrounding them, and the alternatives available. Genetically modified organisms are produced via reproduction cloning or recombinant DNA technology. Reproduction cloning generates offspring that are genetically identical to the parent by the transfer of an entire donor nucleus into a host egg (Encyclopedia Brittanica). Recombinant DNA technology, on the other hand, inserts one or more individual genes from one organism into the DNA of another (Encyclopedia Brittanica). This is typically how plants are genetically modified. By 1999, nearly 50 percent of corn, cotton, and soybeans were genetically modified, and by the end of 2010, one tenth of the world’s farmland were growing …show more content…
By 2002, more than sixty percent of processed foods consumed in the United States contained at least some genetically modified ingredients (Encyclopedia Brittanica). Despite consumer groups concerns, numerous scientific panels including the Food and Drug Administration have concluded consumption is are even in cases involving genetically modified foods with genetic material from distantly related organisms (Encyclopedia Brittanica). Genetically modified foods are not required to be labeled as