A Plateful of Promises

Crops whose DNA has been modified to produce certain traits. Such as:  Resistance to insects and herbicides  Protecting itself from viruses

Corn, soybean, canola, sugar beet, and cotton. GMO’s also planted: Papaya, squash, sweet corn, and alfalfa. GMO’s approved but not on the market yet: Rice, tomato, and potato

The genetically engineered Innate potato and a conventional potato 10 hours after cutting. If approved it will reduce postharvest waste and produce less acrylamide during frying.

 Increased harvests by decreasing losses to pests.  Decreased input and labor costs.  Reduced the impact from agrichemical use.  Helped conserve soil and water resources.  A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.

FDA: Reviews for feed and food safety USDA: Reviews and consults If they reach the same conclusion about environmental safety, then the crop is approved. For some traits, such as insect resistance, the EPA is also involved.

The Office of Science and Technology Policy asked the National Academy of Science to consider the safety of GM crops. In 1987, the NAS responded:  Genetically modified crops pose no novel risk.  It is the safety of the product that is of concern and not the process used to produce it.  No new laws were needed since the risks were “the same in kind” as those using conventional methods.

“Whole food studies are poor predictors of safety, fraught with confounders, and are most likely an unethical use of animals.” (Chassy & Parrott, 2014)

Investigators reviewed 19 studies of mammals fed GE soybeans and maize. They found that “several convergent data appear to indicate liver and kidney problems as end points of GMO diet effects,” with the kidneys more affected in males and the liver more affected in females. (Dahl, 2012)

Under the 1992 policy that regulates GE foods in the US, the FDA essentially considers these foods no different than conventional foods, and premarket testing is voluntary.

Unknown …

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Chassy, B., & Parrott, W. (2014). GMOs: A Plateful of Promises. Food Technology, 68(1), Dahl, R. (2012). To Label or Not to Label. Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(9), DeFrancesco, L. (2013). How safe does transgenic food need to be? Nature Biotechnology, 13(9), Johnson, S. (2014). Genetically Modified Food: A Golden Opportunity? Sustainable Development Law & Policy, 14(1), Khan, S., Muafia, S., Nasreen, Z., & Salariya, A. (2012). Genetically Modified Organisma (GMOs): Food Security or Threat to Food Safety. Pakistan Journal of Science, 64(2), 6-12.