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Food Biotechnology Ethics
Clark Ford, Ph.D. Food Science and Human Nutrition Iowa State University
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What is Food Biotechnology?
Food technology based on biology Ancient food biotechnology: Fermentation by microbes Cheese Beer Wine Bread Modern food biotechnology Tissue culture Genetic engineering Different from plant and animal breeding
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Milestones in Food Biotechnology
1953: Structure of DNA discovered 1973: First gene cloned in microbes 1977: Asilomar Conference in USA Recombinant DNA safety Regulation Risk assessment Containment
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Who Regulates Food Biotechnology?
FDA Food and Drug Administration Determines safety for human consumption USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture Determines safety of GMO agriculture EPA Environmental Protection Agency Determines environmental safety NIH National Institutes of Health Sets guidelines for Recombinant DNA experiments 4
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Milestones in Food Biotechnology
1990: Recombinant Chymosin Approved by FDA First biotech product for human consumption Enzyme for cheese making Originally from calf stomach Bovine gene expressed in GRAS microbes Generally Recognized As Safe In 80% of U.S. cheese
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Other Products from Genetically Engineered Microbes
Food enzymes Bread HFCS Sweeteners Amino acids Peptides Nutrasweet Flavors Organic acids Polysaccharides Vitamins
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Milestones in Food Biotechnology
1994: FDA approves “Flavr Savr” Tomato Prolonged shelf life Improved quality Voluntarily labeled
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Other Genetically Engineered Plants
Agronomic traits BT Corn Roundup Ready Soy Disease Resistance Food quality Nutrition Metabolic products Vaccines
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GMO crops in the USA HT = Herbicide Tolerant; Bt = Bt insecticide
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Bt Corn Natural insecticide protein from Bacillus thuringiensis
Non-toxic to humans Target insect: Corn borer, root worm, ear worm Boll worm reduces insecticide use reduces mycotoxins in corn 80% U.S. Corn crop Bt (2014) 84% U.S. Cotton crop (2014)
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Bt Concerns Bt pollen harms non-target species?
Bt crops select for resistant insects Bt pollen can drift to organic fields Food system failed to keep BT Starlink corn out of human food products Monarch butterfly: endangered?
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Herbicide Resistance Roundup Ready soy, corn, canola, cotton
Allows post-emergence herbicide spraying Increases yield Facilitates no-till farming 94% U.S. Soy (2014) 91% U.S. Cotton (2014) 89% U.S. Corn (2014)
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Glyphosate and Soybean Production, USA
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Cotton Wheat Soy Corn
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Herbicide Resistance Concerns
Encourages herbicide use Groundwater contamination Kills beneficial soil microbes Cross-pollinates weeds Fosters dependence on Agrochemcial companies Monarch butterflies endangered by herbicide killing milkweed Glyphosate residue in food Honey, wheat, soysauce, etc. probable carcinogen: WHO
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Disease Resistance Canola Cantaloupes Cucumbers Corn Rice Papaya
Potatoes Soybeans Squash Tomatoes Wheat Genetically engineered papaya resistant papaya ringspot virus
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Health and Nutrition Golden Rice Improved Amino Acid Balance
Vitamin A and Iron enhanced Seeds given to the poor for free Improved Amino Acid Balance Soy (needs Methionine) Maize (needs Lysine) Banana Vaccines
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Metabolic Products Idea: use crops to produce inexpensive Problems:
Pharmaceuticals AIDS vaccine in corn Metabolic products Problems: Containment Cross pollination Accidental mixing into food supply 19
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Genetically Engineered Animals
Transgenic Fish Salmon FDA Approved 2016 Grows 4-6 times faster Environmental concerns May escape, outcompete natural species Transgenic Mammals Cows, Sheep, Goats Pharmaceutical production in milk 20
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Milestones in Food Biotechnology
1999: GM corn and soybean products are present in 80% of processed foods in USA Corn: starch, high fructose corn syrup, oil Soy: oil, Lecithin, protein
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Milestones in Food Biotechnology
1999: European Union requires GM labels blocks import of GM corn, beans Ban lifted 2004 but no change in anti-GM sentiment in Europe Affects African export crops Paternalism
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Milestones in Food Biotechnology
1999: Gerber and Heinz baby foods GM-free 2000: Mc Donalds and Frito-Lay products GM-free
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Milestones in Food Biotechnology
2000: USDA Organic Foods Standards Must be GM-free
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Milestones in Food Biotechnology
2002 Zambia refuses GM maize as food aid To help 2.5 million in food shortage Calls GM food “poison” Heavily influenced by European attitudes about GM Zambian President Mwanawasa
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Milestones in Food Biotechnology
Adoption of GMOs Worldwide 174 Million hectares acres GM (2013) Soy (79% of global soy) Corn (32% of global corn) Cotton (70% of global cotton) India, China Canola (24% of global canola) 18 million farmers 90% are small farmers in developing countries Growing cotton in India, China 26
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GMO-Free Zones in Europe
GMOs Banned 8 Countries Many Regions, Municipalities
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Milestones in Food Biotechnology
2008: Cloned Animals approved by FDA For human consumption Goal: quality meat, milk Best animals cloned Not transgenic Is that next? Label not required Considered same as normal meat, milk Not in stores yet Not certified organic (USDA) 28
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Controversy over Biotech Foods
Debate pits consumer and ecology groups against Multinational Corporations Many farmers, scientists, government agencies caught in the middle
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Arguments for Genetically Engineered Food
Potential to: Increase productivity Increase purity Increase safety Improve nutrition Improve food quality Improve sustainability Benefit ecosystem Process not inherently harmful Similar to traditional Plant and Animal breeding Unless misused, outcome expected to be beneficial Is a powerful technology that could help humanity Bad ideas weeded out by the market, regulation, lawsuit --Paul Thompson
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Arguments against Genetically Engineered Foods
Food safety risk? unintended consequences Safety risk for environment could spread Genetically Engineered label not required in U.S.A. Playing God not natural Benefits multinational corporations not consumers not developing nations GMO vs normal Salmon of same age 31
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Frankenstein Foods: Unintended Consequences?
Potential GMO food safety problems: Random gene insertion Unknown toxins? New gene products? Unknown allergies? No evidence of GMO food safety problems 32
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Food Allergies 90% of Food allergies:
Eggs Fish Shellfish Milk Peanuts Soybeans tree nuts wheat GM foods avoid genes from these sources Peanut proteins can cause severe food allergies! 33
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Arguments for Labeling
Not equivalent to non-GM Must use Precautionary principle Is uncertainty in risk assessment Labeling indicates process used Consumer right to know and choose Country’s right to know and choose
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Arguments against labeling
Suggests non-existent hazard Expensive to segregate crops and change labels FDA labels required if change in: Allergenicity Nutrition Food Quality
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Will GM crops feed the world?
Yes: GM crops are size neutral Small growers can benefit Don’t need large combine Reduced inputs Herbicides, pesticides Lower costs Increased yields Disease resistance Reduced weeds Increased profits Insect resistant maize, Kenya
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Will GM crops feed the world?
No: Biotech from companies targets the wealthy Intellectual property expensive Public research in developing countries must develop GMOs for the poor Poor that cannot compete driven from land undernutrtion Poor really need Land, Water Roads, Education, Credit Green revolution agriculture unsustainable Monoculture Erosion Fertilizer and pesticide runoff pollution Neocaloric (requires fossile fuels) GMOs for developing countries International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, India
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