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Kylie Krout
Kristin Messuri
4 August 2014
The Right to Decide What We Eat
In modern society, people are constantly talking about and obsessing over what they eat.
They put up pictures on Instagram and tweets on twitter to brag about something delicious they
have the luxury to eat. Little to their knowledge, some of this food that they are eating could
actually have harmful effects due to being genetically modified. Just like people are vegetarian
or vegan and refuse to eat meat or any animal products, people should have the ability to decide
whether or not they want to eat genetically modified food. In order for this to be a possibly, all
foods that are genetically modified or contain genetically modified ingredients should be labeled.
By labeling these types of food, the consumer is enabled to make an educated decision when
deciding what he or she wants to eat.
Genetically modified foods are foods that have been engineered in labs to possess traits
such as herbicide or drought resistance. They have foreign genes, possibly from completely
different organisms, which have been inserted into their genetic codes, and it is estimated that 60%
to 70% of all processed foods in grocery stores have ingredients that have been genetically
modified. Everyday items such as cereal and soda can contain genetically modified ingredients
because they contain items made from modified soybeans or corn (“Are Biotech Foods…?”).
Genetically modifying foods began around the 1990s and has dramatically increased in
popularity since. In 1992, as the commercialization of genetically modified foods was beginning,
limits were placed on the FDA and their oversight of these types of food that would not allow
them to criticize genetically modified foods any more than regular crops. By 2000, genetically
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engineered crops were being grown on 109.2 million acres in 13 different countries, with 68% of
that amount being grown in the United States. Europe, who was initially open to the idea of
genetically engineered foods, became skeptical of the large corporations and the effects of their
products. This led them to adopt the Cartagena Protocol in 2000 that would not allow the
technology to be approved until it was proven to definitely be safe (McLure).
Although many developed countries are skeptical of genetically modified food, they are
becoming increasingly popular and helpful in undeveloped nations. Not only can these crops
produce a better yield and have a higher drought tolerance, they can also be modified to be more
nutritious. These crops can be modified to be pest resistant, resulting in less crop loss from
insects and eliminating the need for pesticides, which can also be hazardous. In addition, third
world countries do not always have the best environments for growing crops, so farmers are
forced to grow in areas that are not ideal. These types of crops can withstand the long periods of
drought or high salt content in the soil. Lastly, these crops can help third world countries by
possibly providing better nutrition. Since people in these countries usually have one crop as the
main staple of their diet, that crop can be engineered to have more nutrients. For example, many
countries rely on rice as the main part of their diet. Since rice does not contain adequate amounts
of all the necessary nutrients, scientists have engineered a strain that has higher levels of vitamin
A, which would help in solving blindness caused by vitamin A deficiencies (Whitman).
Genetically modified foods have many benefits in developed countries as well. Other
than being more nutritious, they can produce tastier food with a decreased used of pesticides.
The food supply can be increased and have a longer shelf life so less food has to be thrown away
due to expiring. These foods can also be faster growing; have more desirable traits, such as
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potatoes that absorb less fat when fried; and serve medicinal purposes, such as being used as
vaccines or producing medicine (“Genetically engineered foods”)
Although genetically modified foods seem to serve many purposes and can have great
benefits, the risks of them remain largely unknown. These modified plans are not naturally
occurring in the environment, and they may have genetic changes that are unexpected. These
crops can also interbreed with natural organisms or take over entirely, causing extinction of the
original crop(“Genetically engineered foods”). For example, my father grows genetically
modified soybeans on his farm that are herbicide resistant. Once the crops have started growing,
he will spray the entire field with round up, killing everything except the soybeans. He’s been
doing this for a couple of years, and recently he has noticed that even after he sprays the field,
some weeds, specifically mare’s tail, still survive. By using these genetically modified crops and
spraying his fields, he has selected for the weeds that have the ability to survive being sprayed.
Once those weeds pollinate, the next generation is all resistant to spraying. Because of this, my
dad, and many other farmers, will be forced to take drastic measures to kill these weeds, such as
using the herbicide 2,4-D. This herbicide is categorized as “moderately hazardous,” and is two
steps more toxic than Roundup, according to the World Health Organization. This substance,
which tried to be phased out, was used in Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, and was seen
to have caused health problems such as cancer and birth defects (McLure).
Genetically modified foods can also have direct health consequences which should
immediately require them to be labeled. In several animal studies, The American Academy of
Environmental Medicine found that genetically modified food caused infertility, immune
problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin rejection, and changes to major organs, including the
gastrointestinal system. In addition to these problems, genetically modified foods have been
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linked to allergic reactions. For example, once genetically modified soy was introduced to the
United Kingdom, soy allergies increased by 50 percent, and cooked genetically modified soy
contains up to seven times the amount of a soy allergen. One of the most shocking studies,
though, found that a substance called Bt, which is found in herbicide resistant crops and designed
to be more toxic than herbicides, was found in the blood of women and fetuses (“Genetically
Modified Foods…”).
The facts about genetically modified foods are alarming, yet the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has done little to regulate them. In the 1990s, FDA scientists warned of
possible allergies, toxins, and nutritional problems with these kinds of food, and they urged more
safety studies be done. Michael Taylor, Monsanto’s former attorney and the FDA official in
charge of the policy, did not take the advice (“Genetically Modified Foods…”). Since then, the
FDA has done nothing to regulate genetically modified foods or warn the public of their possible
consequences, yet Monsanto, Dupont Pioneer, Cargill, and other producers of genetically
modified food have spent over $25 million to stop statewide initiatives to label these types of
food (McLure).
Because the affects of genetically modified foods have been tested and the results show
that they could be harmful, all foods with genetically modified ingredients should be labeled. A
simple one inch by one inch label placed on the front of a package informing the consumer of
what they are buying would be sufficient. It would cost little to nothing of the manufacturer, and
take very little time to design packaging that would incorporate the label. All the FDA would
need to do is pass legislation requiring it. They need to stop falling prey to the lobbyists of
genetically modified food manufactures and do what is right for the well-being of Americans.
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As of now, it would be nearly impossible to stop using genetically modified foods altogether,
and therefore, we should simply warn people that what they are purchasing may be harmful.
With such dangerous consequences of using genetically modified crops, people should
have a right to know what they are eating. Rather than having to wonder if a food product
contains genetically modified ingredients, consumers should know exactly what kind of food
they are eating. Although producers of genetically modified foods disagree with this measure
because they would most likely lose sales, people should not be taken advantage of in this way.
In order to be able to make informed, healthy choices, we as Americans need to contact our state
representatives and address these concerns to better protect our families against the dangers of
genetically modified foods.
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Works Cited
"Are Biotech Foods Safe to Eat?" . WebMD, LLC., 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 30 July 2014.
"Genetically engineered foods." . Medline Plus, 9 July 2014. Web. 30 July 2014.
"Genetically Modified Foods Could Pose Numerous Health Risks." Genetic Engineering. Ed.
Noël Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from
"Doctors' Health Warning: Avoid Genetically Modified Foods." Vol. 1. 2011. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 30 July 2014.
McLure, Jason. "Genetically Modified Food." CQ Researcher. 31 Aug. 2012: 717-40. Web. 30
July 2014.
Whitman, Deborah. "Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?." . ProQuest, 1 Jan. 2013.
Web. 30 July 2014.