Food Biotechnology Ethics
Clark Ford, Ph.D.
Food Science and Human Nutrition
Iowa State University
What is Food Biotechnology?
• Food technology based on
biology
– Ancient food biotechnology:
• Fermentation by microbes
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Cheese
Beer
Wine
Bread
– Modern food biotechnology
• Tissue culture
• Genetic engineering
– Different from plant and
animal breeding
http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2006/10/06101709
1752.jpg
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
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/milenaid/Blog%20Support/TheDoubleHelix.jpg
Who Regulates Food Biotechnology?
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http://healthcare.zdnet.com/images/fda-logo.jpg
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
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
http://homepages.ius.edu/SRICKARD/cheese2.jpg
Other Products from Genetically
Engineered Microbes
• Food enzymes
– Bread
– HFCS Sweeteners
• Amino acids
• Peptides
– Nutrasweet
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Flavors
Organic acids
Polysaccharides
Vitamins
Milestones in Food
Biotechnology
• 1994: FDA approves
“Flavr Savr” Tomato
– Prolonged shelf life
– Improved quality
– Voluntarily labeled
http://www.lhup.edu/smarvel/Seminar/FALL_2003/Malawskey/tomaten.jpg
Other Genetically
Engineered Plants
• Agronomic traits
– BT Corn
– Roundup Ready Soy
– Disease Resistance
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http://whyfiles.org/241GM_2/images/soybean_field.jpg
Food quality
Nutrition
Metabolic products
Vaccines
GMO crops in the USA
HT = Herbicide Tolerant; Bt = Bt insecticide
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
http://pfisterhybrid.com/images/sections/5.jpg
• 80% U.S. Corn crop Bt (2014)
• 84% U.S. Cotton crop (2014)
Bt Concerns
Monarch butterfly:
endangered?
http://members.tripod.com/c_rader0/greg040.gif
• Bt pollen harms nontarget 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
Herbicide Resistance
http://cropwatch.unl.edu/photos/cwphoto/soy_harvest2002_2b.jpg
• 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)
Herbicide Resistance Concerns
• Encourages herbicide use
– Groundwater contamination
– Kills beneficial soil microbes
• Cross-pollinates weeds
• Fosters dependence on
Agrochemcial companies
Disease Resistance
Genetically engineered papaya
resistant papaya ringspot virus
http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2008/04/080423131624.jpg
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Canola
Cantaloupes
Cucumbers
Corn
Rice
Papaya
Potatoes
Soybeans
Squash
Tomatoes
Wheat
Health and Nutrition
• Golden Rice
– Vitamin A and Iron enhanced
– Seeds given to the poor for free
• Improved Amino Acid
Balance
– Soy (needs Methionine)
– Maize (needs Lysine)
• Banana Vaccines
http://wwwdata.forestry.oregonstate.edu/orb/images/Marketing/TIME.jpg
Metabolic Products
• Idea: use crops to
produce inexpensive
– Pharmaceuticals
• AIDS vaccine in corn
– Metabolic products
• Problems:
– Containment
• Cross pollination
• Accidental mixing into
food supply
http://foodhazard.com/genetically-modified-foods/
Genetically Engineered Animals
- not approved for food • Transgenic Fish
– Salmon
• Grows 4-6 times faster
• Environmental concerns
• May escape, outcompete
natural species
• Transgenic Mammals
– Cows, Sheep, Goats
• Pharmaceutical production
in milk
http://www.gatewayva.com/biz/virginiabusiness/magazine/yr1997/aug97/cover.html
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
http://nadav.harel.org.il/cola/image/CokeClassic.jpg
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
Milestones in Food
Biotechnology
• 1999: Gerber and
Heinz baby foods
GM-free
• 2000: Mc Donalds
and Frito-Lay
products GM-free
http://www.corrupt.org/articles/big_mac/bigmac.jpg
Milestones in Food
Biotechnology
• 2000: USDA Organic
Foods Standards
– Must be GM-free
http://www.taquitos.net/im/sn/NaturalPlanet-YellowCorn.jpg
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
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38232000/jpg/_38232577_levy150.jpg
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
http://www.feedstuffs.com/Media/PublicationsArticle/biotech_map_0.jpg
GMO-Free Zones in Europe
• GMOs Banned
– 8 Countries
– Many Regions,
– Municipalities
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
http://www.scq.ubc.ca/the-new-macdonald-pharm/
– Not certified organic (USDA)
Controversy over Biotech Foods
• Debate pits consumer and ecology groups
– against Multinational Corporations
• Many farmers, scientists, government agencies
– caught in the middle
Arguments for Genetically
Engineered Food
• Potential to:
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Increase productivity
Increase purity
Increase safety
Improve nutrition
Improve food quality
Improve sustainability
Benefit ecosystem
• Process not inherently
harmful
http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/images/thompson_paul.jpg
• 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
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
GMO vs normal Salmon of
same age
http://www.primidi.com/images/aquabounty_salmon.jpg
• Benefits multinational
corporations
– not consumers
– not developing nations
Frankenstein Foods:
Unintended Consequences?
• Potential GMO food safety
problems:
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Random gene insertion
Unknown toxins?
New gene products?
Unknown allergies?
• No evidence of GMO food
safety problems
http://www.gasdetection.com/news2/bioengineered_food.jpg
Food Allergies
• 90% of Food allergies:
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Peanut proteins can cause
severe food allergies!
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Eggs
Fish
Shellfish
Milk
Peanuts
Soybeans
tree nuts
wheat
• GM foods avoid genes from
these sources
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
Arguments against labeling
• Suggests non-existent hazard
• Expensive to segregate crops
and change labels
• FDA labels required if change
in:
• Allergenicity
• Nutrition
• Food Quality
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
Insect resistant maize, Kenya
http://img.radio.cz/pictures/networkeurope/080215-bt-corn-africa.jpg
• Disease resistance
• Reduced weeds
– Increased profits
Will GM crops feed the world?
• No:
– Biotech from companies targets the wealthy
GMOs for developing countries
• 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
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International Center for Genetic
Engineering and Biotechnology, India
http://www.parasitologyindia.org/images/icgeb.jpg
Land
Water
Roads
Education
Credit
– Green revolution agriculture unsustainable
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Monoculture
Erosion
Fertilizer and pesticide runoff pollution
Neocaloric (requires fossile fuels)