Audience: Middle and High School Students
Fun Fact: Over 90% of corn in the USA is a GMO. Photo by Eric Prouzet from Unsplash.
If you regularly enjoy apple slices as a snack, you are accustomed to the slight brown tinge it gains after oxidizing. Despite giving the appearance of something aged and no longer edible, the browning isn’t harmful but simply a change of aesthetic. The color change has little effect on the apple’s crisp, sweet taste. However, the negative connotation attached to browning fruit causes people to waste pounds of perfectly edible produce every day. To combat this issue, most modern supermarkets are now selling non-browning apples. These non-browning apples are genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, that have been altered in a lab to suit certain desires or needs — in this case, a preference towards fresh-appearing apples. However, as scientists begin to bend nature to the will of the people, a set of questions arises. How are GMOs created? Are they safe to consume? Why are so many divided over these genetically modified foods?
So, what is a GMO? By definition, a GMO is “an organism whose genetic characteristics have been altered using the techniques of genetic engineering”(Dictionary.com). Genetic engineering is when scientists alter the DNA of an organism using biotechnology, getting rid of undesirable characteristics. Originally, to produce an organism with preferred traits, plants and animals would be crossbred. Crossbreeding is the process of mating two different varieties, breeds, or species. However, this technique proved to be a time-consuming process that wasn’t consistently creating positive results. Moreover, along with the intended characteristics came other, unwanted traits, so scientists looked for an easier way to control the organisms yielded. Genetic engineering is a less complicated, more effective approach.
While genetically modifying organisms might sound otherworldly, these GMOs exist in our local supermarkets, generally in the produce section. A myriad of fruits and vegetables have been modified to resist insects and, therefore, decrease pesticide usage in farms. Pesticides are substances used to effectively repel pests from crops. However, the pesticide chemicals, which are toxic to the human body, remain on produce after harvest. This is one of the main reasons why foods are genetically modified: to limit pesticide usage and reduce harmful repercussions. Some of the most common GMOs with resistance to insects are crops like corn, soybean, and squash.
Now that you know what a GMO is, how do you identify whether or not a food is genetically modified? When going shopping, it’s incredibly easy to identify GMOs from non-GMOs, as there’s a requirement by the USDA for GMO food sellers to label their food products. Moreover, any food certified and advertised as organic must be non-GMO.
Furthermore, despite the growing prevalence of GMOs in grocery stores, there’s still debate over whether GMOs are safe to consume. This clear divide between indulging in or rejecting GMO foods has ignited wariness among shoppers, as people doubt the safety of consuming lab-tampered fruits. However, research has shown that there’s no harm in eating foods that are genetically modified. According to the FDA, “GMO foods are as healthful and safe to eat as their non-GMO counterparts. Some GMO plants have actually been modified to improve their nutritional value.” On the other hand, those that oppose GMOs fear for the long term effects of consuming these foods. Jane E. Brody, a specialist in biology and health journalist for the New York Times writes, “It is not possible to prove a food is safe, only to say that no hazard has been shown to exist. The fears of G.M.O.s are still theoretical, like the possibility that insertion of one or a few genes could have a negative impact on other desirable genes naturally present in the crop.” It is safe to say that most of the fear people have of GMOs is rooted in worry over the unknown, since GMOs are still a fairly recent addition to the produce aisle.
All things considered, we all have the choice of what we put into our bodies. While GMOs may not be food in the way nature intended, it creates produce that’s been specifically engineered to help our society. As we move forward into the future, it seems like GMOs are going to become even more prevalent in grocery stores. Next time you’re in the grocery store and see the GMO label, realize the weight that simple acronym carries. Whether you decide to indulge is entirely up to you.
Bibliography:
Brody, Jane E. “Are G.M.O. Food Safe?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Apr. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/well/eat/are-gmo-foods-safe.html.
FDA. “GMOs and Your Health.” FDA, www.fda.gov/media/135280/download. Accessed 27 Jan. 2024.
“Genetically Modified Organism Definition & Usage Examples.” Dictionary.Com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/browse/genetically--modified--organism. Accessed 26 Jan. 2024.
National Geographic. “Genetically Modified Organisms.” Encyclopedic Article, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/genetically-modified-organisms/. Accessed 26 Jan. 2024.
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