When choosing products in the supermarket, we habitually pay attention to the composition. On many of them you can see the mark “GMO-free”, indicating that genetically modified engineering did not have a hand in growing this product, and therefore it can be considered clean and safe. But if you think about it, what do we know about genetic engineering and should we be afraid to include GMO foods in our diet? Let's figure it out.
What is GMO
First of all, let's deal with the concept of GMOs. A genetically modified organism is an organism whose gene has been changed by crossing with the gene of another organism. For modern scientists, such crossing does not present any problems; they easily connect the gene of a plant, with the gene of a bacterium or even an animal.
Why is this necessary you ask? In fact, geneticists have made a revolutionary discovery, having learned to overcome interspecies barriers and connect the genes of different organisms. Thanks to this, it is possible to improve the properties and characteristics of a particular organism. It looks like this. A GMO potato is a potato that has been implanted with a gene for a poisonous insect, as a result of which pests bypass this product. As a result, we get beautiful tubers without damage and wormholes. Or GMO tomatoes are tomatoes from which the northern flounder gene is implanted. As a result of such crossing, tomatoes are not afraid of cold weather and do not turn black after heavy fogs. Vitamins that were not previously contained in wheat are now being implanted into wheat, and the human albumin gene is being implanted into rice. This is done to increase the benefits and improve the nutritional properties of cereals.
Among other things, it turned out that genetic engineering had a significant impact on crop yields, because with the implantation of foreign genes, products became more hardy and resistant to temperatures. All this significantly reduced the cost of the process of obtaining a crop and increased the profits of farms. Is it any wonder that farmers are happy to grow genetically modified foods? And it is much more pleasant for consumers to buy juicy bulk apples, peppers or tomatoes that look great, have an unsurpassed taste, and at the same time have absolutely no damage. There is only one fact that is alarming, which cannot be ignored.
Why are GMO foods dangerous?
Mankind is wary of genetically modified foods, primarily because such foods contain a foreign gene. There is an objective fear that modified foods are harmful to humans, just while their harm is not so obvious, but in the future, perhaps even after several generations, GMO foods will deal their crushing blow to our descendants. In addition, there are suspicions that genetically modified foods can cause allergies, cause the growth of malignant tumors, disrupt metabolic processes in the body and resistance to antibiotics.
Adding fuel to the fire are statistics that in the United States, where the vast majority of products contain GMOs, more than 75% of the population suffer from allergies. At the same time, in Sweden, where a ban on the use of these products has been introduced, the number of allergy sufferers does not exceed 5%. It is quite possible that the presence of an allergy has nothing to do with genetic engineering, but such data are very alarming and make us look at all products of this kind with caution.
At the same time, genetic scientists assure us that there is no threat from eating foods with GMOs, since in the process of digestion their gene cannot cross with the human gene. True, the evidence cited by scientists does not at all exclude the risk of gastrointestinal diseases, allergic pathologies or cancerous tumors caused by the activity of transgenes in the human body.
The opinion that GMO foods are no more dangerous than foods with preservatives and flavors may have the right to life, but this does not mean that such harm should be turned a blind eye. Be that as it may, modern science has no evidence of the safety of genetically modified products, and therefore the term "potentially dangerous product" is used in relation to them.
Why were GMO foods created?
Many people have a question, why were products created, the effect on the body of which cannot be controlled? Here it is necessary to look into history. It turns out that the first transgenic products were born in the United States back in the mid-80s of the last century, and they were created with a good goal - to finally save humanity from hunger and feed third world countries. But in reality it turned out the opposite. Almost all African countries have abandoned the use of GMO products, in European countries they have imposed restrictions, but in the USA these products are produced everywhere and are very popular. And what do we have in Russia?
GMO products in Russia
The number of genetically modified foods in countries is monitored by the well-known organization Greenpeace. According to them, more than 35% of products in our country contain the modified gene. And every year the number of such products is increasing. Why it happens?
Let's say right away that the import of transgenic products into the Russian Federation is not prohibited, and therefore, on the shelves of our stores, natural products coexist with products that have been touched by the hand of genetic engineers. Moreover, if in European countries genetically modified products are easy to distinguish from natural ones due to their lower price, in Russia, natural vegetables and vegetables with a gene mutation cost about the same.
Many are unlikely to be pleased with the fact that since July 2014, the cultivation of cultivated plants using the GMO method has been allowed in the Russian Federation. Moreover, permission was given to grow 14 species of plants, including: corn - 8 varieties, potatoes - 4 varieties, sugar beet - 1 variety and rice - 1 variety.
Our scientists have already reacted to this permission, stating that the cultivation of modified cultivated plants will lead, no less, to the complete destruction of agriculture in the country! According to experts, the cultivation of GMOs in our country will lead to the appearance of super pests that are already appearing in other countries. But what is even more dangerous, the crops of farmers who grow environmentally friendly products will be polluted, as soil contamination occurs under the influence of transgenes. And there is no need to look for evidence. Just look at the soils of those countries where modified vegetables and fruits have been grown for a long time. For example, all rapeseed in Canada today has become genetically modified, and all due to the fact that the pollen of cereals with a modified gene was carried to the surrounding fields.
Many are reassured by the fact that in the US, GMO products are sold without restrictions and are not considered potentially dangerous. However, those of us on a healthy diet should be aware of foods that may contain the mutated gene.
Foods that may contain GMOs
1. All products containing soy, corn and rapeseed
According to unofficial sources, all these products found on the shelves of supermarkets contain GMOs. When you see the words “vegetable protein” on a product label, you can be sure that this is 100% transgenic soy. By the way, this protein is found in most meat and sausage products, in mayonnaise and ketchup, chips and canned food, as well as in soy dairy products.
2. Margarine and vegetable oil
According to statistics, 90% of all vegetable oils in our stores contain GMOs. Moreover, some manufacturers dilute olive oil with soy at all, and do not even report it on the labels.
3. Candy, chocolate and ice cream
Almost all chocolate products contain genetically modified ingredients. You can notice this by the composition in which soy lecithin is present. Similar soy components are found in ice cream, as, indeed, in all other dairy products.
4. Baby food
The vast majority of foreign and domestic manufacturers use dairy products and cereals with GMOs for the production of baby food.
5. Confectionery and bakery products
Flour, as well as bakery and confectionery products, can also contain altered genes. According to statistics in our country, more than 25% of all flour products contain these potentially hazardous substances.
6. Vegetables
Some vegetables also undergo genetic modification. Most often, GMOs are found in potatoes and tomatoes, beets and zucchini, melon and papaya.
How to distinguish transgenic products
We have already mentioned that the cost of modified and natural products is equal in our country, which means that it will definitely not work to identify potentially dangerous products by cost. Appearance will also say little to the average layman, although when acquiring large juicy peppers, cucumbers or tomatoes in early spring, one can hardly expect that they are grown exclusively in a natural way.
You will be surprised, but you should not count on the “non-GMO” inscription on the labels of some products either. It turns out that according to our legislation, the “Non-GMO” badge is placed on products containing less than 0.9% of substances with a modified gene, but even this restriction is bypassed by many manufacturers.
Another thing is the composition of the product. If you notice soy lecithin or E322 in the composition of soft drinks, cereals or baby food, you can be sure that this product is with a crossed gene. The same can be said in the presence of maltodextrin, aspartame, dextrose, glucose, vegetable fat and soybean oil. And be sure to look at the country of origin. Remember, almost 70% of all GMO products come from the USA, followed by Canada and France.
What remains to be done by ordinary buyers? Organic products exist, you just have to look for them.
Scheme 1
Natural products coming to us from Europe are labeled Organic or BIO, with this icon (Scheme 1).
Scheme 2
You can, for example, find such flour or oatmeal (Scheme 2).
In addition, natural products from Europe can be labeled with other badges (Scheme 3).
Scheme 4
By purchasing products with such a label, you can be 99% sure that all the way from agricultural land to processing plants and packaging, this product has done in strict accordance with environmental standards and has not undergone a gene change. In our country, the highest quality products have the Rostet badge (Scheme 4).
By purchasing products with such a designation, you, of course, will not protect yourself from GMOs, but you will be sure that they have undergone strict quality control. In addition, try to purchase products from those farms, the quality and naturalness of which you are sure. As a last resort, buy appropriate vegetables and fruits in season while you can, as crops sold in winter and early spring tend to be cross-bred.
The trends of recent years indicate that the number of genetically modified foods in the world will only increase. However, this does not mean at all that we should be led by manufacturers and use products that we are not sure are safe. Look for natural vegetables and fruits or grow them yourself, they are the ones that bring us health and benefits!
Take care of yourself!
The patenting of genetically engineered products and the widespread production of biotechnological food products are leading to the displacement of agriculture in the form that it has been for 12,000 years.
Introductory overview
Genetic Engineering Technology (GI), which is owned by transnational "life science" corporations such as Monsanto And Novartis, practices altering or violating the genetic blueprints of living organisms (plants, animals, humans, microorganisms), patenting them, and then selling the resulting genetically modified food, seeds, or other products for profit.
The "life sciences" corporations loudly claim that their new products will make agriculture sustainable, eliminate world hunger, cure diseases and greatly improve the health of the population.
In fact, through their business practices and political office, the genetic engineers have made it clear that they intend to use the GI for the purpose of dominance And monopolization world market seeds, food, fibers And medicines.
GI is a revolutionary new technology that is still in its early stages. experimental stages of development. This technology is powerful enough to break down fundamental genetic barriers not only between species, but also between humans, animals and plants. By randomly splicing together the genes of unrelated species (using viruses, antibiotic-resistant genes, and bacteria as vectors, markers, and activators) and constantly changing their genetic codes, gene-altered organisms are created that are able to transmit these genetic changes to their offspring through heredity.
Genetic engineers around the world are currently cutting, inserting, recombining, rearranging, editing and programming genetic material. Animal genes and even human genes are inserted randomly into the chromosomes of plants, fish and animals, creating previously unimaginable transgenic life forms. For the first time in history, multinational biotech corporations are becoming the architects and "masters" of life.
With virtually no regulatory restrictions, labeling requirements, or scientific protocols, bioengineers have begun to create hundreds of new GI "Frankenfoods" and crops, with little regard for human, environmental hazards, and negative social impacts. -Economic consequences at the global level, which will affect several billion farmers and rural residents.
Despite a growing number of scientists warning that current methods of gene splicing (cutting out sections of RNA) are crude, inaccurate, and unpredictable - and therefore fraught with danger, pro-biotech governments and regulators argue that GI foods and crops are are essentially equivalent to conventional products and therefore require neither mandatory labeling nor pre-market safety testing. This brave new world of Frankenfoods is scary.
Currently, more than four dozen types of genetically engineered foods and crops are grown or sold. These foods and crops are widely dispersed throughout the food chain and the environment. Over 29 million hectares of GM crops are currently grown in the US, while dairy cows (up to 500,000 head) are routinely injected with Monsanto's recombinant bovine growth hormone (RBGH). Russia does not lag behind the West, and since 2014, official permission has been given for sowing and registration of GMO crops. More than 60 million hectares have been allocated for this.
Most supermarkets now accept food products that are "test positive" for the presence of genetically modified ingredients. In addition, several dozen more genetically modified crops are in the final stages of development and will soon be released and sold on the market. According to the plans of the biotech industry, almost 50% of food and fiber will be genetically modified within 5-10 years. The "hidden menu" of these unnamed genetically engineered foods and food ingredients currently includes soya beans, soybean oil, corn, potato, zucchini, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, papaya, tomatoes, And dairy products.
Genetic engineering of food and fiber products is often unpredictable and dangerous to humans, animals, the environment and the future of sustainable and organic agriculture.
According to Dr. Michael Antoniou, British molecular scientist,
Gene splicing has already led to "unexpected production of toxic substances ... in genetically modified bacteria, yeasts, plants and animals, the problem has gone unnoticed, because until there is a serious health hazard."
The dangers associated with genetically modified foods (GMOs) and crops fall into three categories:
- Hazard to human health;
- Adverse factors for the environment;
- Socio-economic risks.
A quick look at the already proven and probable dangers of genetically engineered (GE) products is a compelling argument why we need a global moratorium on all GE foods and crops.
Toxins and poisons
Genetically modified foods (GMOs) clearly have the potential to be toxic and pose a threat to human health. In 1989, a genetically modified brand of L-tryptophan, a common dietary supplement, killed 37 people and disabled as many more, and affected more than 5,000 people with a potentially fatal and debilitating blood disorder (eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (EMS), before than it was withdrawn from the market).
Manufacturer Showa Denko, Japan's third largest chemical company, for the first time in 1988-89. began using genetically modified bacteria to produce an over-the-counter supplement. It is believed that the bacteria were somehow contaminated by the DNA recombination process. Showa Denko has already paid over $2 billion in damages to EMS victims.
In 1999, the British press front-page coverage of the startling research findings of Rowett Institute scientist Dr. Arpad Pustai that genetically modified potatoes spliced with DNA from the snowdrop and a commonly used viral activator (Cauliflower Mosaic Virus - CaMV) are poisonous to mammals. . The resulting genetically modified potatoes were significantly different in chemical composition from conventional potatoes. He damaged the vital organs and immune systems of laboratory rats who were fed these potatoes.
Of greatest concern was damage to the stomach of rats, apparently, a severe viral infection was most likely caused by the viral activator CAMV, an activator of splicing of almost all GI foods and cultures.
The pioneering research work of Dr. Pusztai unfortunately remains incomplete (government funding was cut off and he was fired after speaking to the media). But more and more scientists around the world are warning that genetic manipulation can increase levels of natural toxins in plants and foods(or create entirely new toxins) in unexpected ways by turning on genes that produce poisons.
And because regulators currently don't require the kind of rigorous chemical testing and food experimentation that Dr. Pusztai did, consumers have become unwitting guinea pigs in a vast genetic experiment.
As Dr. Pustai warns:
“Think of William Tell's target archery. Now blindfold the shooting man and see the reality of a genetic engineer doing a gene insertion.
Increased risk of cancer
In 1994, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved the sale of the controversial GI recombinant bovine growth hormone Monsanto(RBGH). It is injected into dairy cows to make them produce more milk. Although scientists have warned that significantly higher levels (400-500% or more) of a powerful chemical hormone (insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1)), in milk and dairy products, can pose a serious risk to human breast, prostate and colon cancer intestines.
A number of studies have shown that people with elevated levels of IGF-1 have an increased risk of disease. cancer. In addition, the US General Accounting Office has directed the FDA not to approve RBGH, arguing that RBGH-treated cows have increased antibiotic residue in the milk (as a result of a higher rate of udder infections requiring antibiotic treatment). This is an unacceptable public health risk.
In 1998, still undisclosed Monsanto/FDA documents were released by Canadian government scientists showing harm done to lab rats given doses of the hormone RBGH. Significant penetration of RBGH into the rat prostate, as well as thyroid cysts, pointed to potential cancer risks from the drug. Subsequently the Canadian government banned RBGH in early 1999. The ban has been in effect in the European Union since 1994.
Although the hormone RBGH continues to be administered by 4-5% of US dairy cows, no other industrialized country has legalized its use. Even the GCTT Code (General Agreement on Customs Tariffs and Trade), the food standards body of the United Nations, refused to confirm that RBGH is safe.
food allergies
In 1996, one of the major disasters of genetically engineered nutrition (GI) was narrowly avoided when Nebraska researchers learned that the brazil nut gene introduced into soybeans could cause potentially fatal allergies in people sensitive to brazil nuts. Animal testing of this genetically modified soy has shown a negative result.
People with food allergies(which currently affects 8% of all American children), whose symptoms can range from mild nuisance to sudden death, can likely be affected by exposure to foreign proteins introduced into everyday foods. Because humans have never before eaten most of the foreign proteins that are now genetically coupled in foods, rigorous pre-market safety testing (including long-term testing in animals and human volunteers) is needed to avert a public health disaster. in future.
Also needed mandatory labeling so that those who suffer from food allergies can avoid dangerous GI foods, and health officials can identify the source of the allergen when GI-induced food allergies occur.
Unfortunately, the FDA and other worldwide regulators do not usually require pre-market animal and human studies to determine whether new allergens and toxins are present in genetically engineered foods, or whether human levels of already known allergens and toxins are rising.
British scientist Dr. Mei-Wang Ho notes:
“There is no known way to predict the allergic potential of genetically modified foods. Allergic reactions usually do not occur until some time after the subject first comes into contact with the allergen."
Harm to food quality and nutrition
In his 1999 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, Dr. Mark Lappe found that the concentration of beneficial phytoestrogen compounds thought to protect against heart disease and cancer was lower in genetically modified soybeans. than traditional strains. These and other studies, including those of Dr. Putsai, show that genetically engineered food is likely to lead to reduced food quality. For example, milk from cows injected with RBGH contains higher levels of pus, bacteria, and fat.
Antibiotic resistance
When genetic engineers introduce a foreign gene into a plant or microbe, they often pair it with another gene, the antibiotic resistance marker (ARM), which helps determine if the first gene has successfully fused to the host organism.
Some researchers warn that these ARM genes could unexpectedly recombine with disease-causing bacteria and microbes in the environment or in the gut of animals or humans that eat GI foods. This contributes to a growing public health risk associated with antibiotic resistance and infections that cannot be treated with traditional antibiotics (eg, new strains of Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter and Enterococci). EU authorities are currently considering a ban on all GI foods containing antibiotic resistance marker genes.
Elevated pesticide residues in soil and crops
Contrary to the advocacy of the biotech industry, recent research has shown that GM crop farmers use just as many toxic pesticides and herbicides as conventional farmers, and in some cases even more. Plantings of genetically modified crops resistant to herbicides account for 70% of all GM crops planted in 1998.
The so-called "benefit" of these herbicide-resistant crops is that farmers can spray as much herbicide on their crops as they want - killing weeds without damaging the crop. Scientists have calculated that herbicide-resistant crops planted around the world will triple the amount of broad-spectrum toxic herbicides used in agriculture. These broad-spectrum herbicides can kill literally everything green.
The leaders in biotechnology are the same giant chemical companies - Monsanto, DuPont, ArgEvo, Novartis, and Rhone-Poulenc - that sell pesticides. These companies are genetically modifying plants that are resistant to the herbicides they produce in order to sell more herbicides to farmers. Farmers, in turn, can apply more toxic herbicides to crops to kill weeds.
genetic pollution
"Genetic pollution" and collateral damage from GM in field crops has already begun to create major environmental problems. Wind, rain, birds, bees and pollinating insects have begun carrying the genetically modified pollen to adjacent fields, contaminating the DNA of organic and non-GI farmers' crops.
Many organic farms have been contaminated due to genetic drift from GM crops in nearby fields and/or farms. EU regulators are considering defining a "margin" for genetic contamination of non-GI foods because they do not believe that genetic contamination can be controlled. Genetically modified crops are inherently more unpredictable than chemical pollutants—they can reproduce, migrate, and mutate. Once released, returning the GI of organisms to the laboratory or field is virtually impossible.
Damage to beneficial insects and soil fertility
Earlier this year, researchers at Cornell University made a surprising discovery. They found that pollen from genetically modified Bt (biotech) corn was poisonous to monarch butterflies. The study adds to a growing body of evidence that GM crops have a negative impact on a range of beneficial insects, including ladybugs and lacewings, as well as beneficial soil microorganisms, bees, and possibly birds.
Creation of GI "superweeds" and "superpests"
The resistance of GI crops to herbicides and the production of their own pests are a serious problem.
Pests and weeds will inevitably appear, but already resistant to pesticides or herbicides. This means that stronger, more toxic chemicals will be needed to get rid of them.
We are already seeing the emergence of the first superweeds". So the GI of herbicide-resistant crops (such as rape(canola) have extended their herbicide resistance traits to nearby weeds such as field mustard. Laboratory and field trials also show that common plant pests such as the cotton bollworm, living under constant pressure from GM crops, will soon become "super pests." They are fully insured against biotech sprayers and other environmentally friendly biopesticides. This will pose a serious threat to organic and non-GI farmers whose biological pest management practices will be unable to cope with the increase in super pests and super weeds.
Creation of new viruses and bacteria
Crossing genes inevitably leads to unforeseen results and dangerous surprises that damage plants and the environment. Researchers conducting experiments at the University of Michigan a few years ago found that plant resistance to viruses obtained through genetic modification can cause mutations and their acquisition of more terrible forms. Scientists in Oregon have discovered that a genetically engineered soil microorganism, Klebsiella planticola, has completely killed critical soil nutrients. The Environmental Protection Agency issued similar warnings in 1997, protesting the government's approval of the GI company for a soil bacteria called Rhizobium melitoli.
Genetic "Bio-Invasion"
Due to their "superior" genes, some GI plants and animals will inevitably run amok, overwhelming wild species, just as the introduction of exotic kudzu vines and Dutch elm disease has created problems in many parts of the world.
What will happen to wild fish and marine species, for example, when scientists release into the environment carp, salmon and trout twice as big and eating twice as much food as their wild counterparts?
Socio-economic dangers
The patenting of genetically engineered products and the widespread production of biotech food will lead to the decline of agriculture, as it has been for 12,000 years. GI patents such as Terminator Technology will render seeds infertile and force the hundreds of millions of farmers who currently conserve and share their seeds to forever purchase expensive GI seeds and chemical costs from a handful of worldwide biotech seed monopolies.
If the trend is not stopped??, the patenting of transgenic source plants and animals will soon lead to universal "bio-slavery" in which farmers will take their plants and animals from biotech corporations such as Monsanto and pay royalties on seeds and offspring.
Indigenous farmers and their families will be forced off their land, and food choices will be dictated to the consumer by a cartel of transnational corporations. Rural communities will be devastated. Hundreds of millions of farmers and agricultural workers around the world will lose their livelihoods.
Ethical dangers
Genetic engineering and patenting of animals reduces the status of living beings to the status of products of production and leads to great grief. In January 1994, the Department of Agriculture announced that scientists had completed genetic "landmarks" for cattle and pigs, to be followed by eternal experiments on live animals. In addition to the cruelty inherent in such experiments ("bugs" are born with painful deformities, cripples, blind, and so on), these "synthetic" creatures are of no more value to their "creators" than mechanical inventions.
Genetically engineered animals designed for use in laboratories (such as the infamous "Harvard mouse" with a human cancer-causing gene that would be passed on to all subsequent generations) were made to suffer. Biotechnology, as a purely reductionist science, reduces all life to the level of bits, minimal pieces of information (genetic code) that can be organized and rearranged on a whim.
Stripped of their integrity and sacred qualities, animals will be perceived by their creators as mere objects. Currently, hundreds of animal genetic "freaks" are awaiting patent approval from the federal government. After the sale of patents on animals and genetic changes, there will be GI babies?
At first glance, it may seem that the question of what are the benefits and harms of GMOs is rhetorical, since any packaging in the supermarket has a corresponding label about the absence of this component. That means it's harmful. However, the WHO conclusion does not give such an unambiguous answer. Contrasting views are also circulating in the media on this topic of the dangers of GMOs to human health. What is true and what is false can only be determined on the basis of facts.
What is GMO
GMO stands for genetically modified organism, the DNA of which has undergone a purposeful change by genetic engineering. Usually the goals of such experiments are related to the benefit for scientific or economic necessity.
The first modified products in 1994 were tomatoes from California, whose shelf life was increased simply by removing the gene responsible for the property of decay. However, the consumer did not appreciate the innovations, and after 3 years the product was removed from the market. In the 90s of the XX century, using the method of genetic engineering, a papaya culture was saved from the ring spot virus in Hawaii by inserting the antigen of the virus into its DNA. This helped make it sustainable and ultimately save the region's crops.
Genetic engineering methods are considered by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as a necessary technology in the development of the agricultural industry. Such direct gene transfer is a new stage in the development of breeding technologies that create new plant varieties, animal transfer of traits and properties to non-crossing species.
The question of the benefits or harms of genetically modified products is related to the purpose of the methods. Three-fourths of major plant modifications—soybeans, rapeseed, corn, wheat, potatoes—are beneficially used to increase resistance to pesticides used to control weeds and insects, and to develop plants that are resistant to insects and viruses. Another useful purpose of GMOs is the creation of new products with an improved quality of vitamin and mineral composition: for example, with a high content of vitamin C or beta-carotene.
How GMOs are created
The process is based on the creation of so-called transgenes - DNA fragments that are transferred to an organism, the properties of which they want to purposefully change. At the same time, several transgenes can also be introduced into GMOs.
A gene, or a fragment of a DNA chain, which is responsible for the required property, is “combined” in the right combination with the help of special enzymes (restriction enzymes and ligases), including the insertion of special regulators that can turn off its work. Thus, it is possible to “program” the desired properties in the original, modified organism by such a “mounting” of genes from other biological species that do not interbreed either in natural conditions or by selection methods.
Are There Benefits of GMO Foods?
Strange as it may sound in the light of established stereotypes about the dangers of GMOs, but under controlled conditions, genetic engineering, like selection, is a tool that provides undoubted benefits to humans.
The story of the modified Hawaiian papaya is a useful example. However, the fear of uncontrolled use of technology in the production of products that can also harm humanity resulted in the Greenpeace protest movement. Activists accusing genetic scientists of directing experiments on obtaining genetically modified products against the laws of nature and therefore endangering human health destroyed papaya trees at the University of Hawaii, which gave the problem a wide public resonance.
However, the arguments of opponents of GMOs about the dangers of using technology in the production of products are not recognized by science as valid, since it is believed that there is also a certain percentage of random mutations in nature, and in addition, breeding methods that are impeccable from the point of view of usefulness are essentially aimed at creating the same “genetically modified" organisms.
At the beginning of our century, research data from Japanese scientists on transgenic papaya confirmed the absence of chain sequences corresponding to known allergens in its protein. After that, Japan opened the market for products for GMOs of this crop, thereby introducing important evidence into the controversy regarding the benefits of genetic engineering for human health. In addition to the ability of GMO technologies to become a defense against the harm of viruses for plants and humans, they can also improve the beneficial properties of products.
So, a group of scientists from Switzerland developed "golden rice" containing beta-carotene from the introduced narcissus transgenes - in order to enhance the beneficial properties against vitamin A deficiency - a phenomenon common among residents of Asian regions. These experiments met with public accusations that such GMO rice has carcinogenic properties. However, such criticism has not yet been reflected in official WHO documents, while the benefits of a 100-gram serving of golden rice cover 120% of the need for vitamin A.
Harm of GMO products
During the existence of GMO technology, a number of facts have accumulated about the negative impact of modified foods on health:
- The potential harm of GMOs lies in the consequences of the impact of transgenic products on related species of other plants, insects, and animals.
- Some GMOs contain genes that give plants the ability to maintain resistance to antibiotics, which can later be transmitted to humans.
- Critics of GMO technologies believe that a combination of several genes is responsible for the yield, which cannot be modeled by genetic engineering. Thus, yields of modified crops of corn, wheat and rapeseed in the United States (where GMOs are widespread) yield lower rates with a higher pesticide load than in Western Europe (where there are bans on GMO products) for the same types of cereals.
- The change in the properties of GMO crops for resistance to herbicides affected the increase in the use of the latter by 15 times. One of these drugs, glyphosate, is recognized by WHO as a carcinogen, which, according to 2016 data, was detected in 70% of people in the United States. And the increased use of herbicides, in turn, has led to the emergence of resistant super-weeds.
- Data from the Human Genome Research Institute (USA) showed that changes in one gene in the body cause changes in other genes according to the domino principle, the nature of which is difficult to predict.
- Polyamines are substances with toxic, allergic and carcinogenic properties, which in corpses indicate decomposition: their increased content is noted in GMO corn.
- Transgenes enter the bloodstream without completely disintegrating in the gastrointestinal tract: this was established by studies conducted in Hungary. The study of human serum samples showed the presence of the highest concentration of such DNA in those suffering from intestinal inflammation. There are also data on the relationship of products containing GMOs with increased cholesterol, body weight, weakened immunity, lesions of the genitourinary, cardiovascular systems - to an increase in the risk of congenital pathologies.
- Increase in mortality. In 2012, scientists at the University of Caen in France, after a year and a half of feeding rats with GMO food, came to the conclusion that transgenic crops have an effect on increasing mortality in the population.
Important! The harm of the uncontrollability of GMO cultivation technologies is manifested, in particular, in the fact that out of 1000 transgenic crops in the world, only 100 are officially allowed.
Use of GMOs in Europe and Russia
The area under planting GMO crops is increasing every year. According to 2013 data, they accounted for almost half of Russia's agricultural land.
In 2010, scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution named after Severtsov, Russian Academy of Sciences, conducted an experiment that revealed the effect of soybean GMOs on the body of hamsters. The results were eloquently frightening: hamsters in the third generation showed developmental delays that entailed their non-viability, and half of the individuals lost their reproductive abilities. Scientists emphasize the incorrectness of the direct transfer of the meaning of data for the human body, but it has hardly been proven for animals.
In Russia, the production of products with GMOs is prohibited by the Federal Law of July 3, 2016, however, these bans are lifted for the import and sale of 17 lines of GMOs, the leaders of which are soybeans and corn. A complete rejection of GMOs in Russia is impossible due to WTO requirements. However, permission can only be obtained based on the results of a complex test for safety in 80 positions.
In addition, according to the Law on Consumer Rights, modified products above 0.9% of transgenes must be accompanied by a special label "containing GM components."
The world leader in the production of GMO products is the United States, where not only there are no barriers to this, but also campaigns are actively conducted to increase confidence in transgenic products.
In Europe, there is an official ban on the cultivation of GMOs, but trade is allowed. At the same time, Finland, Greece, Switzerland, Poland have established strict bans on the use of GMOs in animal feed, while in Russia, Ukraine, France, Germany, Sweden, this is practiced: in particular, the content of GMO soy in feed reaches 60%.
Products containing GMOs
- In addition to papaya, tomatoes, soybeans, corn and rice, experiments on changing the properties were carried out: with oilseed rape, cotton, sugar beet, potatoes, bananas, aruse.
- Tomatoes are known for modifications to accelerate ripening, potatoes - to enhance starchy properties.
- Experiments are also carried out with animals: there is information about New Zealand cows whose milk has been enhanced with hypoallergenic properties; about Chinese cows that give milk with a reduced amount of lactose in the composition.
- However, this is only part of what we know. Animals can receive feed with GMOs, which can further affect their characteristics. Thus, the content of soybeans in feed for livestock, according to various sources in Europe, reaches 60%. Transgenes can be transferred through the intestines to the spleen, blood leukocytes, and liver. There are cases of finding the content of traces of GMOs in the milk of cows, veal and pork.
- Chocolate containing lecithin from GMO soybeans, as well as the so-called lecithin, vegetable fats can harbor possible harm to the body
- Baby food and breakfast cereals are food categories that can also include GMO cereals.
- Honey is also on the list of likely GMO foods, with modified oilseed rape often present in its varieties.
- Dried fruits - to increase the shelf life can be covered with transgenic soybean oil.
The problem of identifying products from GMOs is in the absence of obvious signs of their content: this can be done in a laboratory, and the analysis process takes up to 1.5 days. A few rules will help to distinguish GMOs when buying products in a store:
- You should carefully read the composition of the products on the package and in order to avoid harm, it is better to play it safe and avoid those that contain ingredients based on soy and corn: soy and corn flour, oil and starch, as well as tofu cheese, lecithin (E322), hydrolysis of commercial vegetable protein and polenta.
- Fruit markings. It will be useful to get into the habit of checking the special code on fruit labels. It usually contains 4 or 5 digits indicating the properties of a particular variety.
- The habit of buying products from trusted sources will come in handy: for example, in organic food stores, where you can check the certification of a product, the likelihood of buying GMOs is much lower.
- If possible, it is useful to grow food on your own plot. However, in this case, it is necessary to check the planting material for GMOs.
- There is a high risk of encountering harmful GMOs in fast food and low-budget stores, since transgenic foods are primarily associated with cheap varieties.
- The harm of additives in baking can be reduced by checking for the presence of "flour improvers", ascorbic acid, impregnation for dough: in essence, these are GMO enzymes with additives.
- It is also difficult to identify GMO components in dairy products, as well as in the meat of animals grown on transgenic soybeans or corn. It is worth giving preference to healthy organic dairy products. Margarine should be abandoned altogether in favor of organic butter.
- Regular chocolate also contains E322 soy lecithin. You can protect yourself from its harm by switching to organic chocolate.
- Food supplements in the form of drugs, vitamins should also be subject to control on the composition, as well as on the reputation of the manufacturer.
- There are known cases of deaths from the use of the transgenic supplement Tryptophan or "non-animal insulin".
- Honey must also be carefully checked for composition. It is best to avoid imported products or those labeled as "manufactured in several countries"
- Dried fruits should not be treated with vegetable oils.
- A special risk factor for the content of harmful GMOs in the above products produced in the USA and Canada. At the same time, Finnish products with a non-GMO label, such as the Valio brand, can be trusted.
Attention! The code for a GMO product will look like a 5-digit number starting with 8. More information about fruit labels can be found in the video:
Conclusion
Thus, the benefits and harms of GMOs in foods remain a topic around which heated debates do not stop. Having studied the issue in more depth, we can conclude that genetic engineering is a tool that can have a beneficial or harmful effect, depending on the purpose of its use. The main danger of both the negative impact of GMOs on human health and the global genetic pollution of the planet remains the process of breeding plants and animals with desired properties out of control.
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Some scientists have raised concerns that GMOs may pose a risk to human health due to the fact that they may:
- increase the risk of food allergies and poisoning;
- capable of causing mutations;
- contribute to the formation of tumors;
- cause resistance to antibiotics.
There is a certain possibility that foreign DNA can accumulate in the human body, as well as enter the nuclei of embryonic cells, which can lead to congenital malformations and even death of the fetus.
Children under 4 years of age are at risk, because they are the least protected from the effects of foreign genes.
Allergenicity of GMOs
More than half of the transgenic proteins that provide plant resistance to insects, fungal and bacterial diseases are toxic and allergenic for humans and/or mammals.
Many children in the US and Europe have developed life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other foods. There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant could create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in sensitive people.
A proposal to include the brazil nut albumin gene in soy was rejected for fear of causing unexpected allergic reactions.
Substances designed to fight insects can block digestive tract enzymes not only in insects, but also in humans, and also affect the pancreas.
A number of transgenic corn, tobacco and tomato varieties resistant to insect pests produce lignin, a substance that prevents plant damage. It can degrade into toxic and mutagenic phenols And methanol. Therefore, an increase in the content of lignin in the fruits and leaves of plants is dangerous for humans.
The most striking example of the toxicity of GMOs was the case of the Japanese company Showa Denko K.K., which began to supply the market with a food supplement tryptophan, obtained from transgenic bacteria, assuming that it is equivalent to the natural analogue. The amino acid (genetically engineered) caused the death of 37 people, and about 1,500 more were injured.
Comprehensive testing of genetically modified foods may be required to avoid the possibility of harm to consumers with food allergies. The labeling of genetically modified foods takes on a new meaning, which will be discussed later.
Carcinogenicity and mutagenicity
GMOs can become mutagenic and carcinogenic due to their ability to accumulate herbicides, pesticides and their degradation products. For example, the herbicide glyphosate, used in the cultivation of transgenic sugar beet and cotton, is a strong carcinogen and can cause lymphoma.
Some herbicides can have a negative effect on the survival and health of human embryos, as well as cause mutations.
As a result of intracellular processes, biologically active substances that can provoke the development of cancer.
The emergence of antibiotic resistance
Most GM crops, in addition to the genes that give them the desired properties, contain antibiotic resistance genes as markers. Common antibiotics such as ampicillin (used to treat respiratory tract infections, sinusitis, and urinary tract infections) and kanamycin (used to treat tuberculosis, upper and lower respiratory tract infections, and wound dressing) are used in food production. There is a danger that they can be transferred to pathogens, which can cause them to become resistant to antibiotics. In this case, traditional methods of treating inflammatory processes with antibiotics will be ineffective.
However, geneticists say that antibiotics, to which commercially grown transgenes are resistant, are not currently used in medical practice, and there is no danger to human health.
The Unknown Effects of GMOs on Human Health
There is growing concern that the introduction of foreign genes into food plants may have unexpected and negative effects on human health. Recent articles published in The Lancet examined the effects of GM potatoes on the digestive tract of rats. This study states that there were significant differences between the intestines of rats fed GM potatoes and rats fed unmodified potatoes. But critics say that this document, like the data on the Monarch butterfly, is invalid and does not deserve scientific consideration. In addition, a gene from the snowdrop flower introduced into the potato encodes a lectin, a substance known to be toxic to mammals. The scientists who created this potato variety decided to use the lectin gene simply to test the methodology, and these potatoes were never intended for human or animal consumption.
In general, with the exception of possible allergic reactions in humans, scientists believe that genetically modified foods do not pose a health risk.
