 Genetic
engineering (GE) is the process of transferring specific traits,
or genes, from one organism into a different plant or animal.
The resulting organism is called transgenic or a GMO
(genetically modified organism). 70% of processed foods in
American supermarkets now contain genetically modified
ingredients.i
 Genetic engineering
is different from traditional cross breeding, where genes can
only be exchanged between closely-related species. With genetic
engineering, genes from completely different species can be
inserted into each other. For example, scientists in Taiwan have
succeeded at inserting jellyfish genes into pigs in order to
make them glow in the dark. ii
GE Crops
About 200 million acres of farmland worldwide are now used to
grow GE crops such as cotton, corn, soybeans and rice.iii
The most common GE crops are Soybeans, which represent 63% of
all GE crops, Corn (19%), Transgenic Cotton (13%) and Canola
(5%).iv The majority of genetically modified crops
grown today are engineered to be resistant to pesticides and/or herbicides so that
they can withstand being sprayed with weed killer while the rest
of the plants in the field die.
GE proponents claim genetically modified crops use fewer
pesticides than non-GE crops, when in reality GE plants can
require even more chemicals.v This is because weeds
grow resistant to pesticides, leading farmers to spray even more
on their crops.vi This causes environmental
pollution, exposes food to higher levels of toxins, and creates
greater safety concerns for farmers and farm workers.
Some GE crops are actually classified as pesticides. The
New Leaf potato, which has since been taken off grocery shelves,
was genetically engineered to produce the Bt (Bacillus
thuringiensis) toxin in order to kill any pests that attempted
to eat it. The actual potato was designated as a pesticide and
so was regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
instead of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) which
regulates food. Because of this, safety testing for these
potatoes was not as strict as with food, since the EPA
regulations had never anticipated that people would
intentionally consume pesticides as food.vii
Adequate research has not yet been carried out to
identify the effects of eating animals that have been fed
genetically-engineered grain, nor have sufficient studies been
conducted on the effects of directly consuming
genetically-engineered crops like corn and soy. Despite our lack
of knowledge, GE crops are widely used throughout the world as
both human and animal food.
GE Animals
Scientists are currently working on ways to genetically engineer
farm animals. Salmon have been bioengineered to grow five times
faster than wild breeds, hens have been genetically modified to
lay low-cholesterol eggs, and chickens have been altered to
produce anti-cancer drugs.viii At this point in time,
no GE animals have been approved by the FDA to enter the food
supply.ix Genetic engineering experiments on animals
do, however, pose potential risks to food safety and the
environment.
In 2003, scientists at the University of Illinois were
conducting an experiment that involved inserting cow genes into
female pigs in order to increase their milk production. They
also inserted a synthetic gene to make milk digestion easier for
the piglets. The experimental pigs were supposed to be
destroyed, as instructed by the FDA. However, 386 offspring of
the experimental pigs were sold to livestock brokers, who sold
them to slaughterhouses. They were processed
and sent to grocery stores as pork chops, sausage, and bacon.x
Although University of Illinois representatives claimed
that the piglets did not inherit the genetic modifications made
to their mothers, there was still a clear risk to the people who
purchased products made from the 386 piglets. Since no
genetically modified animal products have ever been approved by
the FDA, the pork products that reached supermarket shelves were
technically unsuitable for human consumption. Because of the
accident, the FDA sent letters in May 2003 to all land-grant
universities, reminding researchers that their work "may
require" licensing under the animal drug law.xi
What are the concerns
over GE Food?
Many concerns have been raised over the inadequate testing of
the effects of genetic engineering on humans and the
environment. Genetic engineering is still an emerging field, and
scientists do not know exactly what can result from putting the
DNA of one species into another. The introduction of foreign DNA
into an organism could trigger other DNA in the plant or animal
to mutate and change.xii In addition, researchers do
not know if there are any long-term or unintended side effects
from eating GE foods.xiii
Opponents to genetic engineering state that GE foods must
be proven safe before they are sold to the public because their
safety has not yet been proven. Specific concerns over genetic
engineering include:xiv
- Allergic reactions. There
are two concerns regarding allergic reactions. The first is
with known allergens. For example, if genes from nuts are
inserted into other, widely consumed foods, it could provoke
severe reactions in people with nut allergies. Therefore, there
is concern that people with known allergies will not be aware
that the genetically engineered food they are eating contains
substances to which they are allergic. The second concern is
over the possibility of creating new allergies. The new
combinations of genes and traits have the potential to create
allergic reactions that have never existed before.
- Gene mutation. Scientists
do not know if the forced insertion of one gene into another
gene could destabilize the entire organism, and encourage
mutations and abnormalities. Likewise, no one knows if or how
eating mutated food could affect people’s own DNA.
- Antibiotic resistance.
Almost all GE food contains antibiotic resistance marker genes
that help producers know whether the new genetic material was
transferred to the host plant or animal. GE food could make
disease-causing bacteria even more resistant to antibiotics,
which could increase the spread of disease throughout the
world.
- Loss of nutrition. Genetic
engineering may change the nutritional value of food. xv
- Damage to the environment.
Insects, birds and wind might carry genetically altered pollen
to other fields and forests, pollinating plants and randomly
creating new species that would carry on the genetic
modifications.
- Gene pollution can not be
cleaned up
Once released into the environment,
genetically engineered organisms cannot be cleaned up or
recalled. So, unlike chemical and nuclear contamination which
can at least be contained, genetic pollution cannot be isolated
and separated from the environment in which it is
spreading.
Superweeds
GE crops can cross-pollinate with weeds, potentially creating
superweeds that could become difficult to control.
Terminator seeds
Some GE seeds are engineered so that plants cannot reproduce
seeds. In many parts of the world, saving seeds from season to
season is the only way farmers are able to survive and continue
growing food. However, with GE technology, seeds can be sterile,
forcing farmers to rely on seed companies for their livelihood,
an expense they may not be able to bear.
What You Can Do
- Look for foods that are labeled GMO
free. Today, almost all major brands have GMO ingredients.
Visit the True
Food Network to find out what brands you can eat and what you
should avoid.
- Eat organic
foods. The USDA regulations governing organic food do not
permit genetically-modified fruits and vegetables, and organic
meats cannot come from animals that were fed GE crops. So
eating organic is a surefire way to avoid GE foods.
- Read “GE Fish” to learn about the risks
involved with genetically engineering fish.
Did You Know?
- 4 countries have 99% of the
world’s GE acreage, they include:xvi
- US (68%)
- Argentina (22%)
- Canada (6%)
- China (3%)
- More than 75% of soybeans grown in
the US in 2003 were bioengineered.xvii
- Herbicide tolerant GE crops have
created weed resistance, causing pesticide use to increase by
70 million pounds between 1996 and 2003.xviii
- In January of 2006, a groupd of
Taiwanese scientists succeeded in creating a new breed of
glow-in-the-dark pigs by inserting genes from jellyfish into
the pigs’ embryos.xix
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