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You asked for it - The GMO "Frankenfoods" debate!

4,236 views · Published 27 October 2015 · 2:37 · Indexed 22 September 2026

Channel: ScIQ · 2015 · Science & Technology

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A lot (LOT!) of you have written in about GMOs (aka "Frankenfoods") particularly whether foods containing GMOs should carry a warning label. Whether Genetically Modified Foods are a good or bad thing is actually much more complex than we realized - and so I asked Laura Wolf, ScIQ's science advisor and resident ecology scientist, to help discuss. HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! 

"Frankenfoods" describes foods whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering (aka Genetically modified organisms, GMO's, or Genetically modified foods). 

Genetic engineering offers a time-saving method for producing larger, higher-quality crops with less effort and expense.

Humans have been genetically enhancing other organisms for thousands of years by selective breeding. Examples: seedless watermelon, sweet corn, dogs. But genetic engineering goes beyond selective breeding. Genes can be transferred between organisms. The genes that code for the desired trait can be copied from the genome of one organism and pasted into the genome of the new organism. Once the new genes are introduced, they are passed on to the next generations. So, this modification of an organism’s genome creates genetic combinations that are not present in nature.

GMO ingredients are present in 80% of packaged foods in the US- Over 80% of all corn, soy, cotton, and canola grown in the US are genetically modified.

The PROs include : 
+ crops resistant to weeds, pests, and disease, 
+ crops with bigger yields, so there is more efficient use of the land
+ foods with better taste, texture, and appearance
+ foods with more nutritional value, which is especially important in areas where only certain foods can grow.
+ crops that can grow in harsh environments, for example where increased soil salinity has made it impossible to grow normal crops.
+ plants that contain vaccines, which means vaccines would be available to a much wider audience, where they may not have been available before.

But there are an increasing number of people concerned about the risks of GMOs as well, as it is still a relatively new technology. People are concerned over such widespread use of GMOs in uncontrolled environments without sufficient testing. 

Cons:
+ Because of herbicide resistance, use of herbicides has increased. This increased use of Herbicides/pesticides has led to the creation of “superweeds” and “superbugs,” so more powerful and toxic herbicides/pesticides are needed.
+ Potential for cross-breeding between genetically modified crops and wild populations, so unwanted genes can end up in other plants
+ There is no genetic diversity in GM foods, so if a new disease comes along, the crops could be completely wiped out.
+ Testing on animals has shown signs of limited adverse health effects, including immune dysregulation, altered liver function, and changes in the pancreas, kidneys, and spleen.
+ GM foods have not been around for very long, so we don’t know the long term consequences. 

So what do you think? Do the benefits outweigh the risks, or do the risks outweigh the rewards?

IMAGE ATTRIBUTIONS:
Corn: Corn By Claire Jones, GB
Desert: Hayashi Fumihiro
Kenya: http://tytribble.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Kenya.jpg
Food scarcity: http://www.fao.org/nr/water/art/2012/6179%20copy.jpg

LIMITED SOURCES:
A Risk of Growing Genetically Modified Oilseed Rape
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2445340?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Genetically Modified Maize Reveals Signs of Hepatorenal Toxicity
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00244-006-0149-5

Assessment of the food safety issues related to genetically modified foods
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-313X.2001.01119.x/full

A 90-day safety study of genetically modified rice
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691506002535

EC-sponsored research on safety of genetically modified organisms: a review of results.
http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/20043028143.html;jsessionid=E9790DDA9A2FD98D08969A19C650B30D



This video is presented by Jayde Lovell, B.A.Sc, M.A. and Laura Wolf, B.A. 
Written, produced & edited by Laura Wolf, at Youtube Space NYC.

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