Genetically modified foods, also known as genetically engineered foods or bioengineered foods, are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using various methods of genetic engineering. A genetically modified organism (GMO) is a plant, animal, microorganism, or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology. This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacterial, and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods. Foods produced from or using GM organisms are often referred to as GM foods.
The technology used to create GMOs allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, also between nonrelated species. For example, scientists can take the gene for a desired trait in one plant or animal and insert that gene into a cell of another plant or animal. The first crops developed were used for animal or human food and provide resistance to certain pests, diseases, environmental conditions, spoilage, or chemical treatments. The second generation of crops aimed to improve the quality, often by altering the nutrient profile.
GMOs can be found in many foods and food products, including cornstarch, corn syrup, corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, granulated sugar, and some fresh fruits and vegetables such as potatoes, summer squash, apples, papayas, and pink pineapples. Most GMO crops grown in the United States are used for animal food, and most of the GMO plants are used to make ingredients that are then used in other food products.
There are concerns about the safety of GMOs, including the capability of the GMO to escape and potentially introduce the engineered genes into wild populations, the persistence of the gene after the GMO has been harvested, the susceptibility of non-target organisms to the gene product, the stability of the gene, the reduction in the spectrum of other plants including loss of biodiversity, and increased use of chemicals in agriculture. However, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the World Health Organization, and other leading health organizations say that GMOs are safe to eat. The FDA assesses all GE foods to make sure they are safe before allowing them to be sold, and the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Agriculture regulate bioengineered plants and animals.
In summary, GMOs are organisms whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology. Foods produced from or using GM organisms are often referred to as GM foods. GMOs can be found in many foods and food products, including cornstarch, corn syrup, corn oi...
