Genetically Modified Foods

To what extent does an individual have a right to know the 411 on the food they are consuming? This has been a huge international issue for many years now and there is no end in sight for countries to decide on one global rule for the proper labeling of food products. The main concern lies in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) or more commonly known as GM foods. GM foods are food plants that have been genetically altered to enhance or suppress a specific trait. This could range from suppressing a plants vulnerability to a drought to breeding hundred of plants from a cell as opposed to a seed.

There are two extreme ends of the battle against a consumer’s right to be informed; Europe and the United States. Europe believes that a consumer has the right to know if the food they are consuming has been genetically modified. Recent laws established by the European Commission require all producers to label their products GM if they have been modified. The United States believes that the risks caused by GM foods are not high enough to spend the time and money to regulate proper labeling of GM foods. I side with Europe in this argument and believe that a consumer should have a right to know how their food is being produced and be given the choice to opt out.

GM Food Risks

There are many risks associated with GM foods that a consumer has the right to be aware of. The first category of risk is in the environment. Unintended harm to other organisms has been shown to be one of the biggest concerns. The most popular plant modification is pest resistance. The downside of this is there is there is no way of controlling the toxins released from these plants to only kill the pests that eat crops. All insects and animals are exposed to these toxins. Pollen from GM plants can spread by the slightest gust of wind resulting in the death of animals and insects outside the spectrum of crop eaters.

Another category of risk is human health. Considering the concept of GM foods is fairly new, long-term health risks have not yet surfaced. It needs to be considered that any time genes are modified, changes exist that can potentially lead to serious health risks. At this point, the consumer is basically eating at their own risk. The highest known short-term health concern for GM foods is allergies. It is possible that genetically modifying a plant may cause allergic reaction to a new and unidentifiable allergen. Due to the numerous amounts of people who have life threatening allergies, everyone needs to be careful when consuming GM foods.

The last category of risk is in the Economy. If the number of producers using GM technologies continues to grow, the need for plant seeds will decrease which will cause a major jump in seed price. If the price of seeds sky rockets, small business farmers and third world country farmers will not be able to afford the seeds to make a living. Famers who have the upper hand in technology will dominate the market and potentially push these competitors out of business, leaving them in worse condition than what they started in. There needs to be a balance in the industry to allow the major producers to grow as they wish and still keep the small farms in business.

International Labeling

International trade has been one of the biggest obstacles in GM food labeling as some countries require their food to be labeled on the market and others do not. The United States is one of the largest exporters in the world and has a count of more than 50 GM foods in the market. Global GM guidelines for export trade suggest proper labeling for safety and the ability to trace the origin for precautious measures such as product recall and allergic reactions. The United States follows these export guidelines of labeling GM foods but has yet to provide this courtesy to its own consumers. If businesses already have the ability to label GM products then proper labeling should not be limited to the products being exported but included on all of their goods.

Advantages to GM Foods

I do not believe that GM foods should be removed from the market as they do provide certain advantages. Pest resistance is an ultimate advantage as many farmers lose a great deal of their crops due to crop eating insects. Adding this gene will increase the number of crops able to be sold which will lead to higher profits for the farmers.

Cold weather and drought tolerance is another gene which can prove to be beneficial for farmers. Weather conditions are uncontrollable and can be very detrimental to the production of crops. Adding the ability to withstand drastic weather conditions can save an entire season of crops and allow the farmer to make a profit as opposed to a huge loss from the crops dying.

Lastly, nutrition is a huge advantage of GM foods. Many third world country citizens are malnourished and consume only the food they are able to grow. These crops do not contain all the nutrients a proper diet should entail. Nutrients, such as Iron, can be genetically modified into these crops allowing people to receive the proper amount of nutrients. Living a well nourished lifestyle proves to lead to longer healthier lives.

Conclusion

Genetically modified foods contain a great deal of risks as well as advantages. European law requires products to be properly labeled when they have been genetically modified. The United States should adapt these policies to label GM foods because a consumer has a right to know what they are eating. A consumer has a right to know that the product they are eating may have unintentionally harmed animals in the process. A consumer has a right to know what health risks they are taking when consuming a product, and in this case that GM foods are so new that it is basically eat at your own risk. A consumer has a right to know that this product they are about to eat is ultimately a science experiment with many unanswered questions. It is a consumer’s right to have the option to opt out if they do not want any part of this. Labeling of GM foods should be established in the United States not only for export purposes but to provide the same courtesy and knowledge to its own consumers.

Works Cited

Buck, Tobias. "EU Wants Rest of the World to Adopt Its Rules." Financial Times [London (UK)] 19 Feb. 2007, World News sec.: 7. ProQuest. Web. 6 July 2010. .

"EUROPA - Food Safety - Biotechnology - Introduction." EUROPA - European Commission - Homepage. Web. 06 July 2010. .

"FDA Proposes New Rules for GM Foods." Chemical Market Reporter [New York] 29 Jan. 2001, 259th ed., sec. 5: 7. ProQuest. Web. 6 July 2010. .

Sissell, Kara. "NAS Says More Scrutiny of GM Crops Needed." Chemical Week [New York] 4 Aug. 2004, 166th ed., sec. 25: 12. ProQuest. Web. 6 July 2010. .

Whitman, Deborah. "Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?" CSA. ProQuest. Web. 05 July 2010. .

"World Regulations: UN Body Adopts Global Gm Guidelines." ProQuest. EIU ViewsWire, 10 July 2003. Web. 7 July 2010. .