Are Biotech Foods Safe?

The reason those tomatoes in your grocery cart are so plump and those apples are so golden is due in part to biotechnology. But while science has improved certain qualities of the foods we eat, some experts are concerned about the possible health risks in these ‘new and improved’ foods. Should you be worried?

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Regarding Argument

GMOs are Inherently Unpredictable and Unsafe

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unsafe gmo's

Look at what the agriculture industry has done with BT (baccilus Thuringenis) in our corn! they take this wonderful thing that God created to kill the bugs in the ground and put it into the cells of the corn! Not only that , but the hard shell aroung the BT that keeps other organisms from injesting the "bug killing" properties of the bt has been removed in the GM proccess.therefore, we are getting the gut injuring "pesticide" everytime we eat a corn chip, tortilla or ear of corn, (not to mention the feed going into the meat that we eat)!
eat organic...refuse this crap from these horrible conglomerates and they will begin to see that we won't stand for this. UNfortunately most of the worlds population are already sheeple.
do yourself a favor and save seeds from your organic corn and other veggies and fruits, before long monsanto dupont and the other mega corps will own every seed in this world and we'll have nothing to choose from other than their poison.

- clsr July 24, 2008 12:10PM

Reply to this Recommend (2) Side: No

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Right to Know

Eureka! GMOs! We own ‘em! Right away the chemical companies, seizing upon the hands-off attitude American consumers have about how their food is grown and packaged, saw profits signs dancing in front of their eyes -- So, GMOs were rushed into the food supply. Slick salesmen working at a fevered pitch continue to 'sell’ farmers and too-busy politicians on a new, bold 'high tech' alternative that has turned out to be as dangerous to our health as snake oil . Because weeds wick away nutrients from the soil, 'patented' weed killer resistant GMO seeds and their ‘patented’ companion weed killer chemicals have a sole purpose -- to reduce weeds . Weeds are the enemy, and we – consumers - are just caught in this Hiroshima of chemicals. FACT: In 2008, we used 30% more chemicals than 30 years ago to achieve the same yield with 10 to 70%LESS nutrient value. We need to wise up and stop buying GMOs.

- IssueTalk July 29, 2008 10:51AM

Reply to this Recommend (2) Side: No

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- The reason
  
  "we used 30% more chemicals than 30 years ago to achieve the same yield with 10 to 70%LESS nutrient value" is not because of GMOs. It is most likely because pests have evolved to be more resistant to our chemicals.
  Actually, this is a serious problem and GMOs may actually be the next step to make sure that we are all fed.
  IMO we should continue researching and increase testing on GM food sources. As for everyone who is still scared of them, just don't eat them.
  
  - sunshiner424 August 3, 2009 4:40PM
  
  Reply to this Recommend (0) Side: Yes
  
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  - I wonder why that is.
    
    Sunshiner424 as you said in an earlier post you don't know much about this topic on GMOs, you need to go do some research before spouting nonsense.
    
    There have been no long term tests on how these gmos will affect our health , the environment , and the gene pool of these plants. Short term tests done by a few scientists on lab rats given gmos to eat showed a decreased immune system and some even developed legions in their stomachs. Of course the scientists were discredited by the big seed and chemical/fertilazer companies, Montanso seeds being the biggest.
    
    "As for everyone who is still scared of them, just don't eat them." This comment just goes to show how ill informed you are on the subject. GMO's are not required to be labeled on food products and as such are not labeled. This is a major reason for concern. This means if there is a health problem caused by the gmos in the food there is no trace ability because again its no labeled and not required to.
    
    I suggest you watch a movie on hulu called the future of foods and become more informed on the subject. I never understand why people find the need to try and discuss something before doing any research on the subject matter.
    
    - Darklegacy24 August 14, 2009 2:27PM
    
    Reply to this Recommend (0) Side: No
    
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two issues, not one

Their are two different issues here:
1) Failures in our food safety testing.
2) The advent of a new biotechnology.

I fully agree that we (Americans) have a problem at the FDA and USDA. Corporations are having far much success at lobbying these agencies. However, I think the focus on genetic modifications is too narrow and not fully justified.

There is no fundamental reason why an altered plant WOULD be safe to eat. As pointed out in the above post, the results of engineering are unpredictable. You would not go out in the woods, collect random plants and feed them to your family. Just because something looks like a tomato doesn't mean that it has all the properties of a tomato. No, when a new plant is created (or discovered for that matter), it needs to be carefully tested before it can be considered safe to eat.

Likewise, there is no fundamental reason why genetic engineering creates dangerous things. While the process is unpredictable, the end product is just a new plant, it is still made out of all the same basic biological building blocks as any other plant. There is no inherent toxicity that adheres to a plant from the process of engineering it. After a specific GM food is proven to be safe, then it is no less safe than crops created by regular domestication practices.

The organizations that oppose genetically modified foods are helping to expose an important problem, but the problem is not the technology of genetic modification, it is a failure in our food safety system that would still exist, even if GM foods were banned.

- Adam Hammond September 4, 2008 6:30PM

Reply to this Recommend (0) Side: Uncommitted

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