FOOD RELATED CONSUMER ISSUES
GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS:
- Genetic engineering to modify food.
- Manipulation of genes in DNA molecule.
- The genetic code in living cells provided by
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
- DNA chains are part of chromosomes and are subdivided in
segments (genes).
- Genes determine all characteristics of plants, humans, and
animals.
- Scientists can identify a gene, extract it, copy it, and transfer
it to another organism, this organism and its descendants will
then have this characteristic.
- The receiving organism is called a transgenic organism.
- Characteristics such as resistance to diseases, nutritional
value and shelf life can be improved this way.
GM CROPS:
- Most popular GM crops are soya beans, corn, cotton, and
canola.
- Soya is found in 60% to 70% of processed foods including
baby milk formula.
- Corn is found in flour and breakfast cereal, while corn syrup is
used in most processed foods.
- Cottonseed oil is used in the fast-food industry, and after the
extraction of oil the mass is flattened and used as animal
feed (cottonseed cake).
- Canola is in oil and margarine.
ADVANTAGES:
1. Crops can be more pest resistant:
- Need for pesticides is reduced.
- GM cotton produces insecticide naturally.
- Benefits environment as less chemicals are needed.
- Production costs are lowered, and less time and implements
are needed to spray crops.
2. More resistant to herbicides:
- Herbicides can be used without damaging the crop.
3. More resistant to diseases and unfavourable conditions:
, - Crops can survive extreme temperatures, frost, and droughts.
- Can grow in poor or unproductive soil such as alkaline soil or
marshes.
- Can grow in areas with low agricultural potential.
4. Crop yield and production of meat, eggs, and milk improve:
- Improves food security in a rising population world.
5. Improved shelf life.
6. Improved processing or manufacturing characteristics.
7. Cheaper due to low production costs.
8. More plentiful:
- GM sugar cane is produced in huge amounts.
9. Characteristic can be improved.
10. Can become more nutritious:
- ‘Golden rice’ has high vit A so can help countries with
malnutrition.
11. Can possibly be used to make edible vaccines:
- Production of protein in bananas can make humans resistant
to the bacteria causing cholera.
- Use of bananas to produce a vaccine against the virus that
causes Hepatitis A.
12. GM sheep produce a human protein in their milk that
can be used to treat lung diseases.
13. Bacteria and other micro-organisms can be used to
manufacture medicine like insulin.
DISADVANTAGES:
1. Can cause allergic responses in some people due to a
certain protein.
2. The effect of transferring genes is still unclear.
3. Negative impact on organism s in the environment:
- Can be unpredictable and uncontrollable e.g., if the gene
that is resistant to herbicides ends up with a gene pool of
weed, it could create a super week that is not controllable
by herbicides.
- GM plants and animals could become super organisms that
will causes species to die out as they won’t be able to
compete.
- GM animal scan grow quickly, so slaughtered at a younger
age which is unethical.
4. Resistance to anti-biotics as the person eats resistant foods.
GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS:
- Genetic engineering to modify food.
- Manipulation of genes in DNA molecule.
- The genetic code in living cells provided by
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
- DNA chains are part of chromosomes and are subdivided in
segments (genes).
- Genes determine all characteristics of plants, humans, and
animals.
- Scientists can identify a gene, extract it, copy it, and transfer
it to another organism, this organism and its descendants will
then have this characteristic.
- The receiving organism is called a transgenic organism.
- Characteristics such as resistance to diseases, nutritional
value and shelf life can be improved this way.
GM CROPS:
- Most popular GM crops are soya beans, corn, cotton, and
canola.
- Soya is found in 60% to 70% of processed foods including
baby milk formula.
- Corn is found in flour and breakfast cereal, while corn syrup is
used in most processed foods.
- Cottonseed oil is used in the fast-food industry, and after the
extraction of oil the mass is flattened and used as animal
feed (cottonseed cake).
- Canola is in oil and margarine.
ADVANTAGES:
1. Crops can be more pest resistant:
- Need for pesticides is reduced.
- GM cotton produces insecticide naturally.
- Benefits environment as less chemicals are needed.
- Production costs are lowered, and less time and implements
are needed to spray crops.
2. More resistant to herbicides:
- Herbicides can be used without damaging the crop.
3. More resistant to diseases and unfavourable conditions:
, - Crops can survive extreme temperatures, frost, and droughts.
- Can grow in poor or unproductive soil such as alkaline soil or
marshes.
- Can grow in areas with low agricultural potential.
4. Crop yield and production of meat, eggs, and milk improve:
- Improves food security in a rising population world.
5. Improved shelf life.
6. Improved processing or manufacturing characteristics.
7. Cheaper due to low production costs.
8. More plentiful:
- GM sugar cane is produced in huge amounts.
9. Characteristic can be improved.
10. Can become more nutritious:
- ‘Golden rice’ has high vit A so can help countries with
malnutrition.
11. Can possibly be used to make edible vaccines:
- Production of protein in bananas can make humans resistant
to the bacteria causing cholera.
- Use of bananas to produce a vaccine against the virus that
causes Hepatitis A.
12. GM sheep produce a human protein in their milk that
can be used to treat lung diseases.
13. Bacteria and other micro-organisms can be used to
manufacture medicine like insulin.
DISADVANTAGES:
1. Can cause allergic responses in some people due to a
certain protein.
2. The effect of transferring genes is still unclear.
3. Negative impact on organism s in the environment:
- Can be unpredictable and uncontrollable e.g., if the gene
that is resistant to herbicides ends up with a gene pool of
weed, it could create a super week that is not controllable
by herbicides.
- GM plants and animals could become super organisms that
will causes species to die out as they won’t be able to
compete.
- GM animal scan grow quickly, so slaughtered at a younger
age which is unethical.
4. Resistance to anti-biotics as the person eats resistant foods.
