Are genetically modified foods safe to eat ?

Your Health Guide

Health Guide addresses health issues and related subjects - healthy eating, exercises, etc.

By law, all foods on sale must be safe to eat and from the initiation of genetic modification technology, the safety of these foods has been an important concern.

Countries have implemented stringent biosafety structures of oversee the development of GM foods, and each food is thoroughly assessed for human and environmental safety before it is approved for consumer use.

Will this new gene technology increase the allergenicity of commonly eaten foods?

The safety of all GM foods and their products to all consumers is the major priority in every biosafety assessment. If a product displays an increase in allergenicity, it will simply not obtain biosafety approval.

Could there be any long term instability in these foreign genes?

There is a concern that genetic modifications, originally deemed safe, could, with time, become unstable in the host,resulting in increased toxicity, allergenicity of danger to the environment.

However, the stable, long term safety of GM foods is a major issue in all safety assessments and any sign of instability means the food is ruled unsafe for general release. Stability in crops is assessed over six or more growing seasons.

Will there be increased antibiotic resistance as a result of gene technology?

Genetic modification sometimes uses antibiotic resistance markers to trace the gene movement and stability.

There is concern that these genes could move out of the GM food into other organisms in the environment, and cause antibiotic resistance in ecosystems.

Antibiotic marker genes are highly unlikely to move into other organisms in the food web, and these marker genes, obtained from sources such as soil and fungi, already occur in high numbers in all ecosystems. All marker genes are, however, carefully reviewed and only those that offer resistance to antibiotics no longer in clinical use are permitted.

What about Dr. Pusztai's 'toxic potatoes'?

Preliminary research into the toxicity of plant toxin genes introduced into potatoes caused major stir in the UK in 1998. In the May 1999 review of the results by UK's advisory committee on noval foods concluded "the result from Dr. Pusztai's work have been severely distorted by the recent media campaign in an unwarranted attempt to cast doubt on the safety of GM foods in general'.

Publication of Pusztai's research late in 1999 allowed scientists worldwide to confirm that the research is incomplete and does not show that GM foods are unsafe.

Could genetically modified DNA be transferred to human?

The human body contains billions of micro-organisms on, or inside it, and we ingest, inhale and absorb alien organisms and their DNA every day. Because our bodies have their own defense mechanisms, the changes of DNA transfer is remote.

There is no scientific evidence that the body will react differently to GM-derived foodstuffs.

What about the much published 'Brazil nut protein scare'?

A Brazil nut protein was cloned into plants to improve the protein content of staple foods like soya. The particular protein identified was then recognised as the nut's major allergen, and research was discontinued as a result.

No GM soya containing a Brazil nut gene has ever been approved for commercialisation and no one has ever died from eating GM soya that contains a Brazil nut protein.

Will an animal that eats GM feed become a GMO?

A genetically modified animal must have a new gene permanently inserted into its body. The GM plant is digested in the animal gut, and the foreign gene and its protein are digested like any other food protein. The animal is not genetically modified as a result.


	Home Your Health Guide Are genetically modified foods safe to eat ? Genetic modification Are genetically modified foods safe to eat ? Your Health Guide Health Guide addresses health issues and related subjects - healthy eating, exercises, etc. By law, all foods on sale must be safe to eat and from the initiation of genetic modification technology, the safety of these foods has been an important concern. Countries have implemented stringent biosafety structures of oversee the development of GM foods, and each food is thoroughly assessed for human and environmental safety before it is approved for consumer use. Will this new gene technology increase the allergenicity of commonly eaten foods? The safety of all GM foods and their products to all consumers is the major priority in every biosafety assessment. If a product displays an increase in allergenicity, it will simply not obtain biosafety approval. Could there be any long term instability in these foreign genes? There is a concern that genetic modifications, originally deemed safe, could, with time, become unstable in the host,resulting in increased toxicity, allergenicity of danger to the environment. However, the stable, long term safety of GM foods is a major issue in all safety assessments and any sign of instability means the food is ruled unsafe for general release. Stability in crops is assessed over six or more growing seasons. Will there be increased antibiotic resistance as a result of gene technology? Genetic modification sometimes uses antibiotic resistance markers to trace the gene movement and stability. There is concern that these genes could move out of the GM food into other organisms in the environment, and cause antibiotic resistance in ecosystems. Antibiotic marker genes are highly unlikely to move into other organisms in the food web, and these marker genes, obtained from sources such as soil and fungi, already occur in high numbers in all ecosystems. All marker genes are, however, carefully reviewed and only those that offer resistance to antibiotics no longer in clinical use are permitted. What about Dr. Pusztai's 'toxic potatoes'? Preliminary research into the toxicity of plant toxin genes introduced into potatoes caused major stir in the UK in 1998. In the May 1999 review of the results by UK's advisory committee on noval foods concluded "the result from Dr. Pusztai's work have been severely distorted by the recent media campaign in an unwarranted attempt to cast doubt on the safety of GM foods in general'. Publication of Pusztai's research late in 1999 allowed scientists worldwide to confirm that the research is incomplete and does not show that GM foods are unsafe. Could genetically modified DNA be transferred to human? The human body contains billions of micro-organisms on, or inside it, and we ingest, inhale and absorb alien organisms and their DNA every day. Because our bodies have their own defense mechanisms, the changes of DNA transfer is remote. There is no scientific evidence that the body will react differently to GM-derived foodstuffs. What about the much published 'Brazil nut protein scare'? A Brazil nut protein was cloned into plants to improve the protein content of staple foods like soya. The particular protein identified was then recognised as the nut's major allergen, and research was discontinued as a result. No GM soya containing a Brazil nut gene has ever been approved for commercialisation and no one has ever died from eating GM soya that contains a Brazil nut protein. Will an animal that eats GM feed become a GMO? A genetically modified animal must have a new gene permanently inserted into its body. The GM plant is digested in the animal gut, and the foreign gene and its protein are digested like any other food protein. The animal is not genetically modified as a result.