Ever since humans have grown plants and raised animals for food, they have chosen plants and animals with beneficial properties for further reproduction. These traits reflect naturally occurring genetic variations, for example, leading to increased yields or resistance to disease or environmental stressors.
GMO is a word that has been coined. At a time when gene technology was not developing rapidly, in China, the most well-known case of genetic modification of a certain species was hybrid rice.
One of the necessary elements that cannot be skipped in the time-traveling novel is hybrid rice, since this technique can be done under natural conditions. In fact, cross-breeding technology is a technology for screening genes under natural conditions.
The difference between hybridization and transgenic is natural and unnatural, hybridization is the search for a target in a sample that satisfies the need, and transgene is the introduction of elements as per the need.
Gist:
- A brief description of GMO
- European and American GMO status
- Management Practices and Impact Controls
- Risks and Concerns,
- epilogue
A brief description of GMO
Modern technology has made it possible to alter genetic material to create new properties of plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi. This technology is mainly used to improve insect resistance and herbicide tolerance of crops, as well as for microbial production enzymes.
An organism that alters its genetic material in this way is known as a genetically modified organism. Foods and feeds that contain or consist of genetically modified organisms, or that are produced by genetically modified organisms, are known as genetically modified foods and feeds.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is calling on stakeholders involved in the production, use, distribution and/or research and innovation related to novel proteins to support their future risk assessments by conducting short surveys. Our scientists regularly evaluate the safety of novel proteins in the field of genetically modified and novel foods. This includes the safety of the production process used to produce and evaluate products.
GM technology itself is a technology that needs to be tested for a long time, and it is ultimately people and not animals, and the companies that develop these technologies, and the capital that supports them, have historically treated civilians as people from another world, you know.
The status quo of GMOs in Europe and the United States
- United States
The United States has not banned the use of genetically modified technology, although the most likely reason is that it is part of American world policy, and the largest owner of genetically modified varieties is also an American company - Monsanto.
In fact, American sugar beets have long been 100% genetically modified, and domestic anti-GMO groups should learn better, not to say that Americans don't eat sugar.
However, the United States is strict about the supervision of genetically modified food, in addition to the mandatory requirement that all foods must be labeled with genetically modified raw materials, but also set up three agencies to cross-monitor the impact of genetically modified food.
The U.S. government has set up three federal agencies to jointly regulate most GMOs. "GMO" (genetically modified organisms) has become a common term used by consumers and popular media to describe plants, animals, or microorganisms that alter their genetic material (DNA) through a process known as genetic engineering.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ensure that GMOs are safe for human, plant, and animal health.
These agencies also monitor the impact of GMOs on the environment.
- Europe
From the G-28 led by France to ban the invasion of genetically modified products, only seven countries remain: Bulgaria, France, Germany, Northern Ireland, Romania, Switzerland and Scotland.
The reality has to be faced is that Europe's largest food suppliers, Ukraine and Russia, are the largest growers of genetically modified crops.
Just two months ago, on February 7, 2024, the European Union once again adjusted its criteria for the evaluation of genetically modified technologies (NGTs), hoping to relax the review criteria for NGT varieties that are resistant to diseases, insects and enhanced drought tolerance.
In order to cooperate with the EU's policy adjustments, France, the backbone of the anti-gene, chose to postpone the release of the report of the French Food Safety Authority until after the EU standard adjustment meeting, which was actually released on January 24, 2024.
In fact, the EU has made a lot of efforts to make this adjustment, and even invited 37 Nobel laureates (Note 1) and more than 1,500 related scientists to jointly issue a letter of initiative to the EU Parliament, hoping to accelerate the use of NGT in various industries.
In fact, in Europe, where the boycott is the strongest, there are only 300,000 environmentalists who participate in the boycott of NGT technology. And European farmers are desperately hoping to open their arms to fully access GMOs.
Although genetically modified technology can be applied to improve the taste and nutritional content of food, the use of plants is more in the direction of disease resistance, insect resistance and tolerance.
The use of microbial genetically modified organisms is more and more extensive, and the dairy industry has long been using this technology to improve taste.
Microorganisms (fungi, bacteria, etc.) are the source of most functional exogenous genes in the field of NGT.
Management Practices and Impact Controls
Despite all the talk about genetically modified foods, the reality is that the people of the evil United States, the main body of GMO conspiracy theories in China, have been eating something like that for decades.
Following the Yankees' usual practice, they probably already have access to the world's largest number of ways and data on the impact of NGT on the environment, people, and animals. But that doesn't mean they're going to tell everyone, not even Americans.
Am I eating food from genetically modified crops?
You are most likely consuming foods and foods made from genetically modified crop ingredients. Many genetically modified crops are used to make raw materials for American consumption, such as cornstarch, corn syrup, corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, or granulated sugar. Some fresh fruits and vegetables come in genetically modified varieties, including potatoes, zucchini, apples, papayas, and pink pineapples. Although many of the foods we eat contain GMOs, most genetically modified crops grown in the United States are used in animal food.
To make it easier for consumers to know if the food they eat contains genetically modified ingredients, the USDA maintains a list of bioengineered foods available worldwide. In addition, thanks to the new National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, you will start to see the "bioengineered" label on some of the foods we eat.
Strict requirements for food to be clearly labeled with "bioengineering technology" are the only methods that can be implemented at this stage.
In China, the root cause of the GMO being so "evil" is not the GMO itself, but the real reason is the untrue description of the experts who intend to promote GM, which has led to a backlash of public opinion.
Risks and Concerns
In fact, it's almost certain that genetically modified foods will have an impact on those who eat them.
As early as 15 years ago, foreign research institutions found residues of BT toxic protein (Note 2) in neonates, and this protein derived from Bacillus thuringiensis has been widely used in insect resistance applications in crops.
The introduction of such exogenous genes brings a large number of environmental and health risks, such as in areas where genetically modified crops are planted in large areas, it is difficult for you to "stand alone", and the pattern of plant transmission will lead to genetic contamination of the surrounding native varieties by genetically modified varieties.
The concern about the use of genetically modified products in food is that so far, it has not been possible to accurately assess the specific effects of transgenic genes on the human body, and more phenomena have been unrepeatable in the process of verification after guessing.
For modern people who live in data-based assessments of quality of life and efficiency, this is an unspeakable fear of the unknown.
epilogue
People can't use "no suspicion of guilt" to calm their hearts, and the current situation is almost impossible to stop the promotion of genetically modified technology, which is a general trend to meet human needs.
However, there is a need for more data support and accurate information from the authorities.
"Leaving the choice to the people" feels irresponsible, because no individual has the opportunity to assess the impact of this technology on themselves.