There is a lot of controversy surrounding GMOs and non-organic food products and produce. You may have asked yourself: is it good, bad or what is it? Could labels like non-GMO & organic be giving food products a health halo that might be wasting your money? We often reach for products that are labeled as organic or non-GMO over those that are not, without fully knowing what this means. I will be discussing some common questions and comments about GMO’s that will allow you to make that decision for yourself! Here are some below:
“Genetic engineering is brand new”
“Are GMOs regulated?”
“GMO’s are harmful to the environment”
“GMO’s are harmful to your health”
“non-GMOs are overall better than GMOs”
“Genetic engineering is brand new”
First, let me start by telling you what a GMO, Genetically Modified Organism, actually is. GMOs are foods that have had their genetic material altered through a process known as genetic engineering. The genetic engineering process involves the selection of genes (desired traits) from one organism and insertion into another organism’s DNA for expression. Conventional methods like selective breeding and crossbreeding, to obtain desirable traits, have been around for millennia. Early farmers used these techniques to obtain crops with a variety of colors, sizes and uses that were needed. However, because these processes take a much longer amount of time, scientists began to research faster alternate methods. Genetic engineering was then first introduced commercially in the 1990s (Science and history of gmos and other food modification processes, 2020).
“Are GMOs regulated?”
GMOs are usually categorized as the unsafe choice, due to the misconception that they are not regulated, but this is not entirely true. GMOs are regulated by three federal agencies, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) & the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The FDA oversees and regulates all of the food we eat, including GMOs, which go through specific regulations and standards to be deemed as safe to eat. The Plant Biotechnology Consultation Program is a voluntary program that also plays a role in monitoring GMOs. Before any new GMOs hit the market, this program allows crop developers to work with the FDA on a product by product basis to identify and discuss their safety and lawfulness (How GMOs are Regulated, 2020).
“GMOS are harmful to the environment”
GMOs are thought to only cause harm to the environment, but they have shown some benefit. GMOs help reduce the environmental impact of farming, reduce food waste and improve air quality. GM seeds also reduce costs via more targeted pesticide use and reduce yield loss or crop damages from weeds, diseases and extreme weather. GMOs are thoroughly studied to ensure its environmental effects are safe prior to reaching the market, but long term effects must continuously be monitored. (How do GMOs affect the environment?, 2021). Some concerns have arisen related to the potential for non-targeted organisms to suffer from the toxic effects of GMOs like birds, butterflies and bees. Both birds and bees play an important role in pollination and may also have the potential to transport pesticides, herbicides and DNA through the air (Glass, 2021). However, evidence has shown that GM crops actually need less insecticides, resulting in less “good being killed with the bad,” and now have the ability to be more target specific to species. This means that because they are more target specific, it does not seem to support GM crops harming bees, birds or the butterfly populations (How Do Gmos Affect Insects?, 2016). An additional concern is that pests may become more and more resistant to pesticides and herbicides over time, which will result in increasing amounts being used and the need for newer GMOs to continually be produced. This issue is already being observed and may worsen over time. A decline in biodiversity is a growing concern as a result, since GMOs DNA also has the potential to end up in our soil, compost, animal feed and byproducts (Glass, 2021).
“GMO’s are harmful to your health”
There are many concerns related to whether or not GMOs enhance allergic reactions, cancer or antibiotic resistance (Wilson, 2019). One major concern is the weed killer Roundup and its main ingredient glyphosate. Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides and the amount used has been increasing, with growing weed resistance. It was previously thought to be safe for our health, but now the WHO has named glyphosate a suspected carcinogen we must be cautious of. Studies have shown conflicting research, but some observed a link between exposure to glyphosate and DNA damage in human cells (Hsaio, 2019). Claims have also been made by GMO producers that proteins found in GMOs are broken down and eliminated during digestion, but emerging research has shown the presence of GMO toxins in women’s bloodstreams and developing fetuses. An additional study by the Institute for Responsible Technology, showed GM foods may cause inflammation in the digestive system and intestinal wall, and even more so in individuals who have existing allergies (How do gmos affect the human body?, 2021). However, there has not been any current evidence to firmly support these claims yet (Gavura, 2021). As of right now, to prevent the likelihood of any adverse occurrences, limits and regulations are usually made concerning these factors (Wilson, 2019). The issue with this uncertainty and GMOs mainly stems from a lack of long term research. Although GMOs are not brand new, they have not been around long enough to know the long term effects they may or may not have on our health.
“non-GMOs are overall better than GMOs”
Both non-GMOs and GMOs have their benefits. Genetic modification benefits include an enhancement in the nutritional value or flavor of foods, increased crop resistance to pests and diseases, cut costs to consumers and an increase in quality food access (Wilson, 2019). GMOs may be in many of the foods we eat like corn, soybean, cotton, canola, apple, squash, papaya, potato & alfalfa. However, we must also acknowledge that no long term clinical trials on human health have been performed and possible adverse effects on the environment may occur in the future. This is where non-GMOs are beneficial. They reduce the likelihood of harming our environment and work to minimize our exposure to pesticides and possible adverse effects on our health, but it is also important to be aware of products that are labeled as “non-GMO” that may not even have a GMO alternative (Gavura, 2021).
These concerns related to GMOs, our health and the environment are continuously being researched by organizations. Both the American Medical Association and World Health Organization support that with current evidence GMOs as a whole are no more likely to be harmful than any other food sources that are bred through traditional processes (Norris, 2015).
So, which is better? To declare anything with scientific certainty, there is still much more long term research needed to confirm whether or not GMOs dangers outweigh the benefits. Ultimately, we must make that decision for ourselves and keep up with future evidence. This lack of conclusive evidence may mean we should seek to limit our pesticide exposure when possible. If this is a concern for you, I recommend you take a look at the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen. The Environmental Working Group put together the Dirty Dozen to provide you with a list of produce they recommend buying organic (when possible), due to higher pesticide exposure. The EWG also provides the Clean Fifteen, which is a list of produce with the lowest levels of pesticide exposure that they do not recommend you purchase organic. This data comes from the Pesticide Data Program, who produces the most comprehensive pesticide database in the U.S (Pesticide Data Program, 2021). You can view these lists at https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php.
References:
Consultation programs on food from new plant varieties. (2020, March 30). Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved September 2021, from https://www.fda.gov/food/food-new-plant-varieties/consultation-programs-food-new-plant-varieties.
How GMOs are Regulated. (2020, April 22). Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved September, 2021, from https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/how-gmos-are-regulated-food-and-plant-safety-united-states.
Science and history of gmos and other food modification processes. (2020, April 22). Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved September, 2021, from https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/science-and-history-gmos-and-other-food-modification-processes.
Gavura, Scott. “CAN GMOS Cause Gastrointestinal Sensitivity and Inflammation?” Science, 27 May 2021, https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/can-gmos-cause-gastrointestinal-sensitivity-and-inflammation/.
Glass, E. (n.d.). The environmental impact of gmos. One Green Planet. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/the-environmental-impact-of-gmos/.
Group, E. W. (n.d.). Dirty Dozen™ fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides. EWG’s 2021 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce | Dirty Dozen. Retrieved September 2021, from https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php.
How do gmos affect the human body? (n.d.). HealthPrep.com. Retrieved October 5, 2021, from https://healthprep.com/technology-health/how-does-gmos-affect-the-body/6/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=370437807&utm_content=1266638077254294&utm_term=what%2Bis%2Bgenetically%2Bmodified%2Bfood.
How Do Gmos Affect Insects?, 12 Sept. 2016, https://ag.purdue.edu/GMOs/Pages/GMOsandInsects.aspx. Accessed 6 Oct. 2021.
How do gmos affect the environment? GMO Answers. (n.d.). Retrieved September 2021, from https://gmoanswers.com/gmos-environment.
Hsaio, J. (2019, January 26). GMOs and pesticides: Helpful or harmful? Science in the News. Retrieved October 5, 2021, from https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/gmos-and-pesticides/.
Norris, M. L. (2015, August 10). Will GMOs Hurt My Body? The Public’s Concerns and How Scientists Have Addressed Them. Retrieved September 2021, from https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/will-gmos-hurt-my-body/.
Pesticide Data Program. Pesticide Data Program | Agricultural Marketing Service. (n.d.). Retrieved September 2021, from https://www.ams.usda.gov/datasets/pdp.Wilson, D. R. (2019, February 27). Pros and cons of GMO Foods: Health and Environment. Medical News Today. Retrieved September, 2021, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324576#cons.
Edited by PreRD intern, Lauren Gatto
