Super Food or Frankenfood?

By Randy Hendrickson

A recent CBS News article (“Figuring Out What’s In Your Food--May 11, 2008) has pointed out that 53% of Americans will not buy genetically modified foods (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/11/eveningnews/main4086518.shtml?source=search_story).

Genetically modified foods are those food crops that have been unnaturally altered on a molecular level using recombinant DNA technology. The advantages of genetic modification include enhancing the crop’s resistance to pesticides and herbicides, its tolerance to drought or cold, as well as to heightening the nutritional value of the food. The foods most affected by genetic modification are soybeans, corn, rice, and canola oil.

Although the FDA and the biotech industry claim that genetically modified foods are safe, “substantial equivalents” of natural crops, the public is still very wary. Most Americans, however, are unaware of how extensive the use of genetically modified food really is. More than 60% of processed food products in US supermarkets contain genetically modified organisms. The reason people are unaware is that genetically modified ingredients are not listed on food labels.

Several serious ethical issues are at stake. How can people make a reasonable choice if they have no way of knowing which foods have been genetically altered? In addition, there are also concerns that these products are brought to market without adequate safety testing. According to Dr. Martin Teitel, executive director of the Council for Responsible Genetics, genetically modified foods are being rushed to market for financial reasons, not for scientific reasons, before a full safety profile can be completely established.

Dr. Teitel sums it up nicely:

“we are the unwitting and unwilling guinea pigs in the largest experiment in human history, involving our entire planet's ecosystem, food supply, and the health and very genetic makeup of its inhabitants.”

Europe, Japan, and Australia all have policies for labeling genetically modified foods, and according to a CBS News poll, a total of 87% of American consumers would like to see labeling of genetically modified ingredients on food packages sold in the United States, so that they too can make informed choices about this fundamental issue.

[Photo courtesy of "Achoo! The Blog." Available at www.achooallergy.com/blog/2007/08/. Accessed May 18, 2008.]