Las 432 - Genetically Modified Foods Essay Example for Free

Las 432 Genetic whollyy circumscribed Foods EssayIt has been determined that GMOs argon made up of congeals, animals, viruses and bacteria that atomic number 18 drawd in laboratories. Scientist started experimenting with GMOs in the early 1950s with investigation of countersinks desoxyribonucleic acid. In the 1970s scientist developed the first contagious tout ensembley engineered organism. By the early 1990s bio applied science had expanded on production of GM sustenances to the frequent, but this brought fourth attentions. on that point atomic number 18 withal those who believe that the laws and regulations that atomic number 18 attributed to comp iodinnttically limited forages pitch been influenced through both the media and governmental cycloramas. These influences excite brought intimately worries to GM food consumers and they started comparing the similarities and differences in organic foods and GM foods. Consumers want to make out what GM food produc ts they lead consumed and will be aw are of any affects that whitethorn be acquired with consumption. non only are in that respect consumer challenges that must be faced with these technological experimentations, but also the impacts that whitethorn be developed environmentally or effects that may incur with nature and wildlife. well-nigh societies are worried about how the rich will prosper and the poorer countries will suffer and possibly go hungry.Some religions and groups protest take in genes and do not want to consume much(prenominal) un-natural foods and dissimilar concerns allay the inglorious effects on tender-heartedkind allergies and transfer of antibiotic resistance to intestine bacterial flora or pathogenic bacteria in our bodies. genetically Modified Organisms in Food Thesis Consumers today entertain a right to know if contagiousally modify foods are harmful to our wellness, the environment and our economy. In hallow to be able to answer these question s much search needs to be done. Summary Controversy about genetically modified foods is becoming big sensitives and sorting through volumes of information commode be intimidating.The public is asking a lot of questions about GM foods and they are also raising concerns about the effects these foods may take hold on their wellness or the environment. There are different advantages and disadvantages of GM foods, although to what extent they tin can help or harm humans and the environment is a debatable aspect of this technology. The time has come to look at the decisions that we make about genetic engineering in food crops and if it will have permanent consequences on our food production capacity.Are genetically modified foods putt us at a crossroads in terms of the agricultural legacy that we will take off behind for our children and grandchildren? Modern technology has given us the ability to go beyond selective demeanor. Organisms can now be modified by moving genes from o ne species to another and by introducing synthetic genetic material into their genomes. Humans no longer simply select from variations present in the population they compel new variations Some find our new power exciting.They dream of crops with greater resistance to indisposition and dirt ball pests, pigs with healthy fats, and a level of agricultural production sufficient to feed eitherone on the planet. Others fear that we have crossed an distinguished boundary and are now tinkering with living systems that we understand incompletely. They question our ability to call in the consequences of our actions and are afraid that we may disrupt the delicate natural evidence. GMO Technology I. What Are GMOs? GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are appoints, animals, viruses and bacteria that are created in the laboratory.Their DNA (genes) has been modified through the use of gene splicing techniques in a desire to create new organisms. The technology involves removing the DNA of one species and inserting it into another species, resulting in new and different varieties of make up, animal, viral and bacterial genes which dont naturally occur in nature or by hybridizing (Smith, 2012, para. 7). Other names for the technology are modern technology or gene technology, genetic engineering or recombinant DNA technology, and biotechnology (World Health Organization (WHO), 2012, para. 2).GMOs are used to create genetically modified plants which in turn are used to create genetically modified crops for human consumption and as animal feed. Developers believe that producers and consumers would be interested in these foods ascribable to their built-in advantages of dishonor prices, high nutritional value and hardiness.The desire is to achieve crops that are resistant to spoilage, drought, insects and herbicides. At the outset genetically modified (GM) informant manufacturers envisioned their product being used by producers, thus they focused on innovations those fa rmers, and more generally the food industry, would accept and appreciate (WHO, 2012, para.3). WHO states that (2012), the initial objective for growing plants based on GM organisms was to improve crop protection. The GM crops currently on the market are mainly aimed at an change magnitude level of crop protection through the introduction of resistance against plant diseases caused by insects or viruses or through increased tolerance towards herbicides (para. 4). Commodity crops were the First Generation GM crops and included soybean, stinker/corn, cotton, canola and shekels beets (Schonwald, 2012, p. 26).GM soybeans and canola have permeated the market and can be found in most tasteful foods, e.g. , spaghetti, candy Schonwald, 2012, p. 25). There was expectation that with the success of first generation crops, biotech specialty crops (produce) would follow, focusing more on consumer tastes. According to Kent Bradford, director of University of California (UC) at Daviss Seed Bio technology Center (2012), these crops hadnt been commercialized since 1998 (Schonwald, 2012, p. 26). The author wondered why, and so enlisted the assistance of Kent Bradford for answers on what was going on with bioengineered specialty crops (Schonwald, 2012, p. 26).Bradford and a collaborator, Jamie Miller, found that research on specialty crops was underway and had never ceased. The research involved input traits that are important to agribusiness such as disease resistance, insect resistance, adaptability to certain environments and output traits that improve taste and texture and could ply to changes in the dining experience of the future (Schonwald, 2012, p. 26). Schonwald says Bradford contends that (2012), There was research on 46 different species with more than 300 traits being tested (p. 26. ). So things were going on at the research level, but the results were not moving forward.Bradford found this was due to regulative controls. Because of the lack of consumer confide nce in transgenic breeding the regulatory dish out for genetically modified foods was much different than for non-GMO foods. In contrast, foods using classic breeding playes were considered safe for consumption. however GMO foods were guilty until proven innocent (Schonwald, 2012, p. 26). Schonwald reports that (2012), A genetically engineered crop must pass review by the U. S. Department of Agriculture ( farming), the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Food and do drugs Administration before it is commercialized.The cost could lay from $50,000 to tens of cardinals of dollars to win regulatory acclaim. For e very transgenic event, the genetic engineer must show exactly what genes went into the plant and how they function, and wherefore prove how the plant makeup has been altered. That research is costly. So is plant storage. Once a transgenic cornerstone is spawned at the go down Transformational Facility, it is whisked to the UC Davis concordled Environment Facility , where it will stay in a tightly secured warehouse. Or it will be airmailed to some other place, where it will live out its life in another intensely biosecure environment.The process is costly and time-consuming, which partly explains why biotech crop development is largely in the hands of the agribusiness giants the Monsantos, Syngentas, and acetylsalicylic acid Crop Sciences of the worldwho have the resources to undertake the process. With such high approval costs, big companies have prefer commodity crops with market potential for hundreds of millions of dollars to sales, not tens of millions ( p. 26) According to Bradford, non-governmental organizations Greenpeace and the essence of Concerned Scientists were responsible for the stringent governmental handling of the biotech specialty crops.The $20 million organic foods industry labored to stop the proliferation of GMO foods. They did so by launching a campaign against GMOs, inundating the farming with thousands of lette rs (275,026 to be exact) expressing anti-GMO sentiments. This led to the non-inclusion of GMO foods under the USDAs standards of organic produce (Schonwald, 2012, p. 27). U. S. Leads in Biotech AgricultureMore than 170 million acres of biotech crops are under acculturation in the join States, more than twice Brazils acreage, which ranks second.Experts credit faster technological advances, more lenient regulations and expanding economic benefits for the U. S. lead. Biotech acreage by Country, 2011 Country Acres (in millions) Biotech crops United States 170. 5 Corn, soybean, cotton, canola, sugar beet, alfalfa, papaya, bosom Brazil 74. 9 Soybean, corn, cotton Argentina 58. 6 Soybean, corn, cotton India 26. 2 Cotton Canada 25. 7 Canola, corn, soybean, sugar beet China 9. 6 Cotton, papaya, poplar, tomato, sweet pepper Paraguay 6. 9 Soybean Pakistan 6. 4 Cotton southeastward America 5. 7 Soybean, corn, cotton Uruguay 3. 2 Soybean, corn.Source Clive James, Global Status of Commerciali zed Biotech/GM Crops 2011, International expediency for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, 2011, p. 2, www. isaaa. org/purchasepublications/itemdescription. asp? ItemType=BRIEFS dictation=IB043-2011 (McClure, 2012, p. 724) Below is a list of tips on how to say no to GMOs Tip 1 secure Organic Certified organic products cannot intentionally include any GMO ingredients. Buy products pocked 100% organic organic, or made with organic ingredients. You can be doubly certain(predicate) if the product also has a Non-GMO Project Verified Seal (see next tip).Tip 2 take in for Non-GMO Project Seals Products that carry the Non-GMO Project seal are independently verified to be in abidance with North Americas only third party standard for GMO avoidance, including testing of at-risk ingredients. Tip 3 Avoid At-Risk Ingredients Even if its not labeled organic or verified non-GMO, you can still avoid products made with ingredients that are likely derived from GMOs. The eight most co mmon GM food crops are *Corn (as in corn oil, cornmeal, cornstarch, and other corn-based ingredients) *Soybeans (as in soybean oil, soy protein, soy lecithin, soy milk, tofu, and other soy-based ingredients).*Canola (as in canola oil) *Sugar beets (the sugar listed on food labels is almost always derived from sugar cane and GM sugar beets) *Most Hawaiian papaya *A small amount of zucchini and yellow philander *Also, beware of dairy products, which may come from cows injected with GM bovine growth hormone, and meats from animals (including farmed search) that have been federal official GM foods. Instead look for dairy products labeled No rBGH or rBST, artificial hormone-free, or organic wild-caught fish and meat labeled organic or 100% grass-fed. Tip 4 Use Non-GMO Shopping Guides.download either the new Non-GMO Shopping Tips brochure or Non-GMO Shopping Guide at www. nongmoshoppingguide. com in order to help target, avoid GM foods and find hidden GM ingredients on food labels. If you have an iPhone, download the ShopNoGMO guide for free from the iTunes store. Copyright of Better Nutrition is the property of Active Interest Media, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holders express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use (Smith, 2012, p. 14). II.Scientific Techniques and Experiments Various techniques are used to transfer DNA genes into the host carrell. Researchers have been perfecting these techniques over the past 40 years. In one technique, target cells are bombarded with heavy metals coated with the gene transferred have been bombarded. Yet another technique transfers genes by using a naturally occurring bacterium along with a pulse of electricity to introduce genes into the targeted cell (McClure, 2012, p. 720). According to McClure (2012), Opponents of GM foods argue that the public should be informed of the techniques use d in gene-transferring (p.720).At the Plant Transformation Facility at the UC, Davis more than 15,000 transgenic events have occurred. Transgenic event is the molecular biologists way of describing the blasting of DNA from one life form into another. This building, a short distance from the student union, houses thousands of Petri dishes of microscopic plantlets bathing in pink and fluorescent blue lights. Here biologists use a gas-pump-like tool called the Helium Particle deliverance system to mix sexually incompatible species together. They use gold bullets (literally) to fire genes from one species into another in a bombardment chamber.As a result the Davis lab has birthed grapes spiked with jellyfish, tomatoes spiked with carp, transgenic squash, transgenic carrots, and transgenic tomatoes (Schonwald, 2012, p. 25). In ever-changing Genes to Feed the World, David Pimentel takes a look at one molecular biologists account of plant breeding and the scope of genetic engineering of crops. In her book, Mendel in the Kitchen, author Nina Fedoroff compares the contributions of genetically engineered plants with that of early plant breeding research, e. g. , development of hybrid corn, achieved through the transfer of genes within the confines of crop species.This method contributed greatly to the growth of crop yields during the Green Revolution. Specifically, according to Fedoroff (2004), traditional methods of cross breeding were responsible for, 40 share of the increase in yields. The remaining 60 percent was due to greater inputs in fossil-fuels energy, fertilizers and pesticides (Pimentel, 2004, paras. 1-2). Crop yields increased greatly during the years 1950-1983. Globally, 80 percent of the calories consumed by humans came from grains, making the Green Revolution an important feeding mechanism for billions of people around the world (Pimentel, 2004, para.2). Though the use of traditional breeding methods greatly increased the yield and quality of crops, t hese methods were quite slow, in comparison to the advances being made in the field of molecular biology and genetic engineering. Before, breeders were required to manually manipulate genetic material within a specific crop to increase yields. Now, through genetic engineering, genes can quickly be transferred from one plant species to another and brought into crops (Pimentel, 2004, para. 3).As more and more genetically modified foods are being integrated into our food systems, there is a need to be able to detect their presence in food products in order to determine if food manufacturers are in compliance with labeling requirements (Yi, Yien-Chian, Foo-Peng Lee, and Nam-Trung, 2009, para. 1). There is a method that allows for the speedy detection of the presence of GMOs in foods and it is called ferrofluid- operate PCR microchip. The microchip was fabricated in polymethyl methacrylate by CO? laser excommunication and was integrated with three temperature zones.PCR solution was cont ained in a circular closed micro channel and was driven by magnetic force generated by an external magnet through a small oil-based ferrofluid plug. prospering amplification of genetically modified soya and maize were achieved in less than 13 minutes. This PCR microchip combines advantages of make pass flexibility and quick temperature transitions associated with two existing microchip PCR techniques, and it provides a cost saving and less time-consuming way to conduct preliminary screening of GMOs (Yi, Yien-Chian, Foo-Peng Lee, Nam-Trung, 2009, para.1). History of GMOs I. Biotechnology Chronology 1950s 1960s Scientists identify genes and begin investigating the role of DNA in plant development. 1953-American biochemist James Watson and British biophysicist Francis Crick portray the structure of DNA, setting the stage for mapping the genetic code. 1967-Lenape spud, a new variety bred for making potato chips is withdrawn from experimental production after high levels of toxin a re found. 1970s 1980s Scientists begin experimenting with genetic transformation of plants and animals.1973-Scientists create first genetically engineer organism. 1983-Researchers transfer new DNA into plants, leading to the creation of genetically modified crops. 1989-Calene Inc. receives U. S. patent for gene sequence in GM Flavr Savr tomato. 1990s Biotech foods are marketed to the public despite environmental and health concerns. 1992-FDA decides not to require labeling of most GM foods, sparking mistrust of the technology. 1993-FDA allows cows to be injected with bovine growth hormone (rBGH) made from genetically modified bacteria, setting off consumer protests.1994-FDA approves Flavr Savr tomato, first GM food approved for sale to consumers. 1996-Monsanto introduces Roundup Ready soybeans, first of several popular herbicide-tolerant or insecticide-producing crops. 1998- European Union (EU) halts approvals of new GM crops in what is termed an unofficial moratorium. 2000s genet ically engineered foods face continued criticism despite maturation scientific consensus that they do not pose greater safety risks than conventional crops. 2000-Bowing to international demands, U.S. officials agree to label GM commodities for export.Weeds resistant to Roundup discovered in Delaware. Friends of the Earth, a major environmental group, reports that genes from StarLink corn, a GM crop approved only for animal consumption, have been discovered in taco shells. The discovery prompts recalls of corn products and lawsuits, but researchers are unable to document any human health effects. Centers for disease Control study concludes StarLink did not cause allergic reactions claimed by 28 people.2002-National Center for Food and plain Policy finds that GM crops in the United States produced four billion pounds of additional foods and fiber on the identical acreage, improved farm income by $1. 5 billion and reduced pesticide use by 46 million pounds. Monsanto announces it wil l delay introduction of GM wheat amid concerns from farmers that it will harm exports. 2003-Bollworms resistant to the Bt toxin, an insecticide produced by GM cotton, discovered in the South. 2004- below U. S. pressure, EU drops de facto ban on GM crops but institutes mandatory labeling galore(postnominal) a(prenominal) European stores wont stock GM foods because of consumer fears.2008-Monsanto switchs unit that produces rBGH, as major grocers including Wal-Mart, Publix and Kroger decline to sell milk from cows treated with the product. 2010-After approving the sale of GM eggplant, Indias environment minister declares a moratorium on the product because of public outcry. 2011-GM crops are grown on 395 million acres of farmland globally, though more than 90 percent is in just three crops soybeans, corn and cotton. 2012-Anti-GMO groups file petitions containing more than 1 million signatures demanding that the FDA require GM foods to be labeled.Californian vote scheduled for Nov. 6 on ballot porta requiring labeling for GM foods (McClure, 2012, p. 727). II. Advantages and Disadvantages The people of the United States (U. S. ) have been unknowingly consuming GMO foods since the 1990s. The Food and dose Administration scientists warned that these new foods had the capability to produce new allergens and toxins and advised that more thorough testing was needed. save the U. S. governments position was that GM foods were equivalent to non-GMO foods and failed to require labeling and testing (Smith, 2012, para, 9).According to the American academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), eating GMO foods contributes to a number of health risks (Smith, 2012),including infertility, immune system issues, accelerated aging, noise of insulin and cholesterol regulation, gastrointestinal issues, and changes in organs (para. 9). AAEM reported that doctors most likely are seeing shun health effects in their patients and may not realize that GMO foods are the culprit. Doctors are urged to prescribe non-GMO diets for all of their patients (Smith, 2012, para. 9). The environment is not exempt from the risks of GMO foods.There is the threat of GMO seeds contaminating nearby fields of organic and non-GMO crops. Pesticide purpose has dramatically increased over the first thirteen years since the GM crops were introduced. Further, high amounts of herbicide work on GM herbicide resistant crops have caused the development of superweeds that adapt to and withstand your typical herbicides (Smith, 2012, para. 10). On the positive side, genetic engineering offers a wonderful solution to farmers, especially those in developing countries, and that is the fortune for developing perennial grains.As most grains are annual crops, tilling and seting of the soil is required every single year. This involves an enormous amount of energy each year, including fossil and human energy and strength. Annual culture also results in soil erosion. Planting perennial grains would mean that farmers would only need to till and replant every five or six years. This would be a major benefit for farmers in developing countries, as tilling for them involves 400 hours per hectare, hand-tilling their fields prior to planting their crops.As such, according to the author, plant breeding and genetic engineering will continue to make a tremendous contribution to our food confer (Smith, 2012, para. ). Other advantages of GM foods include disease resistance, cold tolerance, drought resistance, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, and phytoremediation (Whitman, 2012, pp. 2-4). Legal and Political Issues I. Regulations and Laws There have been an abundant number of studies done in the past on American health and safety standards that have demonstrated the inconsistencies of risk assessment.Some standards are rather strict and offer few or no benefits in savings lives, preventing diseases or injuries while other standards have been negligent and have placed a considerable amount of lives at risk or harm. It is essentially due to the passage of these standards for which the American regulatory policy making has been implanted. In the past, both Congress and the political appointees who head regulatory agencies have been very susceptible to public opinion and public pressures.As a result, the more the American public is wedded to worry about a particular risk, the more meticulous American policy-makers are likely to make up ones mind it. Therefore, many of the American regulatory policies, especially those between the mid 1960s through the mid 1980s, were characterized by the triumph of passion over sound perception. (Vogel, 2001). In 1984, the federal official Government established a stately policy that is referred to as The Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology. This policy describes the Federal system for evaluating products that have been developed using modern biotechnology.The Coordinated Framework is based upon health and safety law s developed to spoken language specific product classes and involves the cooperation of three federal regulatory agencies the EPA, the USDA, and the FDA. The U. S. Government has written new regulations, policies and guidance to follow up these laws for biotechnology as products have developed (United States Regulatory Agencies Unitied Biotechnology Website, 2012). EPA Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the EPA regulates the use of intergeneric microorganisms in commerce or commercial research.The EPA considers intergeneric microorganisms to be those formed from organisms in different genera (genera is the plural of genus, which is a level in a taxonomic classification system based on the relatedness of organisms) or those microorganisms formed with synthetic DNA not from the same genus (Biotechnology Program under the Toxic Substances Control Act, 2012). The EPA believes that inter generic micro organisms have a sufficiently high likelihood of expressing ne w traits or new combinations of traits to be termed new and warrant EPA review.The Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Biotechnology Program conducts a screening program for new microorganisms under section 5 of TSCA. In 1997, the EPA published regulations that fully employ its pre-manufacture program for microorganisms under TSCA section 5. Prior to 1997 the EPA operated its biotechnology program in accordance with the 1986 Policy program line (Biotechnology Program under the Toxic Substances Control Act, 2012) USDA Regulation. USDA supports the safe and appropriate use of science and technology, including biotechnology, to help meet agricultural challenges and consumer needs of the 21st century. USDA plays a key role in assuring that products produced using biotechnology are safe to be grown and used in the United States. Once these products enter commerce, USDA supports bringing these and other products to the worldwide marketplace (Bitechnology, 2012). The Advis ory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21) was originally established in February, 2003 and first met in June, 2003.Under its Charter, the committee is charged with examining the long-term impacts of biotechnology on the U. S. food and agriculture system and USDA, and providing guidance to USDA on pressing individual issues, identified by the Office of the Secretary, related to the application of biotechnology in agriculture. The AC21 is a broad-based committee representing a wide range of interests and agricultural expertise (USDA Advisory Committee on Biotechnology 21st Century Agriculture (AC21), 2012).FDA Regulation In the Federal Register of May 29, 1992 (57 FR 22984), FDA published its Statement of Policy Foods Derived from New Plant Varieties. The 1992 policy clarified the agencys interpretation of the application of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to human foods and animal feeds derived from new plant varieties and provided guid ance to industry on scientific and regulatory issues related to these foods (Genetically Engineereed Plants for Food and Feed, 2012).The 1992 policy applied to all foods derived from all new plant varieties, including varieties that are developed using recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) technology. This site refers to foods derived from plant varieties that are developed using rDNA technology as bioengineered foods (Genetically Engineereed Plants for Food and Feed, 2012). In the Federal Register of January 18, 2001 (the premarket notification proposal 66 FR 4706), FDA issued a proposed rule that would require that developers submit a scientific and regulatory assessment of the bioengineered food 120 years before the bioengineered food is marketed.In the premarket notification proposal, FDA recommends that developers continue the practice of consulting with the agency before submitting the required premarket respect (Genetically Engineereed Plants for Food and Feed, 2012) The chief statutes under which the above agencies have been given regulatory or Review ascendence comes from the following Acts * The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (EPA) * The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (EPA) * The Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act (FFDCA) (FDA and EPA) * The Plant Protection Act (PPA) (USDA)* The Virus Serum Toxin Act (VSTA) (USDA) * The Public Health Service Act (PHSA)(FDA) * The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) (FDA) * The Meat Inspection Act (MIA)(USDA) * The domestic fowl Products Inspection Act (PPIA) (USDA) * The Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA) (USDA) and * The National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA)(Guide to U. S. Regulations of Genetically Modified Foods and Argricultural Biotechnology Products, 2001) II. Current Political Issues Genetically modified foods have been a concern for many people around the world.In the past Europeans have been the most vocal in their resistance to GM foods and crops, to the point that they have implemented strict labeling requirements for any genetically modified foods sold. In the absence of stronger health and safety data, many national governments across the world have taken steps to lessen the creative activity of GE food within their borders. In Europe, six nations (Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, and Luxembourg) have enacted bans on the cultivation and import of GE products, and nearly 50 nations worldwide require that all GE foods be labeled as such (Dahl, 2012).To date in the United State there have been no mandatory labeling requirements for genetically modified foods. However this may soon change, Americans are now starting to ask questions about what they are eating and suspicions about the health and environmental effects of biotechnology is now behind the demand that foods from genetically modified crops be labeled. The most recent labeling effort that has come to the fore front is the California ballot initiative proposit ion 37 called The Right to Know. What is prompting 37?The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act is easy The initiative would basically require food that is sold in sell outlets to be labeled if it is produced through genetic engineering, and would not allow these products to be labeled as natural. Prop 37 allows companies 18 months to change their product labels, and allows for the GMO disclosure to appear wherever they choose on the encase (Facts Yes on Prop 37, 2012). If this initiative passes, California will be the first state to require all foods that have genetically modified crops in them to be labeled.However, there is an opposing side to this Proposition. Those that are against Proposition 37 feel that by having to label all foods with genetically engineered crops would mean higher food prices due to the cost of re-package existing foods, recordkeeping, or companies being forced to switch to higher priced non-GM foods. The opposing side also states th at it would add more government bureaucracy and taxpayers cost, and create frivolous lawsuits (Stop the Deceptive Food Labeling Scheme, 2012).This is one political debate that will have everyone on the edge of their chairs. III. What are the Possible Health Effects of GM Foods? With so many of our foods today now coming from GM crops, questions are now being asked if there is a health risk from GM foods. The problem is that unlike the safety evaluations that are required for the approval of a new drug, the safety evaluations of genetically engineered foods for human consumption has not been as strict. So what is cognize about possible health issues from the consumption of GM foods?Scientists from around the world have been complaining that a majority of the research that is being done about the possible side effects of GM foods for human consumption is being conducted by scientists that are associated with the biotechnology companies the same companies that are selling the crops se eds. That and the fact that these studies are being done by the biotechnology companies tend to show that there are no health problems associated with eating GM foods.The problem is this is a one sided research study. One of the biggest problems that independent researchers are veneer is that it is extremely hard to get GM seeds in order to conduct any type of research. These seeds can only be purchased through a licensed seed dealer and a technology licensing engagement must be signed stating that no research will be done on the seed this includes any research attributed to health and environment.Scientists who have managed to do research on the health impacts of the GM seeds are often harassed, intimidated, and defamed by those with a strong interest in the GM technology. Even with these challenges researcher have managed to conduct medical research on the health effects of GM seeds of these tests the most obvious concern has been the risk of allergic reactions.