Why GMO crops are not safe to consume?

Question

Transgenics are not safe for consumption? Is this true?

Answer 1

There is lot of confusion created on the subject of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) particularly the plants... The inculcation of favourable attributes and removal of unfavourable ones in cultivated plants are being continuously addressed by plant scientists (geneticists) in particular... Amist various techniques like cross breeding among varieties, irradiation (to induce favourable attributes by mutation) etc, the latest one is Genetic Engineering...

The risks of introducing unforeseen impacts in the plant system or its consumers or in the environment due to the techniques employed, exist in all the various approaches followed for breeding, in varying measure (just like the various medicines consumed by humans to treat diseases have side effects)... and some could be serious... But the probable impacts are carefully studied by the scientists thoroughly once a new variety / hybrid / GMO has been employed...Yet there can be unexpected fall outs even long after the new entry has been propagated...

To cite just one example, the introduction of a Taiwan Rice entry - Taichung Native-1 - in the sixties, for its extra ordinary yield potential, into Tamilnadu by a celebrated central Minister from Tamilnadu (bypassing quarantine checks it is said - out of over enthusiasm of officials accompanying the minister) inducted the deadly bacterial disease in rice that was not prevalent in the country... If such unsuspecting acts can create unexpected dangers, playing with the genetic mechanisms of life can throw more unforseen surprises...

But on this count the scientists can not overlook the rich possibilities of addessing problems of production / pest and disease / etc throgh this method.. They are also improving their test protocols to reduce the probable risks.. after all, the needs of production are increasing in the world and scope for increased production are limited due to static land, water and other constraints.. research is therefore doing its duty..

But the fears about GMOs appears to have been much exaggerated after news of "terminator genes" being employed to evolve some high yield entries in a few commercial crops by certain foreign firms ... However the central Govt had instituted a Committee of experts to clear (permit the entry into country) of such new entries of crops (GEAC - Genetic Engineering Approval Committee) for testing or sale.

But there are reports that certain unapproved GMOs are being experimented by foreign (with their Indian Seed Producing collaborators) seed producers in remote villages...

Hence the safety measures are there but only the violation of rules - like in any other industry or facet of human activity - is also there..

Answer 2

Well... its a debate which is unfairly rocking the biotech community and the world at larege. Unfairly? Yes, because There is no science to back up the reasons for concern about foods from GM plants at all. Hundreds of millions of people have eaten GM foods, and no one has ever gotten sick!

The first GM crop was the tomato called flavr savr, which was made more resistant to rotting by adding an antisense gene. It was approved by the FDA and released into the market in 1994.It was welcomed by the customers! The attitude however changed with the outbreak of the madcow disease.

Although no major health hazards have come to light since GM food was introduced 12 years ago, and close to 150 studies are published to attest their safety, consumer rights groups such as the Organic Consumers Association and Greenpeace emphasise the long term health risks which GM could pose, which i feel is pretty baseless.

Research by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology has shown that in 2005 Americans' knowledge of genetically modified foods and animals continues to remain low. Political manipulation and ignorance have blockd the truth. GMO ARE NOT HARMFUL (YET).

Every new scientific discovery has been met with public opposition. When vaccines were introduced, cartoons depicted horns on babies. If the public is told in a nonevangelical way more about genetic engineering, the barriers will break down. Putting the brake on GM foods would be an enormous disservice to the vast majority of people in the world who are starving.

Answer 3

the issue to be considered before any genetically modified food is consumed is its safety.thats why there is this issue of bio-safety.this are measures put in place to ensure that the food containing GMOs doesnt pose any threat to the consumers and the environmnent.therefore the GM food that has been approved by relevant biosafety authority is safe, while the ones which are produced without any approval from any relevant regulatory biosafety agency is not fit for human consumption.hop i have answered you question.if you need any more clarification contact me through ; ( [e-mail] or [e-mail]).i am abiotechnologist

Answer 4

"I won't even waste the space listing how many peer-reviewed studies have linked GMOs to cancer, hepatorenal toxicity, and infertility" Please do. You see, I actually know how to read a scientific paper. The few that actually claim there's a link are all shoddily designed. And no, GMOs need less pesticide. Bt crops make their own, making them safer for the environment. Scientific ignorance abounds. Edit: "You can't pick and choose what peer-reviewed studies you want to accept" Well, if a study doesn't actually have any controls, it's worthless. That's what kind of crap you have. I've gutted a lot of them in the past. Peer-review doesn't mean good science. A lot of worthless journals are technically "peer-reviewed."

Answer 5

Guess nobody presently knows for sure about that. What's known for sure though is the large multinational companies that sell that stuff and lobby every government on this planet tend to spread an impoverished genetic background everywhere, neglecting or out of contempt for biodiversity. GMO is one thing and deserves serious reflection. Degradation of biodiversity is another and can lead to alarming results in case a plant disease on rice, wheat, corn pops up out of nowhere and famish billions of people worldwide. And biodiversity is currently brought down to its knees by GMO's.