How can genetic engineering food benefits people?

Answer 1

there is no benefit
not healthy

Answer 2

Some of the answers seem to be confused about what exactly "genetic engineered" foods are.

One, they certainly aren't "pre-cooked" in any way, so they're not going to be easier to prepare. Two, they're certainly not composed of any "strange chemicals."

In most cases, genetically modified plants are changed to give them some beneficial property that helps the plant grow better or survive in conditions it may not have survived normally. For instance, a kind of tomato that is resistant to rotting.

Other cases of genetically modified foods are the kinds where an added nutrient is produced in the food itself to make up for deficiencies in the diet. A good example of this is the "golden rice" which contains the precursor compounds to vitamin A (which also gives it the golden yellow colour.) This second kind of genetic engineering also has potential as a way of delivering vaccines. For instance, instead of an injectable vaccine, you could have the vaccine present in a banana which could be fed to a child.

This does not mean that using genetically engineered (or genetically modified) foods are necessarily the best option open to us. There are critics of it although the arguments that make the most sense would those that argue for biodiversity and sustainability.

Answer 3

By genetically engineering food, we can create a plant that is naturally resistant to mold and disease and insects. The plant is healthier, can grow in any climate to feed third world countries. The plant can be altered to be bigger, grow more fruit than normal. This is done by gene splicing, not throught chemical use. The only real question is how does our body deal with digesting and handling the new genetic material. I personally don't see a problem with it. There has been no conclusive evidence to my knowledge, that GM Food is bad for human health.

Answer 4

They can make it faster for us to prepare meals.
Increases with work population.
Possibly save some money on pre-made meals, rather than buy the raw materials and prepare them.

There are some benefits to genetically engineered foods, however, the risk is extremely high and I don't believe anything good will come from it.

I think the economy is heading towards an unforseen disaster with this topic. Our bodies are not created to digest chemicals of unknown sources. Who will govern such ingredients in our foods? I understand that time is valuable these days, and we like things that are quick.

I can only think of problems, nothing else that will benefit any human or animal.

Answer 5

The biggest experiment in human history has begun, with us as the guinea pigs and the planets ecological system as the test site. The genetech industry wants it all kept quiet, as they push products onto the market with unprecedented speed to create a 'fait accompli' from which we can never return. Consumer opinion has been ignored and consumers have been treated with contempt, as if they were irrelevant. There will be no open discussion about it, they are arrogantly determined to push this technology on us whether we want it or not.
Why? Because they see $billions in short term profits. What else

The industry prefers the term 'biotechnology' to 'genetic engineering', because it sounds friendly and technically sophisticated and of course leaves out the word genetic! The reality is that in the rush to cash in on the products, it's grossly under-researched. The scientific basis of genetic engineering is still little understood and relies on lengthy hit-and-miss tests to get results.
* * * Does this technology just speed up the traditional methods of developing new varieties by exchanging genes between similar species? No, this is a whole new ball game, cutting out genes and splicing in new genes from totally unrelated species. Scientists are giving birth to their bizarre creations as I write, transferring genes from fish to tomato, human to pig, scorpion to potato, and just about any other unsavoury combination you can imagine.

* * * Already a genetically engineered food supplement, genetically engineered tryptophan, has killed 37 people and disabled 1500 others.
* * * New toxins and allergens in foods. Proof already exists that allergens can be transferred to plants through genetic engineering.
* * * Horizontal gene transfer and recombination, could result in creating new pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
* * * We could waste our defence against disease. The antibiotic resistance gene in genetically engineered maize could be passed to harmful bacteria in the gut of animals fed with it. Ampicillin is one of our most widely used defences against such harmful bacteria. If the resistance gene spreads, Ampicillin could be rendered useless.
* * * Spread of virulence among pathogens across species by horizontal gene transfer and recombination.
* * * BSE demonstrates how little we understand. We assume feed contaminated with animal remains caused it, but organophosphates may be implicated too. There's uncertainty how it's passed on. We don't know how to cure it. We don't even know how to test for it. Now we're creating thousands of transgenic lifeforms, releasing them into the environment, eating them, and we're supposed to believe they can guarantee no disasters. Guesswork and hoping for the best!

Answer 6

listen to foundry_ He's absolutely right. There are no chemicals. and good has definitely come from it.

Answer 7

feed starving people