Genetically Engineered Foods

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Genetically Engineered Foods

• Kelli Brelsford
• Kirsten Gunn
• Jermaine Williams
• Emily Taylor

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What Do You Think?

• 1. Do you think its is acceptable for scientists
  to genetically engineer food?
• 2. Do you think that genetically engineered
  foods can be harmful for your health?
• 3. Would you eat genetically engineered food?
• 4. Do you think supermarkets should be able to
  label this kind of food?

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What is genetically engineered food?

• A genetically engineered crop is one that
  contains a gene or genes which have been
  artificially inserted instead of the plant
  acquiring them through pollination. The inserted
  gene is known as the transgene and may come from
  another unrelated plant, or from a completely
  different species a type of genetically modified
  corn, which produces its own insecticide,
  contains a gene from a bacterium. Plants
  containing transgenes are often called
  genetically modified or GM crops, although in
  reality all crops have been genetically modified
  from their original wild state by domestication,
  selection and controlled breeding over long
  periods of time.

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The most common genetically engineered crops
soybeans
Potato
papaya
Yellow squash
radicchio
corn
Sugar beets
cotton
zucchini
Flaxseed
tomato
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Substances contained within genetically
engineered foods

• Genetically engineered foods often contain
  substances that have never been part of the human
  food supply.

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How Is It Done?
http//www.colostate.edu/programs/lifesciences/Tra
nsgenicCrops/animation.html
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Is it good for you?

• There are about 40 varieties of genetically
  engineered food approved for marketing in the
  U.S.
• 60-70 of food in grocery stores contain
  genetically engineered components

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Health Hazards

• There may be toxins present
• People may have allergic reactions to substances
• Genetic modification may decrease nutritional
  value
• Genetic modification may promote the growth of
  antibiotic
• resistant strains of bacteria
• There has been no long term safety testing done

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Environmental Hazards

• Increased use of herbicides
• Increased use of pesticides
• The ecosystems may be damaged
• Gene pollution cannot be cleaned up

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Which foods are genetically engineered?
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Why Kraft?

• Largest food company in the country, second
  largest in the world
• Products are found in 99 of U.S. households
• Many products such as Taco Bell taco shells, Boca
  Burgers, Lunchables, Post cereals and Stovetop
  Stuffing have been found to contain untested and
  unlabeled genetically engineered ingredients that
  may put our families and environment at risk
• Refused to label these inadequately tested foods

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Valuable New Technology

• Can develop more plentiful and nutritious food
• More controlled method of natural breeding
• No evidence to show that these foods have harmed
  anyone in anyway

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Environmental Benefits

• The use of genetic engineering in agriculture
  will increase crop productivity and therefore
  reduce the demand for agricultural land
• Genetic modification can produce natural
  pesticides to substitute synthetic pesticides

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Pros and Cons

• Pros
• No need for pesticides
• Increased amounts of crops
• Increase nutritional value

• Cons
• Strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria
• Allergic reactions
• Possibly toxic reactions
• Decreased Nutritional Value

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U.S. Policy

• The agencies responsible for the jurisdiction
  of the regulation of genetically engineered foods
  are the FDA, the EPA, and the USDA

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U.S. Policy

• FDA
• Enforce pesticide regulations set by the EPA
• Authority to regulate all GE foods
• Say that genetically engineered foods do not have
  to be labeled

• EPA
• Oversee pesticides both chemical and naturally
  produced
• Determine maximum residue level of pesticides in
  or on foods

• USDA
• Oversees and issues permits for genetic
  engineering field tests

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The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

• As long as a genetically engineered product is
  not observed to be considerably different from
  the traditionally produced product than no
  labeling is required.
• If any of the major ingredients of a product are
  produced by genetic engineering the name may be
  changed or labeling may be necessary.

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Problems of Labeling

• Some tests that would be needed to distinguish
  genetically modified foods from traditionally
  produced foods are unavailable
• Mandatory labeling is a considerable cost and
  could possibly increase the cost of foods

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THE END