Know something about biotech foods?

Question

if so, i need your help. i'm doing a report on biotech foods, specifically on the word "transgenic"

i can only talk about transgenic FOODS, no animals or bacteria.

i do know that biotechnology gives reason to hope for a less hungry world [it could help end world hunger] but also that the long term effects on the environment are unknown and could be harmful.

helpful info i need:

any problems found with these foods?

how much research is ACTUALLY done on it?

what plants are being altered & for what reason?

when did it start?

why aren't genetically altered foods labeled in the US?

is there a possibility of health problems in the future?

is it already improving world hunger?

so, please, if you know anything, help me out!! =]

Answer 1

I did a report on it my freshman year of college...while some of the benefits sound tempting, it's not worth it.  I got best answer a couple weeks ago on the same topic.  Check it out.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 2

Any problems found with these foods?

- Bt-crops has been known to trigger immune reaction in certain individuals. (source 1)

- Animal testings have shown that GM soy beans may not be safe for newborns. (source 2)

- May be harmful to insects such as bees and cause colony collapse disorder (source 13).

How much research is ACTUALLY done on it?

- A lot of developmental research is being done by governments agencies such  as United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Chinese government (source 3). Many biotech companies such as Monsanto are also heavily involved. Especially involving pesticide producing and disease resistant crops.

- There is also research done on GMO animals. (source 4)

What plants are being altered & for what reason?

Beneficial modifications include:

- Soybeans, corn, cotton, sugar cane are modified to increase their tolerance to pesticides. (source 5)

- Corn, potatoes and cotton are modified to produce their own pesticides. (source 6)

- Rice is modified to produce vitamin A (source 5)

- Tomatoes are modified to prevent rotting (source 5)

- Papayas are modified to be resistant to disease (source 7)

Questionable modification include:

- The introduction of Terminator genes into plants (source 8) so biotech companies can have full control of the seeds they sell.

When did it start?

The first GMO is the Flavr Savr tomato which resists rotting, developed in 1994.  (source 5)

Why aren't genetically altered foods labeled in the US?

91% of soybeans, 70% of cotton, 52% of corn produced in the US in 2007 are genetically modified (source 9).

Genetically modified food have dominated the market so much in the U.S., it would be much easier to label NON-genetically altered food.

Is there a possibility of health problems in the future?

When there is more research being done on development than searching potential side-effects there would be some problems.

- Foremost is the possibilities of allergenic reactions. (source 10)

- Some research hint at unknown factors that may pose some potential dangers. (sources 2 and 10)

Is it already improving world hunger?

Yes:

- The "golden rice" which fortifies rice with vitamin A is one of the greatest GMO success stories. (source 11)

- The protein-rich "protato" is currently being tested in India. (source 12) Results seem positive so far.

Answer 3

A couple of years ago in Oregon, there was a push to have foods that contained Transgenic plantstuffs in them to be identified with a symbol on the package.

Farmers and food packaging companies put the kibosh on that rather quickly.

As to whether or not it will end world hunger is philosophy.  Greed keeps food out of the mouths of people everyday.  Here in the U.S., fast food restaurants throw away more food than could feed the rest of the nation.

Technically, crossing species to create a new strain of food plants is another form of biotech.  What the consumer groups are concerned about is, that now we're swapping chromosomes directly.  Instead of the old fashioned way.

As to the problems?  Who's to say.  Ultimately, those who eat the food will end up being the Guinea Pigs.