What the Heck is a GMO?
Wikipedia's definition of Genetically Modified Organism:
"Genetically modified foods (or GM foods) are foods produced from organisms that have had specific changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering. These techniques have allowed for the introduction of new traits as well as a far greater control over a food's genetic structure than previously afforded by methods such as selective breeding and mutation breeding."
In simpler terms: a GMO is produce, grains, fruits and livestock that has been changed in a lab to be bigger, more productive, more resistant to pests and diseases to increase production and profit. This has been done for years with cross pollination in plants and breeding animals with more desirable traits. That process was slow and took several generations of plants and animals to get closer to the end outcome. Altering the DNA in a lab is quick, often the outcome has side effects that aren't seen immediately.
Many countries have banned GMO's the United States is not one of them. This printable PDF from nongmoproject.org has great information on where GMO's are hidden in our foods, the potential risks and how to know that a product is GMO free. Many of the future effects of theses altered foods are unknown and largely untested in the United States. Most of the information the FDA is using to determine that the crops are safe for both humans and livestock to eat is coming from the same labs that have created the altered seeds.
"Genetically modified foods (or GM foods) are foods produced from organisms that have had specific changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering. These techniques have allowed for the introduction of new traits as well as a far greater control over a food's genetic structure than previously afforded by methods such as selective breeding and mutation breeding."
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| Corn is one of top GMO foods consumed daily in the US. |
Many countries have banned GMO's the United States is not one of them. This printable PDF from nongmoproject.org has great information on where GMO's are hidden in our foods, the potential risks and how to know that a product is GMO free. Many of the future effects of theses altered foods are unknown and largely untested in the United States. Most of the information the FDA is using to determine that the crops are safe for both humans and livestock to eat is coming from the same labs that have created the altered seeds.
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