Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?

by Deborah B. Whitman

http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php

Environmental hazards Unintended harm to other organisms

Reduced effectiveness of pesticides Gene transfer to non-target species

Human health risks Allergenicity

Unknown effects on human health

Genetically modified cows produce 'human' milk

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/geneticmodification/8423536/Genetically-modifiedcows-produce-human-milk.html

Scientists have created genetically modified cattle that produce "human" milk in a bid to make cows' milk more nutritious.
The scientists have successfully introduced human genes into 300 dairy cows to produce milk with the same properties as human breast milk. Human milk contains high quantities of key nutrients that can help to boost the immune system of babies and reduce the risk of infections.

The First Genetically Modified Human Embryo: Advance or Abomination?

By Brandon Keim

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/05/the-first-genet/

Led by Nikica Zaninovic, researchers at Cornell University added a green fluorescent protein to an embryo left over from assisted reproduction. They destroyed the embryo five days later. It is believed to be the first documented genetic modification of a human embryo.

Cultivated Genetically Modified Foods

Dr. Edward F. Group III
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/nutrition/genetically-modified-foods

From bacteria (E. coli) and fungus, fruits and vegetables to animals, genetic manipulation is becoming more and more common in our society. In the US market now, 60-70% of the processed foods are genetically modified. In 2006, United States GMO crops reached just shy of 135 million acres, with the total global area exceeding 250 million acres!

Cultivated Genetically Modified Foods

Dr. Edward F. Group III
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/nutrition/genetically-modified-foods

This is a short list of the genetically modified food crops that are grown in the US today:

Corn Soy bean Sugar cane Tomatoes Potatoes Sweet peppers Bananas Strawberries Zucchini Pineapples Cocoa beans Yellow squash

Religion: Religious views on Genetic Modification and Engineering

http://hellodave.hubpages.com/hub/Religion-and-Genetic-Modification

Knowledge ofgenetic engineering has advance so far that it may be very soon that it would be possible to genetically modify and embryo to be a designer baby. This could give the parents the ability to decide the sex of their baby, give them immunity to diseases or even change physical features such as eye colour.

Genetically Modified Forest Planned for U.S. Southeast

By Paul Voosen

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=eucalyptus-genetically-modified-pine-treesouthwest-forest

International Paper and MeadWestvaco are planning to transform plantation forests of the southeastern U.S. by replacing native pine with genetically engineered eucalyptus

Genetically modified soybeans and food allergies

1. Eliot M. Herman

http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/content/54/386/1317.full Allergenic reactions to proteins expressed in GM crops has been one of the prominent concerns among biotechnology critics and a concern of regulatory agencies. Soybeans like many plants have intrinsic allergens that present problems for sensitive people. Current GM crops, including soybean, have not been shown to add any additional allergenic risk beyond the intrinsic risks already present. Biotechnology can be used to characterize and eliminate allergens naturally present in crops. Biotechnology has been used to remove a major allergen in soybean demonstrating that genetic modification can be used to reduce allergenicity of food and feed. This provides a model for further use of GM approaches to eliminate allergens.

Genetically Modified Corn Safe or Toxic?

Amanda Kimble-Evans

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/Genetically-Modified-Corn-Safe-Or-Toxic.aspx

They concluded that the data which Monsanto claimed proved the corn varieties were safe to eat actually suggest potential kidney and liver problems resulting from consumption of all three modified corn varieties, as well as negative effects in the heart, adrenal glands and spleen. The findings confirm a 2007 report from the same researchers on a single variety of modified corn. Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/Genetically-Modified-Corn-Safe-OrToxic.aspx#ixzz1oVuKs1xV

Biotechnology Philippines
http://biotech.da.gov.ph/
The Philippines is the first ASEAN country to initiate a biotechnology regulatory system with the issuance of Executive Order No. 430 in 1990, which established the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP). The countries biosafety regulatory system follows strict scientific standards and has become a model for member-countries of the ASEAN seeking to become producers of agricultural biotechnology crops.

Biofertilizers
http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/bio/ferti.htm

Biofertilizers will help solve such problems as increased salinity of the soil and chemical run-offs from the
agricultural fields. Thus, biofertilizers are important if we are to ensure a healthy future for the generations to come.

Rice with Vitamin A

Charles M. Rader
http://members.tripod.com/c_rader0/gemod.htm

The development of rice with vitamin A was carried out at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, making free use of patented technology and of the earlier research which had established the basic facts about how plants synthesize vitamins. he new rice strain was then turned over to the International Rice Research Institute, a nonprofit organization based in the Philippines, where it will be evaluated for its adaptability to various growing conditions, food safety, and environmental impacts, etc.

Genetic Engineering Advantages & Disadvantages

http://www.biology-online.org/2/13_genetic_engineering.htm
Genetic engineering may be one of the greatest breakthroughs in recent history alongside the discovery of the atom and space flight, however, with the above eventualities and facts above in hand, governments

have produced legislation to control what sort of experiments are done involving genetic engineering. In the UK there are strict laws prohibiting any experiments involving the cloning of humans. GENETIC ENGINEERING

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/genetic+engineering a technique that produces unlimited amounts of otherwiseunavailable or scarce biol ogical product by introducing DNAisolated from animals or plants into bacteria and t henharvesting the product from a bacterial colony, as humaninsulin produced in bac teria by the human insulin gene.

Genetically Modified Foods: The Hidden Dangers

http://naturalsociety.com/genetically-modified-foods/ Genetically modified foods are compromised of organisms (known as GMOs for genetically modified organisms) which have been genetically altered for improvement.

Genetically Modified Foods: The Hidden Dangers

http://naturalsociety.com/genetically-modified-foods/ Monsanto has created GMO crops that contain something known as Bt, which is a toxin incorporated into the crops with the intention of killing off insects. The usage of the Bt biopesticide within these GMO crops, however, has actually led to mutant insect populations which are directly resistant to the biopesticide. Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/genetically-modified-foods/#ixzz1obgZYCVn