Genetically Modified Food

Genetically Modified Food

An increased quality of life

There has been a lot of controversy over Genetically Modified Foods (GM Foods) in recent years. Humans have been modifying foods for thousands of years, but recently we have developed super crops and some people think it is not right. Genetically Modified Foods are better than natural foods. They are better because they are healthier, more cost effective, and they taste better.

Even though a lot of chemicals are used to make Genetically Modified Foods these chemicals are also used to make them healthier. "Rice with built-in vitamin A can help prevent blindness in 100 million children suffering from Vitamin A deficiency "(Kerryn Sakko). Food with medicinal (nutraceutical) benefits, such as edible vaccines - for example, bananas with bacterial or rotavirus antigens. Also apples with vaccines against a virus that causes childhood pneumonia can be made. Besides being vaccines GM Foods can also be disease resistant. Also, "Malnutrition is common in third world countries where impoverished peoples rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. However, rice does not contain adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients to prevent malnutrition. If rice could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals, nutrient deficiencies could be alleviated. For example, blindness due to vitamin A deficiency is a common problem in third world countries." (Deborah B. Whitman).

GM Food's biggest advantage is cost. The cost of GM Foods is a lot less than natural foods. Not only do GM Foods cost less for the farmers but they also cost less for the consumers. At my local supermarket Natural salmon costs twice as much as GM salmon. GM Foods are more durable and don't go bad as easy. For example, there are strawberry crops that can survive frost. GM Foods last longer, require fewer workers, and their shelf price is drastically less. "A tomato that softens more slowly, allowing it to develop longer on the vine and keep it on the shelf" (Kerryn Sakko). GM Foods cost less for farmers because farmers yield more crops if they use GM Foods. Further on, GM crops also don't require as many pesticides because some are modified to make their own. For example, "Bt Corn is a GM corn that was made to be pest resistant. Farmers don't have to use insecticides on this corn because it makes its own poison which kills the insects." (GMO in Foods).

Natural foods may taste more natural but GM Foods simply taste better. For example potatoes that absorb less fat when fried, change the ever popular French fries from junk food into a more nutritional food. Also, "In a blind taste test, 60 percent of 37 testers preferred the flavor of the GM tomato, according to a study published online" (Jr Minkel). Also GM Foods not only look