Genetically Modified Foods? No Panic!

Genetically modified organisms can be defined as organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been purposefully altered . The technology by which this is achieved is often referred to as recombinant DNA technology, recombinant technology or genetic engineering. This technology allows the transfer of genes from one organism to another, often unrelated - for example, human insulin and growth hormone are produced in industrial quantities by yeast - unicellular fungi, which, incidentally, are also used in wine, beer, bread, etc. .

Recombinant technologies are increasingly entering crop production , and from there into the refrigerators of each of us. This creates quite a bit, and completely unjustified, panic and even hysteria in society, which experts must dispel. However, quite a few pseudo-specialists speak on the topic, which only fuels false rumors and myths, and further inflames panic.

The topic is too broad, so here we can only outline the most important points.

We must first point out that genetically modified foods are mass-produced not because scientists or even farmers like to experiment with crops, but because they have significant economic benefits . These are most often increased resistance to pests, increased yields, reduced need for watering and / or fertilization compared to current varieties, or some combination of these qualities. Simply put, genes are introduced into plants that provide them with resistance to pests, herbicides, droughts and more. This significantly increases yields by significantly lowering farmers' costs. In fact, the main reason for the introduction of recombinant technologies in plants is to increase their resistance toparasites and viral diseases .

Many "experts" speak, often in the media, completely unprepared and completely unfamiliar with the essence of the issue, repeating as absurd slogans such as "No mutants in the soup."

What many do not realize is that every plant food consumed since the 19th century has been genetically modified. The plum, for example, is a species that does not exist in nature - it is created by crossing thistle and juniper. Melons and watermelons are species created by polyploidization (a technique in biotechnology that we will not explain here). The wheat we eat every day in the form of our daily bread was not created by nature, but by man through a cross of wild species.

Many people seem to be afraid of the sound of the word mutant, but there is nothing scary about it. It comes from the Latin mutatio , which does not mean ugliness, as many people probably think, but change. A mutant means a changed organism, not a freak. In this sense, genetic engineering changes plants (including those used for food) to make them better - more productive, more sustainable, etc. Without realizing it, humans have been genetically engineered since the dawn of civilization - selecting and crossing certain individuals, they have acquired new breeds and varieties in which a certain quality is selectively enhanced - laying hens, milk yield of cows, crop production and so called It was in view of the latter, for example, that wheat was created, which was obtained through complex crosses of several plant species. In this way, man creates something that nature could not create. By its nature, the process of creating new plants through cross-breeding by growers is no different from a similar process in a laboratory. No one gives up melons, watermelons, bread or plums just because they do not exist in nature and are man-made "mutants". Why then give up new "genetically modified" foods? In the laboratory, scientists can achieve results in months that would take growers decades to achieve. Recombinant technologies also provide a whole range to be reached. Recombinant technologies also provide a whole range to be reached. Recombinant technologies also provide a whole rangenew possibilities that are inaccessible through the classic crossbreeding and selection of animals or plants.

For those who are still concerned about the presence of "mutants" on supermarket shelves, we will clarify that foods created by biotechnology undergo much more thorough testing than those created by the "traditional" - by crossing plants, selecting the highest yields, etc. This is not the most appropriate solution, because the two techniques are slightly different and it is much more likely that the "traditional" method will create unsafe food that goes unnoticed than that it will be created biotechnologically and reach supermarkets. Also, each new biotechnological species undergoes thorough testing for toxicity, allergenicity, changes in nutritional value due to mutation, unintended health effects due to mutation, etc.

Some will point out, this time somewhat pertinently, that this can lead to changes that make some people allergic to one food or another. This is indeed the case. But aren't all new foods tested for allergies? Anyone who is allergic to them simply should not consume them, just as people allergic to strawberries should not eat them. The fact that some people are allergic to strawberries does not mean that strawberries should be banned for everyone. The same goes for genetically modified foods.