Frankenfood. Food for the future. California Proposition 37. If you\u2019re wondering what these terms have in common, they\u2019re all related to genetically modified organisms, better known as \u201cGMOs,\u201d and a form of biotechnology. Confused by A, B, C, or all of the above? You\u2019re not alone. GMOs are a mouthful\u2014and that\u2019s before you take the first bite into the riot of resources promoting GMOs\u2019 pros or cons. Keep reading if you\u2019re hungry for more than just superficial sound bites about GMOs.<\/p>\n
GMOs are ________?<\/strong><\/p>\n Unless you eat only organic foods, or produce of which there are no genetically engineered varieties, you\u2019re consuming GMOs every day\u2014so the topic is worth a little research. According to the Grocery Manufacturing Association,[1]<\/sup> 70% of processed foods in the United States contain some genetically modified ingredient, often corn, canola or soy. But \u201cWhat is a GMO?\u201d and \u201cWhat is genetically engineered food?\u201d are not responses to a \u201cJeopardy\u201d quiz\u2014they\u2019re key to the debate.[2]<\/sup> The answer depends on whom you ask, but be forewarned: an unbiased definition is hard to find.<\/p>\n If you have an inquiring mind and a working Internet connection, perhaps you\u2019ve looked for a definition of GMOs in that popular guide to life: Wikipedia. You might have read the following: \u201cA genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.\u201d[3]<\/sup><\/p>\n Wikipedia\u2019s definition was as clear as (non-GM) mud to me. Like a Rube Goldberg machine, each explanatory word on my computer screen gave me more terms to look up\u2014but that\u2019s because I was looking for an unbiased definition I could understand. Perhaps I was asking for too much, but I persisted. In my quest for clarity about GMOs, I found that the terms surrounding organisms\u2014including plants, microbes and animals\u2014that have had their genes altered can also be bewildering for a person looking for a Twitter-esque definition. We\u2019ll look at how such phrases are connected. But first, a few definitions of GMOs are in order.<\/p>\n After Wikipedia\u2019s less-than-complete definition, I went back to the other Old Faithful of the Internet: Google. Here\u2019s a comparison of the types of definitions I found:<\/p>\n \u201cAt its simplest, biotechnology is technology based on biology – biotechnology harnesses cellular and biomolecular processes to develop technologies and products that help improve our lives and the health of our planet.\u201d[4]<\/sup><\/p>\n \u201cGenetic engineering is a radical new technology that forces genetic information across the protective species barrier in an unnatural way.\u201d<\/p>\n I wondered if the two organizations were defining the same thing, and turned to a highly regarded, nationally recognized source:<\/p>\n \u201cGenetically engineered (GE) food is produced from plants, animals, and microbes that have had their genetic code modified by the selective introduction of specific DNA segments through the use of gene splicing\u2026.Food produced through genetic engineering or containing genetically engineered ingredients are also frequently known as bioengineered or genetically modified (GM) foods.\u201d[5]<\/sup><\/p>\n GMOs as defined by UC Davis offers us a clearer understanding of what a GMO is\u2014without too much inflammatory rhetoric. However, opportunities to learn never end, and new, GMO-related terms await definition. Here\u2019s a look at a few of them, which you might want to refer back to for Part II of this series. You may even recognize some from your biology or other science classes.<\/p>\n Biotechnology<\/strong>: \u201cany technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use.\u201d[6]<\/sup><\/p>\n Genetic engineering<\/strong>: \u201cthe deliberate, controlled manipulation of the genes in an organism with the intent of making that organism better in some way. This is usually done independently of the natural reproductive process. The result is a so-called genetically modified organism (GMO).\u201d[7]<\/sup><\/p>\n Gene<\/strong>: \u201ca portion of a chromosome (DNA) that contains the hereditary information necessary for the production of a protein.\u201d[8]<\/sup><\/p>\n DNA<\/strong>: with its full name deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA \u201cis the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms.\u201d[9]<\/sup><\/p>\n Transgenic<\/strong>: \u201cA transgenic crop plant contains a gene or genes which have been artificially inserted instead of the plant acquiring them through pollination. The inserted gene sequence (known as the transgene) may come from another unrelated plant, or from a completely different species.\u201d[10]<\/sup><\/p>\n Allergen<\/strong>: \u201ca substance such as a protein that induces an allergic reaction.\u201d[11]<\/sup><\/p>\n Curious about the \u201chow\u201d of genetic modification? Visit the website of the African Biosafety Network of Expertise, and you\u2019ll find this very helpful article<\/a> about how genetically modified crops are created. It\u2019s simple enough for a nonscientist to understand, with a bit of concentration, and also more thorough than most widely available resources. But this article isn\u2019t a lesson on how to effectively google words. It\u2019s about the effects of GMOs on your health, our environment, and the future of food.<\/p>\n *Note: Part I and Part II\u00a0 mainly focus on GM food, reserving a discussion of other GM organisms, such as animals, for a future article. The terms \u201cGMO,\u201d \u201cgenetically modified,\u201d and \u201cgenetically engineered\u201d refer to the technologies and the resulting organisms \u201cthat have had their genetic code modified by the selective introduction of specific DNA segments through the use of gene splicing.\u201d<\/p>\n With news headlines like \u201cCould GM foods be responsible for record low birth rate in the US?\u201d \u201cIs Genetically Modified Food Killing Us?\u201d \u201cGMO scare is a lot of hype with little substance\u201d and \u201cResearch shows GMO foods are safe,\u201d GMOs can seem harmless, hazardous or just confusing. Consider reading further, because in Part II we\u2019ll take a look at the pros and cons of GMOs. Disclaimer: if you simply prefer to believe that GMOs are \u201cbad\u201d or \u201cgood,\u201d I suggest visiting the websites supporting or opposing GMOs, such as Natural News.com<\/a> or the Council for Biotechnology Information<\/a>, respectively.<\/p>\n You might wonder about why GMOs are worth two articles when they seem to encompass just one subject. However, GMOs are a topic with a lot of controversy because they involve more than what we eat. Questions about ethics, how we care for the environment (if we do), and yes, health, are all involved in a thorough discussion of GMOs. Rather than declare GMOs to be safe or unsafe\u2014even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies them as \u201cgenerally<\/em> regarded as safe<\/a>\u201d (emphasis mine)\u2014 Life and Health Network offers a more comprehensive, yet comprehensible, look at GMOs. As you form an opinion about GMOs, consider the requirements for an informed decision: information from both sides.<\/p>\n But wait! This isn’t the end. Be sure to continue to Part II<\/a> of this article.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n[1] As cited in Forbes, by Rachel Hennessey, \u201cGMO Food Debate In The National Spotlight,\u201d Forbes, Nov. 3, 2012<\/a>.<\/p>\n[2] For the purposes of clarity, GMOs,\u201d \u201cgenetically modified,\u201d and \u201cgenetically engineered\u201d will refer to the technologies and the resulting organisms \u201cthat have had their genetic code modified by the selective introduction of specific DNA segments through the use of gene splicing.\u201d See Carl K. Winter and Lisa K. Gallegos, \u201cSafety of Genetically Engineered Food.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n[3] http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/GMOs<\/a>. I violate best practices rules about citing Wikipedia to demonstrate the topic\u2019s complexity, especially for the average consumer with a nonscientific background.<\/p>\n[4] \u201cWhat is Biotechnology?\u201d Biotechnology Industry Organization<\/a>.<\/p>\n[5] Carl K. Winter and Lisa K. Gallegos, \u201cSafety of Genetically Engineered Food.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n[6] \u201cText of the CBD,\u201d Article 2. \u201cUse of Terms,\u201d Convention on Biological Diversity, De. 29, 1993<\/a>.<\/p>\n[7] \u201cGenetic Engineering,\u201d WhatIs.com, May 2007<\/a>.<\/p>\n[8] Deborah Whitman, as qtd. in \u201cGlossary,\u201d from \u201cGenetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?\u201d CSA Discovery Guides, April 2000<\/a>.<\/p>\n[9] \u201cWhat is DNA?\u201d Genetics Home Reference, Nov. 25, 2012<\/a>.<\/p>\n[10] \u201cWhat are Transgenic Plants?\u201d Transgenic Crops: An Introduction and Resource Guide, March 11, 2004<\/a>.<\/p>\n[11] Deborah Whitman, as qtd. in \u201cGlossary,\u201d from \u201cGenetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?\u201d CSA Discovery Guides, April 2000<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Frankenfood. Food for the future. California Proposition 37. If you\u2019re wondering what these terms have in common, they\u2019re all related to genetically modified organisms, better known as \u201cGMOs,\u201d and a form of biotechnology. Confused by A, B, C, or all of the above? You\u2019re not alone. GMOs are a mouthful\u2014and that\u2019s before you take the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":13182,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,2],"tags":[],"thb-sponsors":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","category-lifestyle","post_format-post-format-image"],"acf":[],"views":5131,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=368"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3049,"href":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368\/revisions\/3049"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=368"},{"taxonomy":"thb-sponsors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/thb-sponsors?post=368"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Definitions<\/h3>\n
Pro-GMO: Biotechnology Industry Organization (GMOs are a form of biotechnology)<\/h3>\n
Anti-GMO: Say No to GMOs!<\/h3>\n
University of California, Davis<\/h3>\n