Genetically Modified Food, would you eat it?
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Ok, My group and I are required to do a Geography project about this topic: 'Singaporeans support the use of Genetically Modified food as a solution to food security'
So we decided to post a thread in this forum, introducing GM food to everyone.
We would appreciate it if you guys could give us some honest comments about what you guys think about the GM food, whether you would eat it/ support the production of it.
A phrase or short sentence of your's is very much appreciated
Thank You =]
For more infomation, please visit our group's blog at
http://th-futurefood.blogspot.com
What is Genetically Modified Food?
Genetically modified (GM) foods are made from crops that have been given specific traits through Genetic Engineering. Genetically Modified Crops are foods that have had a gene extracted from a living thing , which has been placed into a different food by a scientist. This creates plants that nature never could.Typically, genetically modified foods are plant products: soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil.
Advantages of GM food
- Crops
- Enhanced taste and quality
- Reduced maturation time
- Increased nutrients, yields, and stress tolerance
- Improved resistance to disease, pests, and herbicides
- New products and growing techniques
- Animals
- Increased resistance, productivity, hardiness, and feed efficiency
- Better yields of meat, eggs, and milk
- Improved animal health and diagnostic methods
- Environment
- "Friendly" bioherbicides and bioinsecticides
- Conservation of soil, water, and energy
- Bioprocessing for forestry products
- Better natural waste management
- More efficient processing
- Society
- Increased food security for growing populations
Disadvantages- Sometimes GM crops have allergenic effect
- New viruses could evolve from the mass production of GM crops.Pests may develop resistance to GM crops that have been designed to kill them.
- GM crops may cause harm to the wealth and welfare of animals.
- GM crops may produce ecological side effects (Monarch butterflies, European corn borer).
- Crops
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woah .__. why would anyone wan to eat food that have 'gene extracted from a living thing' it is unnatural.... -___o
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sure very expensive
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most already are ....
think about that next time you rip open a packet of nachos corn chips ....
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Yes, I will eat.
We eat rice right? We drink tau hueh chwee right? Yup, that's GM food.
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technically the ancient methods of cross-breeding strains of vegetables or animal to get a new breed/strain is already genetic engineering.
and genetically engineered food is already all around us.
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Originally posted by hisoka:
technically the ancient methods of cross-breeding strains of vegetables or animal to get a new breed/strain is already genetic engineering.
and genetically engineered food is already all around us.
well .... you can make one breed of cow or chicken fark another ..... or cross one type of potatoes with another ......
but to introduce scorpion genes into corn plants ? ... to introduce jellyfish genes into wheat ? ....
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I will eat it...
i guess it will taste much better then those non-genetically modified foods soybeans can be a good example...
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Originally posted by hisoka:
technically the ancient methods of cross-breeding strains of vegetables or animal to get a new breed/strain is already genetic engineering.
and genetically engineered food is already all around us.
Genetically modified foods are different from cross-breeding. GM foods are crops that have been given specific traits through genetic engineering, which is different from crops developed through conventional genetic modification eg. cross breeding.
Basically a desirable trait is identified from Plant A and isolated. This trait (gene) is then inserted and incorporated into the genome of Plant B. Once this new gene is inside Plant B, it will be indistinguishable from Plant B's original genes.
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Originally posted by elindra:
Genetically modified foods are different from cross-breeding. GM foods are crops that have been given specific traits through genetic engineering, which is different from crops developed through conventional genetic modification eg. cross breeding.
Basically a desirable trait is identified from Plant A and isolated. This trait (gene) is then inserted and incorporated into the genome of Plant B. Once this new gene is inside Plant B, it will be indistinguishable from Plant B's original genes.
how can you insert a gene into the genome and yet the original genome is no different from the original? means you didn't make a change?
cross breeding is genetic modification abeilt the method is cruder and it wasn't done with the genes in mind.
e.g. you cross breed a black dog with a huge dog in hopes of getting a dog which is huge and black.. you don't play with the genes directly but the result you're trying to achieve (which might happen given luck and enough tries) is actually to insert the genes for being huge into the black dog breed or to insert the genes for being black into the huge dog breed.
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Originally posted by hisoka:
how can you insert a gene into the genome and yet the original genome is no different from the original? means you didn't make a change?
cross breeding is genetic modification abeilt the method is cruder and it wasn't done with the genes in mind.
e.g. you cross breed a black dog with a huge dog in hopes of getting a dog which is huge and black.. you don't play with the genes directly but the result you're trying to achieve (which might happen given luck and enough tries) is actually to insert the genes for being huge into the black dog breed or to insert the genes for being black into the huge dog breed.
The new gene when inserted into the genome for some reason can become part of it that it cannot be differentiatedIf I knew the secret, I would be rich. Why don't you ask Monsanto and maybe they will tell you how it's done :P
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wth.
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LOL, guys comments more okay, we need your suggestions! thanks!
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yes i would buy. GM food has many advantages, and by giving specific traits to to certain organisms eg. plants, they can be like more insect resistant or more resistant to extreme temperature or high salt environment or diseases etc etc. GM crops are therefore more commercially viable and the agricuture industry will boom. I'm not sure of any potential side effects from eating GMOs but from what i know, there should be none. Therefore i don't see any reason for GMO food to be avoided.
However, potential problems can also arise for example if a genetically modified fish which is bred for commercial purposes escapes and enters a natural habitat like a lake, it will cause havoc to the ecosystem. Not to mention interbreeding between the GM fish and normal fish (assuming same species).
Therefore committees have to be set up to introduce guidelines to properly regulate the obtainment and distribution of GMOs. More research also has to be done to identify problems with GMOs and rectify potential problems before they become widespread.
Hope this helped
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Originally posted by tiera:
yes i would buy. GM food has many advantages, and by giving specific traits to to certain organisms eg. plants, they can be like more insect resistant or more resistant to extreme temperature or high salt environment or diseases etc etc. GM crops are therefore more commercially viable and the agricuture industry will boom. I'm not sure of any potential side effects from eating GMOs but from what i know, there should be none. Therefore i don't see any reason for GMO food to be avoided.
I will notAnd I think before making a decision on GM Food, you guys should just go read up about Monsanto, the world leader in GM Crops
Btw to farmers, Monsanto is worse than a swear word.
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oh.. think about this.. CCD is probably caused by GM stuff...
now.. THAT is scary
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Originally posted by the Bear:
oh.. think about this.. CCD is probably caused by GM stuff...
now.. THAT is scary
CCD = Colony Collapse Disorder -
GM food sure sound harmful n negative o.o
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haha, thanks guys for your precious comments, mind keep th comments going?
thanks!(:
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i don't mind eating GM food
ultimately it's about eating healthy. ppl get sick/obese from eating fries, pork chop, potato chips, fatty stuff, soft drinks etc etc.. not GM food, and these ppl also don't bother to work out and keep fit
so don't put the blame on GM food, which has no real side effects so far. GM food increase yield, increase production, quatity and quality. with our ever increasing population, we'll probably starve if we don't have GM technology to help increase output and nutrition. Just relying on cross-breeding alone is too slow.
Since the science already exist, then make use of it!!
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Actually the adults should be more concern abt this...
since most of the time, the adults force their children to eat the food they dislike O: LOL
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I really dun understand why there is gentically modified food in the first place from my knowledge i think if the food is gentically modified there will not have much nutrients as those foods which are not gentically modified so i prefer eating food which are not gentically modified....chicken wings are my favourite... hehehe
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so are these food eatable by vegetarians??
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they are edible by vegetarians i think so...