Opposition to Genetically Modified Foods is Slowly Fading Away
As a grant researcher at a large university, I’ve seen many interesting and exciting projects in which university scientists and researchers are developing new types of foods and products through the use of biotechnology. These particular products under current development hold a great number of benefits for those who will ultimately use them. It still baffles me, however, why there is still so much opposition to these “Frankenfoods” (The GM Food Debate Continues, CheckBiotech, 12/1/05) when it is becoming increasingly clear that the opposition’s control is slowly slipping away.
According to various recent news reports, it appears the opposition to genetically modified foods is slowly fading all over the world. For example, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said recently that with the struggle in Asia to feed a growing population, opposition to genetically modified (GM) rice was likely to dissipate by the end of this decade. Gurdev Singh Khush, a consultant with IRRI, said that the course of genetically modified foods in that region has been set by the example of GM corn, which, despite strenuous opposition from organizations like Greenpeace, was passed for commercial growth in the Philippines in 2002.
A September 2005 report commissioned by Agricultural Biotechnology Europe also asserted the European Union’s (EU) strongly anti-GM position was also unsustainable. According to the news article, in Britain, Iceland, and the Co-Op, two of the nation’s leading supermarket chains, refuse to stock any genetically modified foods, while other supermarkets have special shelves dedicated to guaranteed non-genetically modified products. They also attempt to keep genetically modified ingredients as absent from their merchandise as they can.
However, the efforts are difficult given that genetically modified soymeal and soy oil is widely used in animal feed and a number of GM-derived enzymes are used in bakery, dairy, and other food products without the knowledge of consumers because they are not, so far, required to be named on labels as they haven’t been officially defined as additives. In addition, the European Union has already approved oilseed and GM maize, which is countering the strong anti-GM position that the organization has had since the beginning, according to the news article.
In the United States, mandatory labeling of genetically engineered ingredients is not required and according to the article, it has been estimated that over 70 percent of foods sold in the United States and Canada contain genetically engineered ingredients. Opponents of genetically modified foods in the United States say that with some exceptions, companies are not even required under the current Food and Drug Administration regulations to notify the agency they are bringing new genetically engineered products to the market.
Genetically modified foods have been available for over ten years. Through numerous trials and tests, it has been shown that the use of biotechnology to create new foods or to enhance the nutritional value of an existing product is safe. Biotechnology can improve the quality and diversity of the foods that people purchase and consume which can lead to better nutrition and improved health for individuals around the world.
