Are GMOs Safe?

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Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are the ones that undergo artificial modification of genes through genetic engineering. This is carried out in order to express any desired physiological traits in the product. Various organisms including animals, plants and microorganisms have been genetically modified where genes are transferred from one organism to another. 

There are several studies supporting GM foods as an unsafe option for humans. Also, several organizations including WHO, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Academy of Sciences have publicly said that GMOs are safe to consume. Majority of scientific groups support the same idea of GMOs being safe. According to a study conducted in 2013, there are no significant hazards directly associated with the use of GM crops. Furthermore, scientists debate that every food we consume today are genetically modified in one way or another. This is because farmers have crossed the traits they wanted in their crops since years.

Potential Health Concerns with GMOs

Although GMOs are found safe for human consumption, yet the resistance and incredulity persist. Dread of the obscure is likely one reason for public hesitance to the utilization of GMOs. Moreover, the long-term impacts have not been completely studied so far because GMOs were not very common lately. Some of the major health concerns associated with GMOs are:

1. Elevated Risk of Allergies

Transfer of genes from allergenic organism to non-allergic ones might pose an increased risk of allergic reactions. In order to ensure safety, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as well as WHO have protocols for the testing of GM crops. Moreover, before the transfer of gene, is it really confirmed that whether the protein product of the gene is an allergen or not? Food safety organization had made certain protocols for accepting GM food, yet the fear persists.

2. Increased Risk of Cancer

Herbicides are used to kill unwanted weeds and aids in the growth of crops. Mostly plants are genetically modified to make them resistant to herbicides.  A study from 2009 shows that, more than 80% of GM plants are resistant to herbicides as a result the use of herbicides has increased. Key ingredient of most herbicides is glyphosate which is considered as a probable carcinogen to humans by WHO. Moreover, few researchers believe that intake of GM plants can play a role in cancer development. This can occur because introduction of a new gene into human’s DNA can contribute in mutations.

3. Increased Risk of Antibiotic Resistance

Globally, scientists have used antibiotic resistance genes as a marker to identify the success rate of genetic modification. This brings in a debate that transfer of genes from GM foods to human body or bacteria residing in human gut can end up in adversely affecting the human health. For example, kanamycin is an antibiotic used to treat various human infections and is also used as a marker for identification for plant modification. Thus, the use of antibiotic resistance genes for such purpose poses a great threat to health.

4. GMOs and Loss in Biodiversity

To find out whether the GMOs are environmentally safe or not is quite challenging. GM crops come with several advantages like resistance to herbicides, which results in reducing mechanical tillage and soil erosion. But the GM genes have a potential to enter the conventional crops as a result permanently affecting the wild populations. Also, GM crops may support expanded utilization of agricultural chemicals. Thus, there are concerns that GMOs may cause losses in biodiversity. Again, no such evidence is available so far that can prove that the hybridization of GM and non-GM plants can be harmful or can have a negative impact on biodiversity.

Bottom Line

On the surface, GMOs are considered to be safe for human consumption. But there are many underlying factors that need to be investigated more to confirm the safety of these genetically modified foods.


References

Hall, K. (2016). Are GMOs Causing Food Allergies? A Farmer And RD Sets The Record Straight. Forbes.

Phillips, T. (2008). Genetically modified organisms (GMOs): Transgenic crops and recombinant DNA technology. Nature Education , 213.

Mentewab, A., & Stewart, C. N. (2005). Overexpression of an Arabidopsis thaliana ABC transporter confers kanamycin resistance to transgenic plants. Nature Biotechnology , 23, 1177-1180.


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