Genetically Modified Food
Security is still the biggest controversy
The latest global report on GM crops shows that up to now, 59 countries or regions have approved more than 2,000 applications for GM crops, of which food items account for almost half, far more than feed and other uses.
Genetically Modified Food
Walking to the table has been difficult to avoid
Each year, we prepare an annual global report on genetically modified crops. Looking at the increasing figures in annual reports, Dr. Clive James called GM technology “the fastest adopted cultivation technology in modern history,†and GM crops are “ The most rapidly applied crop in the history of modern agriculture."
In the latest annual report, Clive James has a statistic: so far, 59 countries or regions have approved 2,497 genetically modified applications, involving 319 transformants of 25 crops. Of these, 1129 applications were approved for food, 813 applications for feed, and 555 applications for planting. The GM food project accounts for almost half of all applications.
“Transgenic technology is the use of modern molecular technology to transfer genes of certain organisms to other species and transform the genetic material of organisms to transform them in terms of traits, nutritional quality, consumer quality, etc.. To GMOs Foods that are processed for direct food or raw materials are genetically modified foods." - This is a precise definition of genetically modified foods.
In the early 90s of last century, the world's first genetically modified food appeared in the United States. This kind of fresh-keeping tomatoes was first successfully cultivated by the British, but it was commercialized in the United States, which was separated by oceans.
Statistics show that since the release of the fresh tomatoes, genetically modified foods have been out of control in the U.S. market. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has identified a wide variety of genetically modified varieties. The U.S. has thus become the country with the most genetically modified foods. More than 60% of processed foods contain genetically modified components, more than 90% of soybeans, and more than 50% of corn. Wheat is genetically modified.
In the U.S. market, genetically modified foods include not only transgenic plants such as tomatoes, potatoes, and corn, but also genetically modified animals such as fish, cattle, and sheep. Although there is not much difference in taste between genetically modified foods and common foods, the transgenic plants and animals have unique characteristics such as insect resistance, antiviral, herbicide resistance, improved quality, and resistance to adversity.
The first genetically modified food that was commercialized in China was resistant to stored tomatoes and disease-resistant sweet peppers. At the same time, it also imported some GM corn, soybeans, and rapeseed from the US market. Corn is mainly used for feed, soybeans, and rapeseeds. It is used to process edible oils.
When people began to worry about the cultivation of genetically modified rice in China, the United States approved the cultivation of six transgenic rice varieties, and Iran also approved one. Canada and Mexico approved the import of GM rice and allowed it to be eaten.
In people's doubts and controversies, genetically modified foods have become difficult to avoid.
Transgenic safety controversy
It will exist for a long time in the future
Concerns about genetically modified foods, the world's countries have different attitudes.
In North America, where GM technology has been used for a long time, concerns about GM foods have been lower than in Europe and Asia. The United States and Canada are among the few countries that have not mandatory labeling genetically modified foods. The EU is conservative about genetically modified foods and crops, but has also approved the cultivation and marketing of some genetically modified crops for use in food and feed applications. In contrast, Asian people have more doubts and concerns about genetically modified foods.
For doubts and concerns, Wang Zhixing, a researcher at the Institute of Biotechnology of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, thinks it is not necessary.
“This global application of genetically modified crops has been used for more than a decade. Every year, hundreds of millions of hectares of people around the world grow genetically modified crops and hundreds of millions of people eat genetically modified foods. So far, there are no scientifically proven genetically modified foods and environmental safety issues.†Wang Zhixing said.
However, doubters believe that the current research on the safety of genetically modified foods is short-term and cannot effectively assess the risk of humans eating genetically modified foods for decades.
“The reason people believe that genetic modification is not safe or dare to eat is mainly because they don’t understand transgene technology.†According to Chen Junshi, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the safety evaluation of genetically modified foods is based on science. So far, there is no scientific evidence to prove it. Has an impact on human health. "So far no GM foods have been found to cause any acute, sub-acute or chronic hazards to human health," said Chen Junshi.
Fan Yunliu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, believes that genetically modified breeding technology itself is an extension, development, and new breakthrough in conventional technology. Transgenic technology breaks the natural hybridization barrier between different species, expanding the range of available genes. At the same time, the long-term safety of genetically modified foods has been practiced. In the U.S. market, 200 million people are eating, including baby food, and genetically modified foods have been consumed for more than 10 years. This is an unprecedented large-scale human experiment. At present, no genetically modified safety accident has been discovered.
Genetically modified food safety
From strict market supervision
In addition to the concerns of ordinary consumers, some environmental protection organizations have also expressed doubts about genetic modification. They are concerned that genetically modified organisms are not the original species in the natural world and are foreign to the earth's ecosystem. The cultivation of genetically modified organisms will lead to the spread of genes of this alien species to traditional organisms and cause genetic contamination of traditional organisms.
Yang Xiaoguang, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, believes that natural foods consumed by humans contain a variety of genes and no horizontal gene transfer or cross-species transfer has been found. From a scientific point of view, there is no particular difference between genetically modified foods and other conventional foods. After the food enters the human body, it will be degraded into small molecules under the action of the digestive system. It will not enter the human tissues in the form of genes, and will not affect the genetic composition of human beings. Therefore, genetically modified foods cannot change human genetic characteristics.
“The difference between genetically modified and non-genetically modified foods is that they transfer specific proteins. As long as the protein is not a sensitizer and a toxin, it has no essential difference with the proteins in the food. It can be digested and absorbed by the body and will not be stored for long periods of time. In the body."
However, if we want to eliminate people's doubts about genetically modified foods and ensure the safety of genetically modified foods, we must also come from strict market supervision.
Yang Xiaoguang, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, believes that the long-term health effects of genetically modified foods are an important issue in the evaluation of genetic safety. Before GM foods are brought to the market, strict food safety evaluation is required. This evaluation system is more rigorous and even harsher than traditional foods. This includes the evaluation of the long-term health effects of the human body. In the experimental process, an over-constant experiment was conducted, which greatly exceeded the conventional consumption dose. The reason why the supernormal experiment is used is that the long-term effect is taken into consideration, and the model in scientific research is equivalent to the long-term effect experiment. The current chemical foods and medicines are mostly verified using this system.
Zheng Zhemin, academician of the two academies, said that the key to the safety of GM foods lies in the establishment of strict system supervision. The scientific community has the responsibility to build the system. Only strict operating procedures, inspections, and controls can make people feel comfortable eating. Zhao Wenjin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, believes that agricultural biotechnology should be developed, but food problems still need to be cautious, especially for food safety issues.
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