FOOD FIGHT! Yes or No to GMO?

from Dec21 18

by Daniel Pearson

The Birth of Pure Food

DECEMBER 21, 2018 AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

9 +

DON’T LICK THE BEATERS

Useful food facts from dietetic interns with the Augusta University MS-Dietetic Internship Program

FOOD FIGHT! YES OR NO TO GMO? by Irene Erich, MS-Dietetic Intern

As the incidences of cancer and other chronic disease increases, medical scientists and practitioners are looking for answers. The rising rate has fueled speculation and suspicion about the causes of these life threatening diseases. Nutrition has become the focal point of several conversations, as more scientific evidence supports the critical role that nutrition plays in the prevention, treatment, and management of diseases. Easy access to research findings has become a reality through mass media and technology.

In an attempt to find answers, some suspect a possible correlation between the abundance of genetically modified foods and disease incidences. These are commonly referred to as GMO foods. These foods generally have a poor reputation, but the negative stigma surrounding

GMOs is often misguided because of inaccurate, limited or nonexistent evidence. Understanding why farmers and food scientists continue to integrate genetic modification into food production may address some of the concerns.

The genetic modification of foods alters the composition of a product in some way in order to develop a variety that does not occur naturally. Food scientists are able to experiment with the genes of a crop and make changes to their basic composition.

Artificial selection of crops is a simplistic version of genetic engineering that dates all the way back to 7800 BC and the modern resurgence of these techniques started to take the scene in the 1970s. Genetic modification has undergone thorough review by many independent health and science agencies around the world, including the FDA, USDA, and EPA, and has been approved as safe. Research continues and these agencies constantly review new findings as they become

available. Through genetic enhancement of crops food scientists are able to tailor foods to meet the needs of an ever-changing society.

Modification of food products can be beneficial to large agribusiness corporations as well as to farmers, consumers, and even the environment. By altering the genetic code of plants, scientists are able to enhance the nutrient profile of a crop, enhancing the nutrition of consumers in both developed and developing countries.

An example of its positive impact on society is the mandate by the USDA in 1998 regarding folate. The mandate ordered a nationwide fortification of enriched grain products with folate. Folate deficiency is associated debilitating birth defects and infant mortality. The addition of folate has resulted in a 35% decrease in the occurrence of birth defects in newborns since 1998.

Genetically modified foods have also addressed vitamin A deficiency, which is associated with several health conditions and diseases such as blindness. Food chemists have used a major food crop, rice, as the primary source for fortification. So-called Golden Rice has been fortified with vitamin A, and this has led to an international reduction of vitamin A deficiency and an overall improvement of health and nutritional status. Farmers experience the benefits of