Truth About GMOs: U.S. Crop Use, Health Risks, and Labels
Summary
GMOs are genetically modified organisms, including plants, microorganisms, and animals. While there are only about a dozen GMOs in commercial use, according to the FDA, in 2020, genetically modified crops dominated U.S. agriculture, with 94% of all soybeans, 96% of all cotton, and 92% of all corn grown from GMO varieties.
Bioengineered sugar beets are used to make refined sugar. Only the US and Canada produce this crop; however, over 90% of the sugarbeets in these countries are genetically modified. Many processed foods, such as breakfast cereals, snacks, sodas, and salad dressings, use ingredients from genetically modified crops.
Many notable organizations, including the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society, and the American Medical Association, have found that commercially popular GMOs currently pose no greater risk than traditional crops. However, some researchers remain concerned about the alleged toxicity and allergenicity of GMOs.
The labeling of genetically modified products is voluntary in Canada, but is required in the United States and the European Union.
Introduction
The labels “GMO-free” and “non-GMO” often catch our attention when choosing products, but what do they mean, and are those foods any healthier? This article will discuss GMOs, how they’re made, how they’re used, and how they affect our health.
GMOs are genetically modified organisms, including plants, microorganisms, and animals. As the name suggests, these organisms are made through alteration of the genetic code. Scientists figure out ways to isolate preferred genes, insert them into the chosen cell, and regenerate an organism from the cell.
Food products are genetically modified to enhance production and desirable qualities, while reducing waste and costs.
The first genetically modified, FDA-approved commercial food was the so-called Flavr Savr (pronounced "Flavor Saver") tomato, produced in 1994 and modified to have a longer shelf life by slowing the softening process. It was taken off the market a few years later as it was more expensive to produce and less trusted by consumers.
In 2000, golden rice, abundant in vitamin A, was the first GMO produced to enhance nutritional value (1).
Commercially Popular GMOs
The first genetically modified animal food approved by the FDA for commercial use was AquAdvantage salmon, produced in 2015. The genetic modification enables this fish to be raised and farmed throughout the entire year, rather than just during spring and summer.
The USDA has created a list of bioengineered foods that are commercially available worldwide. This list includes alfalfa, apples, canola, corn, cotton, eggplants, papaya, pineapple, potatoes, salmon, soybeans, squash, sugarbeet, and sugarcane (2).
Each food was bioengineered for various desired qualities. For example, genetically modified Arctic apples, produced by the US and Canada, are non-browning, while bioengineered papayas, produced by the US, Canada, and China, are virus-resistant.
One of the most commercially popular genetically modified foods is soybeans, produced by the US, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, and South Africa. These soybean crops can be herbicide- and insect-resistant, with altered oil profiles and increased yields.
Bioengineered sugarbeets are herbicide-tolerant and used to make refined sugar. Only the US and Canada produce this crop; however, over 90% of the sugarbeets in these countries are genetically modified.
According to the FDA, in 2020, genetically modified crops dominated U.S. agriculture, with 94% of all soybeans, 96% of all cotton, and 92% of all corn grown from GMO varieties (3).
Many processed foods, such as breakfast cereals, snacks, sodas, and salad dressings, use ingredients from genetically modified crops.
Health Impact and Safety
Many notable organizations have found that commercially popular GMOs currently pose no greater risk than traditional crops. Below are the statements by some of these organizations.
The World Health Organization says: “GM foods currently available on the international market have passed safety assessments and are not likely to present risks for human health. In addition, no effects on human health have been shown as a result of the consumption of such foods by the general population in the countries where they have been approved (4).”
The American Cancer Society states: “In theory, these added genes might create substances that could cause reactions in sensitized or allergic people, or result in high levels of compounds that could cause other health effects. However, at this time, there is no evidence that foods now on the market that contain genetically engineered ingredients or the substances found in them are harmful to human health, or that they would either increase or decrease cancer risk (5).”
The American Medical Association: “Bioengineered foods have been consumed for close to 20 years, and during that time, no overt consequences on human health have been reported and/or substantiated in the peer-reviewed literature. However, a small potential for adverse events exists, due mainly to horizontal gene transfer, allergenicity, and toxicity (6).”
All that said, some research finds GMOs to have various negative health impacts on experimental animals (7, 8, 9). Some suggest that a percentage of studies advocating for the safe use of GMOs have conflicts of interest favoring stakeholder profits (7).
Another aspect of GMOs that can worry consumers is allergenicity. It is known that it’s possible to transfer allergy-causing proteins between plants using genetic engineering. In one study, scientists introduced a peanut gene into soybeans, and individuals with peanut allergies reacted to the modified soybeans (10). However, if a food that’s normally safe gains an allergen this way, it wouldn’t be approved for sale unless it’s clearly labeled.
Environmental impact
GMOs can have both positive and negative effects on the environment.
Resistant GMO crops can lead to reduced pesticide and chemical use; however, the herbicide-resistant nature of the crops can also lead to overuse of herbicides and, therefore, the spread of herbicide-resistant weeds.
The spread of genetically modified crops can lead to ecosystem imbalances and loss of biodiversity.
Regulations
As of 2016, genetically modified crops were grown in 29 countries, while 38 countries had partial or total bans on GMO planting. Most of these countries, such as the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, and many more, prohibit cultivation but allow the importation of GMO crops (11).
In the United States, laws regarding the cultivation and importation of GMOs vary by state and region.
The labeling of genetically modified products is voluntary in Canada, while the EU requires all foods containing above 0.9% genetically modified ingredients to be labelled as bioengineered.
The bioengineered (BE) label is also mandatory in the US in case of detectable amounts of genetically modified material in the product.
Sources.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10634784/
- https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/be/bioengineered-foods-list
- https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/gmo-crops-animal-food-and-beyond
- https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/food-genetically-modified
- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/diet-physical-activity/acs-guidelines-nutrition-physical-activity-cancer-prevention/common-questions.html
- https://www.ama-assn.org/sites/ama-assn.org/files/corp/media-browser/public/about-ama/councils/Council%20Reports/council-on-science-public-health/a12-csaph2-bioengineeredfoods.pdf
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282485442
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18989835/
- https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-021-00578-9#Sec16
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8594427/
- https://geneticliteracyproject.org/gmo-faq/where-are-gmo-crops-and-animals-approved-and-banned/
