Are Genetically Modified Foods Safe? The Truth About GMOs

Nov 11

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are often misunderstood. Contrary to what you may have heard, GMOs are safe to consume, they provide nutritious crops, and they also help farmers grow sustainably.

What are GMOs?

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are produced by altering the DNA of organisms to allow them to have desirable traits. Sounds scary, but this process is actually very helpful. GMOs are created to achieve a desired trait, such as resistance to a pest or tolerance to drought conditions.

GMOs are in a lot of the foods that we eat and they are also used for animal food.

Which crops are genetically modified?

Only a few types of GMO crops are grown in the US, but some of these GMOs make up a large portion of the crop grown. For example, in 2020, GMO soybeans made up 94% of all soybeans planted, GMO cotton made up 96% of all cotton planted, and 92% of corn planted was GMO corn.

These are the crops that are currently genetically modified in the US:

Alfalfa
Apple (ArcticTM varieties)
Canola
Corn
Cotton
Eggplant (BARI Bt Begun varieties)
Papaya (ringspot virus-resistant varieties)
Pineapple (pink flesh varieties)
Potato
Salmon (AquAdvantage®)
Soybean
Squash (summer, coat protein-mediated virus-resistant varieties)
Sugarbeet
Sugarcane (Bt insect-resistant varieties)

You can view new and upcoming updates to the list here.

What are the benefits of GMOs?

The fear of GMOs stems from people not knowing what they are along with the spread of misinformation, especially on the internet. But GMOs are safe and also a necessity to feed the population. In fact, there are quite of few benefits of GMOs.

Enhanced nutrient profiles

There is no nutritional difference between GMOs and their non-GMO counterpart, unless the nutritional content of the GM crops has been intentionally modified. Enhancing a crop’s nutritional value is one of the many uses of genetic engineering. For example, genetically modified high oleic soybeans with an enhanced oil profile have been developed and are longer lasting and trans-fat free.

Genetically modified microorganisms are used to create some essential vitamins. Examples of vitamins created through genetic modification are vitamin A, vitamin B-2, vitamin B-12 (riboflavin), vitamin C (ascorbic acid), and vitamin D.

Increased production to meet demand

Genetically modified crops have increased harvests by decreasing losses to pests, decreasing input and labor costs, and by conserving soil and water resources. “More bang for your buck” and all that.

Reduced food waste

Genetic engineering has been used to modify potatoes and apples in order to eliminate browning and bruising when the produce is cut or handled. While this does not alter the quality of the food, these traits can help reduce the amount of produce thrown away by retailers and consumers that mistakenly believe the food has spoiled.

Decreased use of pesticides

Certain GMO crops were developed to increase pest resistance, meaning that less pesticides are needed. Crops developed to tolerate specific herbicides allow farmers to fight weeds by applying targeted herbicides only when needed.

Life-saving pharmaceuticals

GMOs have been used to create insulin and vaccines to treat and prevent disease.

The truth about “non-GMO” food labels

Labeling something as “non-GMO” doesn’t necessarily mean that there is, or ever has been, a GMO variant of that product. For example, there is no such thing as genetically modified wheat, so GMO bread and pasta derived from wheat do not exist. A “non-GMO” label on wheat-based noodles is simply a marketing tactic.

Other common foods with “non-GMO labels” include dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), nuts, and popcorn. There are not genetically modified versions of these foods and label is only there to convince consumers that the product is superior or “healthier”. But as a reminder, the presence or absence of GMOs does not necessarily dictate the “healthfulness” of a food.

Debunking myths about GMOs

“GMO crops are less nutritious”

Foods produced from genetically modified crops are just as nutritious as those from conventional crops. As mentioned above, genetic altering can actually enhance the nutrient value of foods through biofortification of vitamins and other nutrients.

“GMOs are unnatural”

Humans have been selectively breeding plants and animals for centuries. Just look at the golden doodle - quite cute, but not exactly a “natural” dog breed.

Many of the foods that you eat do not exist in the same form that they did thousands of years ago. Furthermore, when it comes to nutrition, the term “natural” does not really have meaning. A food being “natural” also does not automatically equate to it being “healthy”.

“GMOs are not tested for safety”

GMOs are the only type of crop that require government regulation. All other types of plant breeding are not regulated. In fact, GMOs are the most rigorously tested and regulated crop that exists, even more so than conventional counterparts.

In the United States, genetically modified crops are reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for feed and food safety prior to marketing.

“Organic food is safer than GMOs”

Organic farming is a cultivation method and genetic modification is a breeding method, so this is like comparing apples to oranges.

Additionally, many people believe that organic crops do not use pesticides, but this is untrue. Organic produce can still have pesticides. The term “organic” basically just means the organic farmers can’t use all the tools in the tool box. Surprising to many, there are actually similar amounts of pesticides on organic foods compared to conventional foods.

As mentioned above, one reason for the development of GMO crops was to increase pest resistance, meaning that less pesticides are needed. In this way, one could argue that GMO crops are even safer than organic.

It is true that the use of GMOs is prohibited in organic food products. This partially explains why organic products are typically more expensive. Without the use of GMOs, organic crops tend to have lower yields.

“GMOs cause cancer”

GMO crops are not a health risk to humans or animals and they have not been linked to any diseases.

There have been thousands of scientific studies on GMO safety, many of which were independently funded and confirmed GMOs don’t pose a risk to human health.