What are your thoughts on genetically modified foods?
By Teddy
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
United Kingdom
January 31, 2019 6:39pm CST
Ever since it became possible for science to genetically modify living organisms the prospect of producing food which has been genetically manipulated to produce higher yields or greater resistance to disease has been hailed by some as the greatest advance in food science we have ever seen and by others as a dangerous first step on the road to disaster.
They have been called 'Frankenstein Foods' and are already being grown for consumption by people - did you know that the majority of bananas sold in the US and much of the corn grown there is GM produce? Many of us are already eating various GM foods without being aware of it.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 27 January 2019. Jump to navigation Jump to search Part of a series onGenetic engineering Genetically modified organisms History and regulation Process Applications C
13 people like this
14 responses
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
1 Feb 19
@ThreeTeddies Pretty darn sure. We buy most of our edibles at organic food stores where everything is labels. I'm sure the Doritos I had these week had GMOs. 
3 people like this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
5 Feb 19
@DianneN Read this list of GM foods. It isn't comprehensive but note that three of them (corn, soya and canola) are to be found in a wide variety of processed foods. Most people are eating a certain amount of GM produce without realising it. This list is 18 months old - more will have been added since then
https://www.bestfoodfacts.org/what-foods-are-gmo/
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
1 Feb 19
@DianneN Are you sure? It isn't always obvious which foods are GM
3 people like this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
4 Feb 19
@wolfgirl569 it isn't always easy to identify GM foods so you may inadvertently buy some
@wolfgirl569 (135690)
• Marion, Ohio
4 Feb 19
@ThreeTeddies I grow a lot of my own. During the summer if I dont grow it I buy at a produce auction. I know that is good. It is not hard to check what little I buy the rest of the year.
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
7 Feb 19
@wolfgirl569 Growing your own is probably the best way to do it. That way you know exactly what's in your food - provided you don't buy GM seeds by mistake!
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
1 Feb 19
@marguicha Organic foods are preferable to GM foods. It's just a pity that growers of organic foods seem to have taken advantage of the situation by charging more
2 people like this
@marguicha (230351)
• Chile
1 Feb 19
@ThreeTeddies I have tried to grow some of my veggies. Not this year though as Luna, my puppy, has done a lot of damage.
2 people like this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
4 Feb 19
@marguicha Naughty Luna! You need to keep him away from your veggies
1 person likes this
@rebelann (117220)
• El Paso, Texas
1 Feb 19
Yes it is @ThreeTeddies What's worse is that the regular foods out there are causing so many health issues which are making so many doctors and pharmacies very rich.
2 people like this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
1 Feb 19
@rebelann Money is truly the root of all evil!
2 people like this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
1 Feb 19
@rebelann It's sad and a bit incongruous that, in our modern, civilised society it costs money to be healthy!
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (97991)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
1 Feb 19
I don't really consider what is or isn't organic. I purchase groceries and hope for the best. I am mostly alone so when I make stuff for myself it is often like just popping in some chicken nuggets or something into the toaster oven Anything more complicated becomes like rocket science to me.
2 people like this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
4 Feb 19
@RasmaSandra You are probably in the majority. Most people seem to go for price and freshness rather than GM or organic or whatever
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
1 Feb 19
@Moon24 I'm OK with organic foods except that they always seem to cost more than regular food
2 people like this
@Hate2Iron (15724)
• Canada
1 Feb 19
We try to eat at much organic as possible. And in Manitoba, we grew a lot of our own fruits and veggies. Kind of miss that!!
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
4 Feb 19
@Hate2Iron organic is good but store-bought organics tend to be more expensive than regular foods
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
4 Feb 19
@jstory07 The trouble is that it may be many, many years before any adverse effects of people eating GM foods becomes apparent and by then it'll be too late
@LadyDuck (502345)
• Italy
4 Feb 19
@ThreeTeddies We are close to the Italian borders, I have seen "organic" vegetable producers along the high traffic highway leading from Switzerland to the north of Italy. May be they are "organic" but surely highly polluted.
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
4 Feb 19
@LadyDuck In the developed countries labelling will be accurate but maybe no so accurate in the developing countries which could lead to people eating GM foods whether they want to or not
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
7 Feb 19
@LadyDuck That's a good point. The location of fields of crops should be chosen carefully to avoid any vehicular or industrial pollution
1 person likes this
@GreatMartin (23670)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
1 Feb 19
Doesn't bother me as long as it tastes good and there is a lot of it!! The only food I won't eat is oyster plant--UGH!
@GreatMartin (23670)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
1 Feb 19
I read a bunch of comments down below about organic food---they are being taken as they are paying a much higher price for what is labeled organic but isn't!
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15826)
• Manchester, England
1 Feb 19
Most food we eat has been genetcally modified in some way or other.
The humble carrot, for example, was a strange looking purple thing until Dutch farmers got hold of it and orange-ified it for aesthetic (and possibly Nationalistic??) reasons.
Obviously the key to whether or not this stuff is safe lies in the actual modification and the potential effect it could have when consumed by us.
I see no harm in producing crops that are more resistant to insects, therefore reducing the need for pesticide use, but we have to be sure the modifications don't cause just as much harm to humans as pesticides potentially can.
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15826)
• Manchester, England
4 Feb 19
@ThreeTeddies I wouldn't disagree with that. Pace of change has got to be a factor when it comes to assessing impact.
I do try to avoid GM foods as I firmly believe, while the science is still inconclusive, corporations will use that to their advantage and maybe produce products they know are harmful, but profitable, but can later claim ignorance and point to inconclusive scientific evidence.
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
4 Feb 19
@WorDazza In a sense all foods have been genetically modified by their very evolution but that is a long process and the human race has adapted to that but the recent advances in GM are, in relative terms, lightning fast and thereby lies the danger. It may be many, many years before the full effect of modified foods on humans becomes apparent and that may happen in some very unexpected ways
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
4 Feb 19
@sol_cee it's up to the seller/grower to identify them on the packaging but not everyone does
@JudyEv (381976)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Feb 19
@ThreeTeddies I thought I read that they can grow crops with stuff added. But I might be wrong. I remember once I was wrong - but later I found out I was mistaken. 
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
4 Feb 19
@JudyEv You sound exactly like my wife!
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
4 Feb 19
@JudyEv Neither food additives nor antibiotics have anything to do with GM. Those things can be added to regular foods right now and many are (vitamin C for example). Genetic modification is meddling with the basic building blocks of a living thing and God knows where that might lead in the long term. GM foods do have their advantages though
https://www.healthline.com/health/gmos-pros-and-cons
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
2 Feb 19
I don't like to eat GMO foods; just the naturally-grown ones in their original form.
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
2 Feb 19
@acelawrites It isn't always obvious which foods are GM so we need to check carefully
