Title: Ah-Tchoo
By: Starre Vartan
Published by Emagazine
Date: Oct 31 2006
http://www.emagazine.com/archive/3427
This article is basically about the problems of GMO's. In this article, it states that some food with GMO's in them may contain the genes of other organisms. For example, a GMO fruit could contrain the genes from a fish or any organism for that matter. This could cause allergic reactions to people who are allergic to the organism the inserted gene came from. The massive GMO producers say that gene is too small for the human body to react to but scientists say that it is possible to get aa reaction. To stop this, they want to try to follow Europe and have the producers put a label on food telling the buyers that the product is a GMO. Polls state that if these labels were present, 80%-90% of americans would avoid GMO's but the FDA is not looking to do this.
I think that is scary to think that someone could get an allergic reaction to a food that they are not allergic to. I think that they should do more testing to make sure that the gene is small enough to not be noticed by the human body because if it can, it can cause many injuries and deaths. Also, I am sad that the FDA is not even thinking about passing the law to put labels on GMO food like Europe did. I believe that if they did this, it would really help farmers who grow organic food and animals make more money and it would keep the public informed on what they are eating.
This reminded me of the time we created a GMO on our computers in class. It made me realize that the food we eat these days is not all made of the same genes are there have been many upgrades to these foods.
Do you think that we will have labels on food products one day?
If not through labels, how should the FDA inform people the details about GMO's?
Do you think that allergic reactions to GMO foods is a big deal?
Learning that GMOs are in many foods that we eat today not only brought this issue close to home for me, but also assured me that these products pose little danger. If I have truly been eating unlabeled GMOs for this long without knowing about it, then how come I haven't gotten sick yet? The only conclusion I can draw is that whatever GMOs are in my diet, which I'm pretty sure is a typical American one, they aren't causing me any harm. Some people may have allergic reactions to the products in question, but I think that with enough testing it should be possible to refine GMOs to a point where we can say, with a certain degree of confidence, that they are "safe".
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I think labelling GMOs is a bad idea until more people become educated about the issue. Generally, when people hear big phrases such as "genetically modified organism", they tend to freak out as they imagine a mad scientist injecting their foods with green glowing syringes just like we saw in the Meatrix. That's the stereotype that GMOs face today, and boasting that a food contains them will only feed this fire. In reality, people need to come to understand the benefits of GMOs, such as increased yields/more efficient farming, and that there is a low chance that they cause health problems. Once the stereotype is put to rest, maybe people will be able to accept GMOs as a part of their daily lives and labelling will cease to scare off consumers.
I think that allergic reactions to GMO foods is as big of a deal as any other food reaction. If it can cause a reaction, it should not be allowed. Labels are definitely necessary because if someone is allergic, it is not like they would expect to be allergic to a food that they wouldn't normally be allergic to. (How else would they know.) It is a scary scenario. If you have, say, a severe nut allergy and you eat GM fruit with genes from a cashew, how can you trust any food you eat after that?
ReplyDeleteIt is absolutely wrong for food to not be labeled for something that can potentially be deadly. We even have to label our food today for unhealthy things. People need to know what they are eating. If someone hands you mystery "food", how can you be sure that it is safe to eat? You can not. If it keeps people from buying this food, maybe the farmers should consider other options- but it is on the FDA to get this done.
This article taught me another danger that GMO's have. I never thought about the impact the gene could have. People with serious allergic reactions could be killed by these new GMO's. While the new genes are boosting the market and growth of these foods, they could be harming the consumers. I believe the safety of the food and consumer is much more important than maximizing the growth of a food. While these genes still have not been proven dangerous, if they are proven then there are great dangers. I agree with you aadit, the FDA should force the labeling of GMO's. Its safer and could save someone from dieing. Even though it might reduce sales, safety always comes first.
ReplyDeleteThis article impacts me very close to home. My sister is allergic to anykind of fish. When we go out to eat, she has to be very careful about what she orders. If these genes prove to be dangerous then my sister could be in trouble. She could eat a GMO and not even know she is really eating a gene of a fish which could cause a serious allergic reaction. No one should go through that.
I think allergic reactions to GMO foods is a very big deal. Most people with allergic reactions have serious life threatening reactions. If someone was to eat a GMO that their allergic to, they could possibly die. Allergic reactions are a very serious thing. This is just another reason why GMO's should be labeled. to prevent allergic reactions.
Like Ryan, I had not even thought about the different genes brought into GMOs. This to me is a HUGE deal. There are people out there who are deathly allergic to food or animals, and if those genes are inserted and they get a reaction, they could die. Labels are totally necessary because people need to know about the other genes in their food and if it could cause harm to them.
ReplyDeleteThis made me think of the GMO packet we did. When we looked at all those foods I was appaled that I eat many of them and I had no idea what I was consuming. I just think the FDA should consider labeling until they know that it is 100% safe.
I am truely not sure about the labeling on the foods. As we can see, the FDA is more concerned with profits than with people's safety. I hope to one day see labeled foods and a more educated society, but I don't think it will happen.