So, what is "genetically modified food"?
Genetically modified food means that scientists change the genes of animals and plants in the laboratory and then create new foods with new characteristics. Many people already know that all living things have genetic genes written on their dna, which are chemical information for building and maintaining life. By modifying genes, scientists can change some or all characteristics of organisms.
However, so far, this technology is still in the primary stage, and food containing genes has not been grown from other animals and plants, realizing large-scale economic planting. At the same time, many people insist that the food cultivated by this technology is "unnatural".
The first transgenic crop in the world is a kind of tobacco containing antibiotics, which was cultivated in 1983. Ten years later, the first market-oriented genetically modified food appeared in the United States, which is a tomato crop that can delay ripening. It was not until 1996 that tomato cakes made from this tomato food were allowed to be sold in supermarkets.
Why do some people think that transgenic technology may be harmful to human health? Critics believe that at present, we don't know enough about how genes work. We are not completely sure about the result of gene adjustment. Critics worry that sudden changes will lead to toxic substances or stimulate allergies.
Others criticize that the dna used by scientists will be taken from some plants and animals that carry viruses and bacteria, which may lead to many unknown diseases. Should we trust the food we eat?
In order to ensure the safety of consumers and maintain confidence, all foods must go through a series of inspection and management procedures. The purpose of the testing procedure is to find problems before the food is put on the market. If consumers are unfortunately sick because of the food they eat, it is often because there is something wrong with the food production line.
The Royal Society of Canada called on the government to pay attention to the safety of genetically modified foods and to prove whether eating genetically modified foods is harmful to human health through more rigorous scientific tests.
According to an expert report published by the Royal Society, many Canadian consumers reported that they had allergic symptoms after eating genetically modified foods. Some environmentalists believe that the promotion of genetically modified foods will make some wild animals and plants extinct.
The genetically modified food industry has developed rapidly in Canada, and many agricultural products are genetically modified foods at present. The report pointed out that in the next five years to 10, driven by economic interests, the genetically modified food industry in Canada will develop at a faster speed, and will develop from agricultural products to animal husbandry, so it is necessary to conduct in-depth research on the safety of genetically modified food as soon as possible.
Regarding the inspection of genetically modified foods, the report believes that the inspection of genetically modified foods in Canada is not strict enough at present. The report calls on the government to formulate a national plan as soon as possible to conduct long-term follow-up research on the impact of genetically modified foods on people, animals and plants and the environment.
The report suggests that a plasma bank should be established so that those who are allergic to eating genetically modified foods can voluntarily provide blood samples for research. At the same time, a registration center for genetically modified food allergens will be established to facilitate relevant units to conduct research.
The report also suggests that all genetically modified animals, including livestock, fish and pets, must be registered in order to study the impact of genetically modified animals on human beings and the environment.
Food safety is unclear.
In the five years since the advent of genetically modified foods, more than 200 million people around the world have eaten thousands of genetically modified foods, and no food safety incident has been reported. However, it has been found that a few species can cause allergies in experimental animals abroad, so its commercial production has stopped. At present, there are only animal experiments, no human experiments and no long-term observation in the development of genetically modified foods.
Bioconcentration is not clear.
The enrichment of beneficial substances or the accumulation of harmful substances in the food chain is very important for the health of higher organisms. At present, genetically modified crops are mostly used for feed. At present, there is still a lack of comprehensive and systematic scientific research conclusions on the enrichment changes of such genetically modified organisms, what will happen after being enriched by livestock and what will happen after being eaten by people.
The relationship between medicine and food is not clear.
Using transgenic technology, animal drug bank and plant drug bank can be established. For example, eating a tomato can prevent hepatitis B, but it needs long-term research and monitoring to tell whether this transgenic drug is dangerous to human body.
The ecological impact is not clear.
Genetically modified organisms have advantages that natural organisms do not have. If released into the environment, it can break the original ecological balance and change the competitive relationship between species.
Genetic contamination is unclear.
Genetic drift caused by genetically modified organisms may destroy the genetic diversity of wild animals. For example, the pollen of genetically modified crops will drift with the wind, and the resulting genetic pollution will be hard to prevent.
Global regulation is not clear.
At present, many countries with more genetically modified products adopt the policy of "loosening the outside and tightening the inside" and export genetically modified products to some developing countries without telling them. This phenomenon is very unfavorable to the protection of global biological security. As a biological power, the United States even refused to sign the biosafety protocol.
The opportunity bubble is still unclear.
With the public's in-depth understanding of genetic modification and the strengthening of government supervision, the commercial profit of genetically modified products has decreased, and the research funding has also decreased significantly. However, many experts point out that transgenic technology is an important means to solve the global food shortage and an agricultural technology revolution that can avoid risks. The safety of genetically modified organisms needs long-term observation and research. For consumers, "informed choice" is the most important.