An Alter to you Appetite

Foods are genetically modified all the time. So, what does “genetically modified” mean? According to experts, "Genetically modifying is the alteration of the genome of plants grown for food in order to produce crops with specific advantages." Genome is the full DNA sequence of an organism or the genetic material of an organism. Genetically modifying a food could make it live better in area with little or no water. Or make it be able to withstand floods. It can even make the plant not die from certain bugs living on it. But it also is a major health risk. And since nobody knows what food is genetically modified and what food isn’t, that causes even more of a problem.

There are some good things that come out of genetically modifying food. If a place with very little rain is low on food, they can plant genetically modified food that was modified to grow in droughts or with little rain. It can also help the plant stay alive through very cold or very hot weather. You can modify food to add vital nutrition to foods. Those are a few good things about genetically modified food. Genetically modified food is good, right? Think again.

Genetically modified food has many risks. It affects people, as well as the environment. Genetically modified food can sometimes have genes from other foods added to them. And without labeling, a kid allergic to peanuts could eat corn that had been modified with peanut genes. Also, there is a risk that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in some people. Some plants have a pesticide added to them to keep bugs away. How many people enjoy eating vegetables injected with pesticides? Not many. But the biggest thing wrong with genetically modified food is that there were hardly any tests to see if it was actually healthy. Scientist ran a few and hardly went in depth with research. Errors were submitted and weren’t changed. And these are only some of the risks!

Many foods nowadays are genetically modified. Foods such as corn, cotton, papayas, potatoes, soybeans, squashes, and tomatoes are just a few. Tomatoes and corn are the foods most known for being genetically modified. Tomatoes weren’t originally round and red. They were all different colors and looked a bit like squash. Genetically modifying the tomato changed the whole shape! There are more than just these foods that are genetically modified.

Genetically modified food is a problem. It has health risks and nobody even knows if it’s safe. Too many foods already are genetically modified. It’s time to say no to GMO’s. GMO’s are genetically modified organisms. Until genetically modified foods are proven safe, some experts say to just leave genetically modified foods alone.