GENETICALLY- MODIFIED FOOD &
HEALTH RISKS- WHY CONTROVERSY?
Prof. Mutasim Mohamed Khalafalla
Department of Environmental Health
Overview
• What are GM foods?
• GM Food worldwide status.
• Human Health Controversies
• Are we eating GM foods?
What are genetically modified foods?
According to ‘World Health Organisation’
• “Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way at does not occur naturally, i.e.
through the introduction of a gene from a
different organism.
+
A strawberry resistant to frost=
Arctic fish DNA strawberry
GM Foods Production Status
• 1996 to 2005: surface area of land with GMO’s increased by a factor of 50
– from 17,000 km² to 900,000 km²
• Over 40 plant varieties
• 75% of all processed foods in the U.S. contain a GM-derived ingredient
– Vegetable oils, cereals more common than fruits and vegetables
Future Developments
• GM foods continue to increase
– Bananas produce vaccines against Hepatitis B – Fish that mature more rapidly
– Fruit and nut trees that produce fruit quicker – Plants that produce new plastics
Human Health controversies
• Many scientists and several health organizations have established the background for the safety assessment of GM food
– Introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction
– Concluded that “GM products are not inherently less safe than those developed by traditional breeding”
• In 2009, the American Academy of Environmental
Medicine (AAEM) stated that, “Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with genetically modified (GM) food,” including infertility, immune
problems, accelerated aging and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.
On the other hand groups of scientists believe that GM foods do not present a risk to human health
The World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, the
National Academy of Sciences, and the
American Association for the Advancement of Science have all declared that there’s
no good evidence GMOs are unsafe. Hundreds of studies back up that conclusion.
The British Medical Association (BMA) supports GM foods from the point-of-view that there is not yet any compelling evidence to prove that they pose a threat to health. However, they do note that much more research is needed to show that GM foods are safe for both the people who consume them and the environment.
By now, you've heard about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the
controversy over whether they're the
answer to world hunger or the devil incarnate.
But for right now, let's leave aside that debate and turn to a more basic questions:
I. Are we eating GM foods?
II. When you go to the supermarket, do you know which foods are most likely to be—or contain ingredients that are
—genetically engineered?
Are we eating GM foods?
Probably. Since several common ingredients like corn starch and soy protein are
predominantly derived from genetically
modified crops, it's pretty hard to avoid GM foods altogether.
In fact,, according to Abdel-Mawgood et al.,2010
GM foods are present in KSA supermarket shelves
African Journal of Food Science Vol. 4(8) pp. 536 - 540, August 2010 Available online http://www.academicjournals.org/ajfs
ISSN 1996-0794 ©2010 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper
Monitoring of genetically modified food in Saudi Arabia
Ahmed L. Abdel-Mawgood1,3*, Mustafa A. Gassem2,3, Abdullah A.
Alsadon1, Salem Safar Alghamdi1 and Abdullah A. Al-Doss1
1Plant Production Department, Faculty of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P. O. Box 2460
,
Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia .
2Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, Faculty of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P. O
.
Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia .
3Center of Excellence in Biotechnology Research, King Saud University, P.
O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia .
Accepted 31 March, 2010
This is the first study conducted to
survey for the presence of genetically modified food in the Saudi Arabian
markets.
A total of two hundred and two
samples were tested. Twenty products were found to be positive: These are products of corn potato, ground
meat, soybean and mixed nuts.
Were positive for both the 35S promoter and (NOS) terminator.
