{"id":6339,"date":"2023-05-24T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-24T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=6339"},"modified":"2023-05-12T18:54:56","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T18:54:56","slug":"whats-the-latest-on-gmos-and-gene-edited-foods-and-what-are-the-concerns-an-expert-explains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/whats-the-latest-on-gmos-and-gene-edited-foods-and-what-are-the-concerns-an-expert-explains\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the latest on GMOs and gene-edited foods \u2013 and what are the concerns? An expert explains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n \n Shutterstock<\/span><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\nKaren Massel<\/a>, The University of Queensland<\/a><\/em><\/span>\n\n

Advances in genetic engineering have given rise to an era of foods \u2013 including genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and gene-edited foods \u2013 that promise to revolutionise the way we eat.<\/p>\n\n

Critics argue these foods could pose risks to human health and the environment. Proponents point to their potential for enhancing yields, reducing food waste, and even combating climate change.<\/p>\n\n

What are GMOs and gene-edited foods? And how are they shaping the future of our food systems?<\/p>\n\n

GMOs and gene-edited foods aren\u2019t the same<\/h2>\n\n

GMOs are organisms whose genetic material has been artificially altered by inserting a piece of foreign DNA. This DNA may be synthetic in origin or sourced from other organisms. <\/p>\n\n

Gene editing involves making precise changes to an organism\u2019s genome without the integration of foreign DNA elements. Using techniques such as CRISPR\/Cas, scientists make precise \u201ccuts\u201d in the DNA to create new genetic variation. Unlike with GMOs, this introduces only minor modifications, which are indistinguishable from natural mutations.<\/p>\n\n

Although GMOs and gene-edited foods have been in circulation for almost three decades, research in this space continues to deliver breakthroughs. These technologies are being applied<\/a> to provide a range of benefits, from improved nutrition in food, to reduced food waste and increased crop tolerance against climate stresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the concerns?<\/h2>\n\n

The major criticisms of GMOs are related to the overuse of specific herbicides.<\/p>\n\n

GMOs are mainly used to produce crops that are herbicide-resistant or produce pesticides. Farmers can then use herbicides on those crops to control weeds more effectively, without the plants themselves dying. This leads to higher yields on less land, and often with less chemicals used overall.<\/p>\n\n

However, these crops rely on the use of said lab-made chemicals<\/a>. And although the government regulates<\/a> them, ethical and safety debates continue. People raise concerns over potential long-term health impacts, impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems, and the increased corporate control<\/a> over agriculture. <\/p>\n\n

Concerns generally aren\u2019t related to the actual manipulation of the plants\u2019 DNA.<\/p>\n\n

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