Genetically modified organisms (GMO)- these are organisms in which genetic material has been artificially added from other animal organisms to obtain improved characteristics of the original organism (calorie content, resistance to pests, diseases, weather, accelerated maturation, longer storage, greater fertility), which reduces the cost of products.

Drought-resistant wheat with the scorpion gene. Potatoes with the gene of an earthen bacterium that even kills Colorado potato beetles. Tomatoes with the flounder gene. Soybeans and strawberries with bacterial genes. This is probably a big salvation in the face of an ever-growing population and other economic problems.

On this moment There are studies showing that frequent consumption of GMOs can lead to serious problems. According to some studies transgenes can be retained in the body and integrated into the genetic apparatus of human intestinal microorganisms.

In addition, it has been observed that growing transgenic soybeans leads to genetic mutations associated plants that become resistant to the effects of herbicides. It is also assumed that living organisms that feed on genetically modified plants may mutate.

GMO products.

Grocery list, which may contain GMO:

1. Soybean and its products (beans, sprouts, concentrate, flour, milk, etc.).
2. Corn and its products (popcorn, flour, chips, cereals, oil, starch, syrups, etc.).
3. Potatoes and its products (chips, semi-finished products, crackers, dry mashed potatoes, flour, and so on).
4. Tomatoes and its products ( tomato paste, mashed potatoes, sauce, ketchup and so on).
5. Zucchini and products made from them.
6. Sugar beets, table beets, sugar from sugar beets.
7. Wheat and products made from it, including bread and bakery products.
8. Sunflower oil.
9. Rice and products containing it (cereals, flour, granules, chips).
10. Carrots and products with them.
11. Onions, shallots, leeks and other bulbous vegetables.

And, of course, there is a chance to find GMOs in products that are produced using these plants.

The most commonly genetically modified are soybeans, rapeseed, corn, sunflowers, potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, zucchini, paprika, and lettuce. Genetically modified soybeans are included in bread, cookies, baby food, margarine, soup, pizza, fast food, meat products, flour, candy, ice cream, chips, chocolate, sauces, soy milk and so on. Genetically modified corn (maize) is most often found in products instant cooking, soups, sauces, seasonings, chips, gum, cake mixes. Genetically modified starch is added to a very wide range of products, including yoghurts. You should also know that 70% of well-known baby food companies contain GMOs. Approximately 30% of tea and coffee is genetically modified. Most products from America or other foreign countries that contain soybeans, corn, canola or potatoes contain GM components. If a product contains vegetable protein, then you can be almost sure that it also contains genetically modified soybeans.

In addition, insulin, vitamins, and antiviral vaccines may also contain genetically modified organisms.

Below is a list of some organizations that supply genetically modified raw materials to Russia or are producers themselves:

• Central Soya Protein Group, Denmark;
• LLC "BIOSTAR TRADE", St. Petersburg;
• ZAO "Universal", Nizhny Novgorod;
• Monsanto Co., USA;
• "Protein Technologies International Moscow", Moscow;
• LLC "Agenda", Moscow
• JSC "ADM-Food Products", Moscow
• JSC "GALA", Moscow;
• JSC "Belok", Moscow;
• "Dera Food Technology N.V.", Moscow;
• "Herbalife International of America", USA;
• "OY FINNSOYPRO LTD", Finland;
• LLC "Salon Sport-Service", Moscow;
• "Intersoya", Moscow.

Below is a list of organizations that use GMOs in production:

• Kelloggs (Kelloggs) - ready-made breakfasts, cornflakes,
• Nestle (Nestlé) - chocolate, coffee, coffee drinks, baby food,
• Heinz Foods (Heinz Foods) - ketchups, sauces,
• Hersheys (Hersheys) - chocolate, soft drinks,
• Coca-Cola (Coca-Cola) - Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Kinley tonic,
• McDonalds (McDonald's),
• Danon (Danone) - yoghurts, kefir, cottage cheese, baby food,
• Similac (Similac) - baby food,
• Cadbury (Cadbury) - chocolate, cocoa,
• Mars (Mars) - chocolate Mars, Snickers, Twix,
• PepsiCo (Pepsi-Cola) - Pepsi, Mirinda, 7-Up,
• Daria - meat products,
• Campamos - meat products,
• Corona - meat products,
• Mikoyanovsky - meat products,
• Tsaritsyno - meat products,
• Lianozovsky - meat and dairy products,
• Volzhsky PC - meat products.

GMOs are often disguised indexes E. But that doesn't mean that everything E supplements contain GMOs. You just need to understand which E supplements may contain GMOs.

These additives are primarily called soy lecithin or lecithin E 322: used as a fatty element in milk formulas, cookies, chocolate; riboflavin (B2) or E 101 and E 101A. It is added to cereals, soft drinks, baby food and weight loss products. Caramel (E 150) and xanthan (E 415) can also be made from genetically modified grains. The names of additives are also often written in words on packages.

• E101 and E101A (B2, riboflavin)
• E150 (caramel);
• E153 (carbonate);
• E160a (beta-carotene, provitamin A, retinol);
• E160b (annatto);
• E160d (lycopene);
• E234 (lowland);
• E235 (natamycin);
• E270 (lactic acid);
• E300 (vitamin C - ascorbic acid);
• E301 - E304 (ascorbates);
• E306 - E309 (tocopherol / vitamin E);
• E320 (VNA);
• E321 (VNT);
• E322 (lecithin);
• E325 - E327 (lactates);
• E330 ( lemon acid);
• E415 (xanthine);
• E459 (beta-cyclodextrin);
• E460 -E469 (cellulose);
• E470 and E570 (salts and fatty acids);
• fatty acid esters (E471, E472a&b, E473, E475, E476, E479b);
• E481 (sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate);
• E620 - E633 (glutamic acid and glutomates);
• E626 - E629 (guanylic acid and guanylates);
• E630 - E633 (inosinic acid and inosinates);
• E951 (aspartame);
• E953 (isomaltite);
• E957 (thaumatin);
• E965 (maltinol).

Taste and smell genetically modified products no different from natural. But products that do not spoil and are not damaged by insects, products that are too beautiful may arouse suspicion.

Since seeds are also modified, one cannot be sure of the naturalness of the products on the markets.

Kemerovo State Medical Academy

Department of General Hygiene

Abstract on the topic:

"Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)"

Completed:

Lescheva E.S., 403 gr.,

Kostrova A.V., 403 gr.

Kemerovo, 2012

Introduction

What is GMO (history, goals and methods of creation)

Types of GMOs and their use

Russian policy regarding GMOs

Pros of GMOs

Danger of GMOs

Consequences of using GMOs

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

The number of inhabitants of the Earth is steadily growing, thus, a huge problem arises in increasing food production, improving medicines and medicine in general. And in this regard, the world is experiencing social stagnation, which is becoming increasingly urgent. There is an opinion that with the current size of the planet's population, only GMOs can save the world from the threat of hunger, since with the help of genetic modification it is possible to increase the yield and quality of food.

Genetically created modified products is now the most important and most controversial task.

What is GMO?

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genotype has been purposefully artificially changed using genetic engineering methods. This definition can be applied to plants, animals and microorganisms. Genetic changes are usually made for scientific or economic purposes.

History of the creation of GMOs

First transgenic products were developed in the USA by the former military chemical company Monsanto back in the 80s.

Monsanto Company (Monsanto)- a transnational company, a world leader in plant biotechnology. The main products are genetically modified seeds of corn, soybeans, cotton, as well as the most common herbicide in the world, Roundup. Founded by John Francis Quiney in 1901 as a purely chemical company, Monsanto has since evolved into a concern specializing in high technology in the field of agriculture. A key moment in this transformation came in 1996, when Monsanto simultaneously launched the first genetically modified crops: transgenic soybeans with the new Roundup Ready trait and insect-resistant Ballgard cotton. The enormous success of these and subsequent similar products in the US agricultural market encouraged the company to shift its focus from traditional chemistry and pharmacochemistry to the production of new seed varieties. In March 2005, Monsanto acquired the largest seed company Seminis, specializing in the production of vegetable and fruit seeds.

The largest amount of these areas is sown in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and China. Moreover, 96% of all GMO crops belong to the United States. In total, more than 140 lines of genetically modified plants are approved for production in the world.

Purposes of creating GMOs

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization considers the use of genetic engineering methods to create transgenic varieties of plants or other organisms as an integral part of agricultural biotechnology. Direct transfer of genes responsible for useful traits is a natural development of work on the selection of animals and plants, which has expanded the ability of breeders to control the process of creating new varieties and expand its capabilities, in particular, the transfer of useful traits between non-crossing species.

Methods for creating GMOs

The main stages of creating GMOs:

1. Obtaining an isolated gene.

2. Introduction of the gene into a vector for transfer into the body.

3. Transfer of the vector with the gene into the modified organism.

4. Transformation of body cells.

5. Selection of genetically modified organisms and elimination of those that have not been successfully modified.

The process of gene synthesis is now very well developed and even largely automated. There are special devices equipped with computers, in the memory of which programs for the synthesis of various nucleotide sequences are stored.

To insert the gene into the vector, enzymes are used - restriction enzymes and ligases. Using restriction enzymes, the gene and vector can be cut into pieces. With the help of ligases, such pieces can be “glued together”, combined in a different combination, constructing a new gene or enclosing it in a vector.

If unicellular organisms or multicellular cell cultures are subject to modification, then at this stage cloning begins, that is, the selection of those organisms and their descendants (clones) that have undergone modification. When the task is to obtain multicellular organisms, cells with an altered genotype are used for vegetative propagation of plants or introduced into the blastocysts of a surrogate mother when it comes to animals. As a result, cubs are born with a changed or unchanged genotype, among which only those that exhibit the expected changes are selected and crossed with each other.

Outwardly, such food products seem to be no different from normal ones, and this is precisely where they are especially dangerous. Bread looks like bread, meat looks like meat, vegetables and fruits look even better than normal. And there is no special difference in taste! But... on the other hand, there are very significant differences AT THE GENETIC LEVEL. The chromosomes of genetically modified organisms carry implanted regions of other plants and animals, and more! These “modestly” hushed up genetic changes in plants and animals produce irreversible changes in the bodies of people who consume genetically modified foods, LEADING TO COMPLETE STERILITY, the emergence of dangerous allergies, food poisoning, mutations, development of resistance to antibiotics, etc.

Blacklist of producers of GMO products according to Greenpeace:

No. Food products Companies Product name

1. Hershey’s Cadbury Fruit&Nut chocolate products
2.Mars M&M
3. Snickers
4. Twix
5. Milky Way
6. Cadbury (Cadbury) chocolate, cocoa
7. Ferrero
8. Nestle chocolate"Nestlé", " "
9. Nestle Nesquik chocolate drink
10. Soft drink Sosa-Cola "Coca-Cola" Sosa-Cola
11. “Sprite”, “Fanta”, “Kinley” tonic, “Fruittime”
12. Pepci-Co Pepsi
13. "7-Up", "Fiesta", "Mountain Dew"
14. Kellogg's breakfast cereals
15. Campbell Soups
16. Uncle Bens Mars Rice
17. Knorr sauces
18. Lipton tea
19. Parmalat cookies
20. Seasonings, mayonnaise, Hellman’s sauces
21. Seasonings, mayonnaise, Heinz sauces
22. Nestle baby food
23. Hipp
24. Abbot Labs Similac
25. Yogurt, kefir, cheese, Denon baby food
26. McDonald's (McDonald's) chain of "restaurants" fast food
27. Chocolate, chips, coffee, baby food Kraft (Kraft)
28. Ketchups, sauces. Heinz Foods
29. Baby food, Delmi products Unilever (Unilever)

Products whose preparation technology uses GMOs:

JSC "Nizhny Novgorod Oil and Fat Plant" (mayonnaise "Ryaba", "Vprok", etc.).
Products "Bonduelle" (Hungary) - beans, corn, green pea.
CJSC "Baltimore-Neva" (St. Petersburg) - ketchups.
CJSC "Mikoyanovsky Meat Processing Plant" (city) - pates, minced meat.
JSC UROP FOODS GB (Nizhny Novgorod region) - Galina Blanca soups.
Concern "White Ocean" (Moscow) - chips "Russian Potatoes".
OJSC "Lianozovsky Dairy Plant" (Moscow) - yoghurts, "Miracle Milk", "Miracle Chocolate".
OJSC "Cherkizovsky MPZ" (Moscow) - frozen minced meat.
LLC "Campina" (Moscow region) - yoghurts, baby food.
LLC "MK Gurman" (Novosibirsk) - pates.
Frito LLC (Moscow region) - Layz chips.
LLC "Ermann" (Moscow region) - yoghurts.
LLC "Unilever CIS" (city) - mayonnaise "Calve".
Factory "Bolshevik" (Moscow) - cookies "Jubilee".
"Nestlé" (Switzerland, Finland) - dry milk mixture "Nestogen", puree "Vegetables with beef".

Blacklist of producers of GMO products according to Greenpeace / Greenpeace / for 2011:

LLC "Daria - semi-finished products", LLC "Klinsky Meat Processing Plant", MPZ "Tagansky", MPZ "KampoMos", CJSC "Vichyunai", LLC "MLM-RA", LLC "Talosto-Products", LLC "Bogatyr" Sausage Plant, LLC "ROS Marie Ltd."

Manufacturer company Unilever: Lipton (tea), Brooke Bond (tea), "Conversation" (teas), Calve (mayonnaise, ketchup), Rama (butter), "Pyshka" (margarine), "Delmi" (mayonnaise, yogurt, margarine ), "Algida" (ice cream), Knorr (seasonings); Nestle manufacturing company: Nescafe (coffee and milk), Maggi (soups, broths, mayonnaise, Nestle (chocolate), Nestea (tea), Neseiulk (cocoa);

Kellog's manufacturer: Corn Flakes (cereals), Frosted Flakes (cereals), Rice Krispies (cereals), Corn Pops (cereals), Smacks (cereals), Froot Loops (colored cereal rings), Apple Jacks (apple flavored cereal rings) ), Afl-bran Apple Cinnamon/ Blueberry (apple, cinnamon, blueberry flavored bran), Chocolate Chip (chocolate chips), Pop Tarts (filled cookies, all flavors), Nulri grain (filled toast, all types), Crispix (cookies), All-Bran (cereals), Just Right Fruit & Nut (cereals), Honey Crunch Corn Flakes (cereals), Raisin Bran Crunch (cereals), Cracklin'Oat Bran (cereals);

Hershey’s manufacturing company: Toblerone (chocolate, all types), Mini Kisses (candies), Kit-Kat ( chocolate bar), Kisses (candies), Semi-Sweet Baking Chips (cookies), Milk Chocolate Chips (cookies), Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups ( peanut butter), Special Dark ( dark chocolate), Milk Chocolate ( milk chocolate), Chocolate Syrup ( chocolate syrup), Special Dark Chocolate Syrup (chocolate syrup), Strawberry Syrup (strawberry syrup);

Mars manufacturing company: M&M'S, Snickers, Milky Way, Twix, Nestle, Crunch (chocolate rice cereal), Milk Chocolate Nestle (chocolate), Nesquik ( chocolate drink), Cadbury (Cadbury/Hershey’s), Fruit & Nut;

Heinz manufacturing company: Ketchup (regular & no salt), Chili Sauce, Heinz 57 Steak Sauce;

Coca-Cola manufacturing company: Coca Cola, Sprite, Charry Cola, Minute Maid Orange, Minute Maid Grape;

Manufacturing company PepsiCo: Pepsi, Pepsi Cherry, Mountain Dew;

Frito Manufacturer - Lay / PepsiCo: (GM components may be contained in oil and other ingredients), Lays Potato Chips (all), Cheetos (all);

Manufacturing company Cadbury/Schweppes: 7-Up, Dr. Pepper;

Pringles manufacturing company Procter & Gamble: Pringles (chips with Original, LowFat, Pizzalicious, Sour Cream & Onion, Salt & Vinegar, Cheezeums flavors).

The same product manufacturing company can produce three categories of the same product:

The first is for domestic consumption (in industrialized countries);
the second - for export to other developed countries;
the third is for export to developing countries.

The third category includes about 80% of food, beverages, and tobacco products exported from the United States and countries. According to the UN Food Commission, some Western firms are expanding the export of goods that are not only environmentally hazardous, but also prohibited in developed countries.

Meanwhile, more than two hundred types of food additives are not approved for use in Russia due to the incompleteness of the testing package. Listing them would take too much space. We will name only those that are completely prohibited and absolutely harmful to humans:

E121 - citrus red dye,
E123 - red amaranth,
E240 - formaldehyde preservative.

The scorpion gene was used to create a drought-tolerant wheat variety.

Many scientists fear that GMOs increase the risk of food allergies, poisoning, mutations, promote the formation of tumors, and also cause resistance to antibiotics. It is possible that foreign DNA can accumulate in human internal organs and also enter the nuclei of embryonic cells, which can lead to congenital deformities and even fetal death.

Children under 4 years of age are at risk; they are least protected from the effects of foreign genes.

Allergenicity and toxicity

More than half of the transgenic proteins that provide plant resistance to insects, fungal and bacterial diseases are toxic and allergenic.

For example, the use of albumin - a gene from DNA brazil nut When creating a GM soybean variety with an improved amino acid composition, a significant number of people suffered from exacerbation of allergic diseases.

Insect control agents may block enzymes digestive tract not only in insects, but also in humans, and also affect the pancreas.

A number of transgenic varieties of corn and tomatoes that are resistant to insect pests produce lignin, a substance that prevents plant damage. It can decompose into toxic and mutagenic phenols and methanol. Therefore, an increase in lignin content in fruits and leaves of plants is dangerous for humans.

The most striking example of the toxicity of GMOs was the case of the Japanese Company Showa Denko K..K., which began to supply the market food supplement GM tryptophan in the belief that it is equivalent to its unmodified counterpart. The GM amino acid caused the death of 37 people, and about one and a half thousand more were left disabled for life.

Carcinogenicity and mutagenicity

GMOs can become mutagenic and carcinogenic due to their ability to accumulate herbicides and their decomposition products. For example, the herbicide glyphosate, used in the cultivation of transgenic sugar beets and cotton, is a strong carcinogen and can cause lymphoma.

Some herbicides may have Negative influence on the survival and health of human embryos, as well as cause mutations.

As a result of intracellular processes in varieties of GM tobacco and rice, characterized by increased productivity, they accumulate biologically active substances that can trigger the development of cancer. Studies have shown that in rats fed with transgenic potatoes, blood composition deteriorated and abnormalities in size were detected. internal organs, almost all dead animals had small and large intestines.

Emergence of antibiotic resistance

Most GM crops, in addition to the genes that give them the desired properties, contain antibiotic resistance genes as markers. Conventional antibiotics such as ampicillin (infections respiratory tract, sinusitis and urinary tract infections) and kanamycin (tuberculosis, upper and lower respiratory tract infections treatment) are used in food production. There is a danger that they can be transferred to pathogens, which can cause them to become resistant to antibiotics. In this case, traditional methods of treating inflammatory processes with antibiotics will be ineffective.

Resistance to a group of antibiotics that are used to treat lung infections, chlamydia and urinary tract infections in Spain and the Netherlands has reached 82%.

Proven: transgenic corn reduces reproduction

Austrian scientists conducted several long-term experiments that took about 20 weeks. One test showed that mice fed 33% of their diet with GM corn (variety NK 603 x MON 810) produced fewer babies in their third and fourth litters. The weight of the mice also became less. Animals that were fed regular corn, had normal reproductive cycles.

According to study leader Professor Jürgen Zentek, a veterinary specialist at the University of Vienna, the statistical differences between the two groups of animals were significant, and this effect is most likely due to the diet of the mice.

The effects of this variety of GM corn on reproduction were a complete surprise. Previously, all commissions recognized it as absolutely safe, making a catastrophic mistake. Back in 2005, EFSA (European Food Standards Agency) gave the green light to this GM crop. According to the agency's report, "the NK603 x MON810 variant does not have any harmful influence on human and animal health." In light of new data, it is clear how imperfect the system for assessing the safety of GM products adopted by EFSA is.

This type of corn is approved for cultivation and consumption in many countries, including Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. In Russia, as well as in Mexico and the European Union, these varietal lines of GM corn are allowed to be added to food products for both humans and animals. The results of the study once again confirm that no one can guarantee the safety of food products containing GMOs.

In an effort to find a cure for hunger, humanity has invented genetically modified foods. The planet's expanding population is no longer a threat thanks to a unique discovery. Man for the first time took control of the most important function of nature - the process of evolution with the help of GMOs, providing an increasing need for food. But the phenomenon, which significantly increases the production volumes of products, also has back side. The creators of the technology prefer to remain silent about it, while the producers of such food calculate fabulous profits.

What are genetically modified foods and how are they obtained?

Foods with genetically modified ingredients are spreading rapidly around the world. Growing analogues is three to four times cheaper than natural products, and there is no risk of complete or partial loss of the harvest. From the USA and Canada to China - this is the geography of the spread of transgenic crops, which are sown on an area equal to 170 million acres. What lies behind the fantastic development of genetic engineering?

Genetically modified foods are the result of technology that helps change hereditary traits in animals or plants. Receivable the new kind contains altered DNA, combining the code of biological memory of several organisms. Nature does not have such mechanisms, but humanity has found a way to add DNA fragments from one organism to another.

The benefits of genetically modified foods

The discovery of a unique technology (GMO) brought incredible prospects. Man's bright hopes of defeating hunger came true, and few people thought about the risk. Products labeled GMO were not a concern at first because the unique technology helped to significantly increase yields. New properties grafted onto animal organisms and plant crops have provided genetically modified products with resistance to diseases, low temperatures, and insecticides.

New products with GMOs divided the scientific community into two camps, and then the whole world. The debate about the benefits or harm of transgenes does not stop; studies are being conducted one after another. But no one can yet prove with complete certainty what impact and what consequences the cultivation and consumption of genetically modified products entail. Caution in the amount of GMO-labeled goods consumed is what remains for the average consumer who monitors the quality of food and strives for health.

List of food products containing GM ingredients

The research path in search of the truth about the dangers or benefits of genetically modified food is still limited in time. Only two decades have passed since the advent of the unique technology, and this is not enough to accurately formulate conclusions. The emergence of genetic engineering (GMO) can solve a global problem for humanity, covering food needs, but at the same time raising doubts about health safety.

Among the most common concerns are the risk of cancer, food allergies, decreased immunity, and mutations from eating foods. Therefore, while there are no official studies confirming or refuting these statements, you should be careful when choosing products labeled GMO. There are quite a few of them on store shelves, since many contain soy, and half of it is a genetically modified crop.

The following products appear most often on the list of food industry products containing GM ingredients:

• peas,
• potato,
• corn,
• meat,
• dairy products,
• tomatoes,
• rape,
• vegetable oil,
• chicory.

Kit-Kat, Mars, Milky Way, Twix, Snickers chocolates, M&M candies, Corn Flakes, Nesquik drink, Conversation and Lipton teas, Lace and Pringles chips, 7-up soda, Coca-Cola - all these are common products on sale with genetically modified ingredients, which must be labeled with the abbreviation GMO. The extensive list includes Calve and Delmi mayonnaise, Heintz ketchup, Knorr seasonings, Maggi, Delmi margarines, Pyshka - products oversaturated with harmful GMOs.

It is not easy for the average consumer to recognize the origin of products displayed on store shelves. By appearance genetically modified food (products with GMOs) is almost no different from natural food, but there is a secret: if vegetables or cereals look perfect, without a single flaw, then with a high degree of probability you are looking at those same products with GMOs. It is not necessary that manufacturers or sellers mark them with appropriate labels, but odorless vegetables and fruits are a reason to be wary.

Dyes, sweeteners, structuring substances (soybeans, corn) are found in the compositions of different food groups, including confectionery with GMOs. Therefore, delicacies - cakes, cookies, rolls - should be prepared at home, reduce purchases or completely abandon semi-finished products. Try not to buy cheap products, as they may contain genetically modified ingredients, and limit the number of visits to fast food restaurants.

Video: Why are GMOs dangerous for human health?

While some scientists claim that GMO products do not pose a threat to human health, others conduct research in an attempt to prove the opposite. There is an opinion that humanity will learn about the first results of eating transgenic foods in two generations. The time frame is considerable, as is the level of concern, because the technology, which is a unique development of genetic engineering, threatens humanity with complete extinction. You will learn about the dangers of GMO products and how they affect human health from the video below:

The average person will probably tell you that GMO products are harmful and should not be consumed under any pretext. And if you ask him what products containing GMOs are?... most likely, he will say that it is something fake, produced through mutations and so on.

Fortunately or unfortunately, this topic is now widely publicized. There are disputes, rallies are organized... but what are we really dealing with? Let's try to figure it out and discuss this issue together.

The first GMO products appeared in the late 80s.

What does GMO food mean? These are food products that are obtained from genetically modified organisms.

What is a genetically modified organism? This is an organism that has undergone a change in its genotype (the set of genes that characterize an individual individual) artificially.

How to distinguish genetic modification from the usual mutation process? With your focus. Here everything is aimed at artificially (using genetic engineering) making changes precisely in those parts of the genome that are fundamentally important for an individual organism or culture.

The area that is modified is called a transgene and is essentially a fragment of DNA (As a rule, most often of a different species, but they can also be synthesized artificially. And as a result: a tomato that is not afraid of frost was obtained by introducing a fragment of DNA from the North American sea flounder. And in order to produce potatoes that no insect will eat, they added the scorpion gene).

Genetically modified foods: pros and cons

It is clear that such crops/products were created in order to improve the properties of plants or animals. Like this? Well, imagine a huge country that suffers from low yields due to weather conditions. Genetic engineers “work their magic” and now the crop can grow, regardless of weather conditions and pests; it has a clearly defined nutritional value and its yield increases. Everyone is happy.

But let's look at the pros and cons:

"Behind"

People fear that consuming foods that contain GMOs can lead to a number of adverse factors, such as poisoning, allergies, the introduction of a transgene into their own DNA, and so on. Be that as it may, but when we hit our digestive system, the proteins of GMO products are broken down.


Products obtained through genetic modification do not differ from those that change under the influence of natural mutations.


With the advent of GM technologies, the need to use agricultural chemicals has decreased.


Before entering the market, the product goes through thousands of tests and this lasts for more than one year.

"Against"

Foreign protein that comes with GMO foods can indeed cause an allergic reaction, although such cases have not yet been recorded.


The transgene may contain so-called “technological waste” (antibiotic resistance genes).


The other side of the coin: a gene that increases plant resistance to herbicides can accumulate agricultural chemicals.


The bad news is that the true impact on a person and his genome can only be traced generations later.

How to identify GMOs in products?

Naturally, you cannot determine with the naked eye whether there are GMOs in products. And if a product is marked “No GMO”, this does not mean that it is not there. This means that, based on the inspection results, the product passed the test for acceptable content GMOs, or the law was simply circumvented.

What foods contain GMOs?

Knowing some secrets, you will be able to distinguish GMO products from regular ones.

If we are talking about vegetables/fruits, then it’s simple: you will probably be suspicious of potatoes of the same size without the slightest flaws, or strawberries like in the picture, or glossy shining apples the size of a child’s head (to be very generalized).

When you go to the store and scan the shelves, you should pay attention to the following hypothetically possible “representatives” of GMO products:

soy and its variants (milk, flour, beans, etc.)


corn and its derivatives (flour, popcorn, cereal, chips, oil, starch)


potatoes and their forms (chips, semi-finished products, dry mashed potatoes)


tomatoes and everything connected with them (sauces, pastes, ketchups)


sugar beet


carrot


wheat and what is produced with its participation (bread, bakery products)


rice and rice products (flour, cereal, chips)


sunflower oil

An important fact is that genetically modified organisms are found in products containing corn or soy: corn flour, baby food, chocolate and sweets, milk powder, sausages, animal food.

By the way, there are three leading products in terms of GMO content in their composition:

Sausages (about 85% of all boiled sausages and wieners), semi-finished products (chebureks, pancakes, dumplings)


Baby food (up to 70%). And everything would be fine, but even manufacturers are known to abuse GMOs (Danone, Similac, Nestle).


Confectionery, bakery products... well, you already know why. Greenpeace brought it here too clean water manufacturers: Mars, Snickers, Coca-Cola, Pepsi.

Another important nuance. Fighters for truth and justice have found out that GMOs can be hidden behind E-marks, that is, behind E indices (E-322 - soy lecithin, E-101/E-101A - riboflavin, E-150 - caramel, E-415 - xanthan).

You also need to know what GMO components are in the finished products. food products may be disguised as unknown words: soybean oil, vegetable shortening, maltodextrin, glucose/glucose syrup, dextrose, aspartame (or anything that starts with “asp”).

For fast food lovers! It is reliably known that MacDonalds intensively uses transgenic products in its snacks. Bon appetit!

What products are non-GMO?

Using the above information, you can roughly navigate how to approach the choice of food products.

As for vegetables/fruits, let it not be perfect tomato, not a kilogram potato, but quite an earthly crop. If you notice that some living creature has bitten something somewhere, this is a good product. If it has a rich smell, it is most likely natural product. If apples have the property of rotting after a certain period of time, these apples are worth buying.

By the way, buckwheat has not yet succumbed to genetic modification. So you can buy it with confidence.

What does the inscription “There are no GMOs in products” mean? This is when the manufacturer’s product is certified and these certificates are recognized by Europe. Among cereals and flour, such a trademark is “Zhmenka”.

Yes, and finally: non-GMO products are organic products. Have you seen ECO stalls and shops? So - you can start from there. Or grow it yourself. But you need to think about whether the seeds you buy carry a transgene.

Finally

Harm of GMO products: does it exist or not?

How much has the transgene entered our lives?

Each person has his own opinion on this matter, however, let's think: We do not know how much we are all currently exposed to the influence of such products. And if, as some say, “I don’t care anymore. I have lived a life,” then think about the legacy and who will remain after you. What will children be like in three generations?

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