Genetically modified foods have been a hot topic of ongoing debate for the past few years. Opinions are divided, some say that these products pose a great danger to human health, others, on the contrary, argue that the harm of these products has not yet been proven by any research conducted. To eat or not to eat genetically modified foods?

What are genetically modified foods and how are they obtained?
Genetically modified (GMO) or transgenic organisms (plants) are those into whose genetic structure a “target gene” has been introduced from other plant or animal species in order to give them qualitatively new properties useful to humans. For example, to increase the yield of wheat, create a variety that is resistant to drought, to any pests, weeds, to improve the taste of plants, extend their shelf life, etc.

Work on breeding genetically modified plants is carried out in laboratory conditions. To do this, a gene is first isolated from a plant or animal needed for transplantation, and then it is introduced into the cell of the plant whose properties are required to be improved. All genetically modified plants, as a rule, undergo testing for food and biological safety.

There are about 50 plant species in the world produced using the achievements of genetic engineering, including soybeans, rice, eggplants, apples, rye, wheat, cabbage, rapeseed, strawberries, tobacco, cucumbers, corn, and cotton. Directly in Russia, a ban has been imposed on the production of genetically modified plants and, accordingly, products. However, there is no ban on the import of such products from abroad and their sale. The result is a variety of products on the shelves of our stores made from genetically modified plants, for example, soy: protein products for athletes, processed meats, soy milk powder, ice cream, cheese and the like. In addition, there is permission to import one genetically modified variety of potato and two varieties of the same corn.

The benefits of genetically modified products.
Undoubtedly, there are benefits from genetically modified products, and they lie in economic benefits. They help in solving many issues of supplying the population with agricultural products, including in case of famine or drought. The area of ​​arable land used for growing vegetables and grains not only does not correspond to the rate of population growth on the planet, it is also decreasing. Therefore, genetically modified plants and their cultivation can make it possible to increase crop yields several times even in small agricultural areas. In addition, growing genetically modified plants will help to significantly reduce production costs, which will affect the final cost of the product, which will be several times less. For example, a ton of “normal” wheat costs on average about three hundred dollars, and a ton of transgenic wheat costs only fifty dollars. There is a difference? What are the savings? Of course, the production of such plants is beneficial both to the producers themselves (due to low costs) and to the consumers of this “raw material”, from which several times more product can be made than from a “normal” one.

However, despite such positive sides, most biologists say that it is unknown how the consumption of genetically modified foods will affect human health in the future, after several generations, since current research has not yet proven any negative impact. Even, on the contrary, the cultivation of such plants can, over time, make it possible to get rid of various toxic substances (pesticides) used today in large quantities in the production of various agricultural plants. This, in turn, will reduce the number of immune disorders, chronic (allergic) diseases, etc.

Why are genetically modified foods dangerous?
As mentioned above, all genetically engineered plants must undergo safety testing. This is the crux of the problem. Nobody informs the public about the results of such studies. Therefore, a special institute of independent experts is needed that will establish the reliability of all research conducted. The need for such an institute is explained by the fact that many studies of this kind are carried out through the financing of manufacturing companies that benefit from a positive result, because genetically modified products will help not only recoup all costs, but also make huge profits. Therefore, various falsifications of research results arise. We won’t go far for an example. When checking the safety of one of the varieties of modified potatoes, it turned out that eating it can lead to changes in the composition of the blood and internal organs. And, despite this, the variety has been approved and is widely used by people for food. There was always big money more important than health citizens.

Of course, the transgene itself, consumed by people, will not cause visible harm, since it will not be able to penetrate into the gene code of people. However, this gene will wander around the body and stimulate the synthesis of proteins that are not intended by nature for the human body. Therefore, what the result of such a synthesis will be in the future can only be guessed at. Many scientists talk about the possible dangers associated with the consumption of genetically modified products. Among them, food harm can be noted, namely, metabolic disorders, weakened immunity, and the appearance of various harmless allergic reactions. In addition, the result of consuming products containing genetically modified organisms may be a violation of the structure of the gastric mucosa and resistance of the intestinal microflora to antibiotics. It is also possible that health levels may decrease due to the accumulation of herbicides in the body, since genetically modified plants tend to accumulate them. Consumption of genetically engineered products can trigger the development of cancer.

The use of genetically modified plants also causes environmental harm, affecting variety formation. As a rule, one, sometimes two plant varieties are taken to work with genes. Therefore, there is a possibility of extinction of many plant species. Radical ecologists warn that the consumption of genetically modified products undermines the gene pool, which may result in the emergence of mutant genes and their carriers will also be mutants. One way or another, all the fears and warnings regarding the use of genetically modified foods will become clear no earlier than after half a century, when a generation of people eating transgenic food has changed.

What genetically modified products can be found on store shelves?
In most cases, stores stock genetically modified products from soybeans, corn, rapeseed, potatoes, as well as meat, vegetables, fruits, fish and some other products. Genetically modified plants can be part of baby food, sausages, chocolates, margarine, ice cream, vegetable oil, mayonnaise, bakery and confectionery products. These products are taste qualities They are in no way inferior to natural ones, only their cost is much lower. However, manufacturers do not always indicate on the labels of their products that they contain genetically modified organisms or that these products are genetically modified. In our country, the requirements of sanitary and hygienic standards provide for the mandatory presence of information of this kind on the product if the composition of a genetically modified product contains GMOs of 0.9% or more of the total volume of the product. Despite this, such information is not always indicated on products.

To produce products, genetically modified plants and organisms are used as raw materials by such well-known companies as Nestlé (coffee, chocolate, baby food), Hershey's (soft drinks, chocolate), Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola (sweet carbonated drinks), McDonald's, Danone (dairy products, baby food), Similak (baby food) and some others.

Each person decides for himself whether to purchase genetically modified products or not. But still, I would not take risks and consume products whose effects have not yet been studied, especially giving them to children whose bodies have not yet formed. But this is just my opinion. The choice is yours.

Nowadays, we increasingly hear the term GMO, an abbreviation for genetically modified organisms. More often, we're talking about that they are dangerous to our health if we eat foods containing them. Let's try to figure out what it really is.

Why are GMOs needed?

GMOs are organisms that contain artificially introduced foreign genes in their gene code. Sounds scary, doesn't it? For some reason, Frankenstein and his laboratory immediately come to mind. What is the essence of GMOs? Let's take an example of such a common product as potatoes. The scorpion gene is introduced into its gene series, and the result of such actions is potatoes that no insect pests will eat. Or, for example, the northern flounder gene was “added” to tomatoes, which makes them frost-resistant. Why is this necessary? Apparently, in order to provide people with enough food. After all, such vegetables can be grown even in the North, and in addition, they are completely protected from insect attacks.

All these vegetables turn out to be beautifully shaped and do not spoil for a long time. And if in regular rice introduce a gene capable of producing vitamin A, which did not exist before, then you don’t have to buy vitamins at the pharmacy. What happens? Scientists, like wizards, improve the productivity of plants and their useful qualities. If previously it took decades to develop new varieties, today it takes a couple of years. Most often, genetically modified crops are: soybeans, wheat, beets, corn, rapeseed, potatoes, strawberries.

Are GMOs beneficial or harmful?

Probably, everyone, even those who are very far from biology, cannot help but be surprised by the attempts to cross the genes of animals and plants. After all, in nature everything is carefully thought out, and man, by interfering with this scheme, breaks it. If you remember the concept of “food chain” from a school zoology course, then according to it, a herbivore eats grass, a small predator hunts a herbivore, and a large predator eats a small one. And then a person introduces his experiments into the established ecosystem, crossing plants and animals, after which the animals no longer eat these plants. The “food chain” collapses; first, herbivores die out of hunger, followed by predators. Or they mutate, which is also not very good. And it is not possible to make predictions about what will happen in the future. However, this does not stop geneticists who continue to cut and paste.

With the advent of GMOs in our lives, scientists are constantly arguing about what such gene manipulation can lead to. These debates are reminiscent of the UFO controversy, where there are eyewitnesses to their presence, but scientists declare “does not exist.” But ordinary people have no information. The same is true with GMOs. Some say that it is harmful, unnatural and little studied, while others are confident that it is useful and even necessary. And it’s not clear who to believe. But if there are opposing opinions, they are apparently beneficial to someone.

Who can benefit from the production of genetically modified foods? First of all, to those who use this raw material. It is known that a ton of natural wheat costs about three hundred dollars, and a ton of genetically modified wheat costs about fifty dollars. The savings are obvious. But the producers of the product are not at a loss either, because due to the new properties of the crops, they become cheaper, which means they become competitive.

Or another guess. The main property that is instilled with the help of GMOs is resistance to pests. This means that companies producing pest control products will suffer huge losses. This gives rise to the opposite opinion about the dangers of GMOs. It is not clear why scientists, governments and health care in many countries are so passive about this problem. Apparently, they get their jackpot, and people eat THIS and get sick.

The law regulates GMOs.

In European countries, the norm for the content of GMOs in food products has long been determined by law, namely, 0.9% and no more. In Japan this rate is five percent, and in the United States it is ten. Some governments have required manufacturers to label products that contain GMOs. Imported products undergo strict examination and if the GMO content exceeds the norm, their import into the country is prohibited. Despite this, as independent tests show, such products still partially penetrate the market.

In Russia today there is current law, which stipulates the regulations for the import of GMO products into the country. It states that products containing more than 0.9% GMOs must have special labeling. If this law is violated, a fine is imposed on the enterprise, or it is closed by a court decision.

If in Europe the consumer, seeing this marking on the label, decides whether to buy these cheap products or spend money on non-GMO products, then in Russia there is no difference in price between natural and transgenic products.

And this fact is definitely paradoxical: genetically modified products were originally created as food for needy countries in Africa. However, the import of such products was prohibited five years ago. Does this mean anything?

Consequences of eating GMO foods

No one can say unequivocally that GMOs are harmful. More often they are positioned as “potentially dangerous”. This happens because evidence of their health hazard can only be obtained through long and large-scale research, however, no one is doing this. Today we have only theoretical assumptions about the consequences of consuming GMOs.

If a person consumes the transgene, there will be no tangible harm, since GMOs cannot affect the genetic code. But it can travel throughout the body and stimulate protein synthesis. At first glance, there is nothing dangerous, except that these proteins are alien to the human body, and what the result will be is anyone’s guess.

1. Consumption of genetically modified foods can cause severe allergic reactions. In America, for example, where such products are freely consumed, allergies are observed in 70% of people. And in Sweden, where they are prohibited, it is only 7%. Most likely this is not a coincidence.

2. Transgenes disrupt the gastric mucosa and also make the intestinal microflora resistant to antibiotics.

3. It is possible that immunity may be reduced due to the fact that 70% of it is in the intestines. In addition, these products disrupt metabolism.

4. Products containing GMOs can cause oncological diseases. Transgenes are capable of inserting into the gene structure of intestinal microorganisms, leading to mutation, which in turn provokes the development of cancer cells.

It is clear that all of the above are not mandatory consequences of taking GMOs. This is just a possible risk. It will take at least fifty years to determine exactly how GMOs affect the human body. And while we live in the unknown, we should be careful in our food choices. Many scientists believe that food containing GMOs, when compared with products containing preservatives, various flavors and dyes, is completely harmless. And also that if there is a health hazard from GMO products, it is only due to interaction with the intestinal microflora of transgenes.

It is possible to determine whether a particular product contains GMOs only in a laboratory. This is impossible to do visually. Therefore, the consumer should know that forty percent of the products offered in our stores contain GMOs. Most often they are used in the production of sausages - about eighty-five percent. Most genetically modified soybeans are found in sausages, sausages and sausages. boiled sausages. It is also actively used in the production of semi-finished products: dumplings, pancakes, etc. What can I recommend here? Prepare your own dishes from meat purchased at the market, or limit your consumption of sausages.

It’s strange and scary that baby food takes second place on this list. About seventy percent of this product contains GMOs, although not a word is said about this on the label. So, try to do without store-bought baby food. Make your own fruit or vegetable puree from vegetables bought from grandmothers and grown in their own garden. Avoid canned juices; compote can easily replace them.

Confectionery and bakery products hold third place. Genetically modified soybeans are added in large quantities to baked goods and chocolate, sweets and ice cream. Again, it is difficult to determine the GMO content of these products without a laboratory. However, if the bread remains soft for a long time, then it definitely contains transgenes. It is known that eighty percent of the products of American companies contain GMOs, so you should refuse to buy them.

The top three are not everything. A third of the varieties of tea and coffee offered to us contain GMOs. The fast food chain, as well as manufacturers of sauces, condensed milk and ketchup, do not disdain transgenes. If you want to buy canned corn, then it’s better to choose a Hungarian manufacturer, since GMOs are prohibited there.

I would like to talk in more detail about vegetables and fruits. If you buy from those who grow them on their plots, this is good, but this does not provide a 100% guarantee that they are not GMO. They could be contained in seeds. And it is easy to distinguish vegetables and fruits containing transgenes. They do not spoil for a long time and are not eaten by insects. So don't chase the perfect appearance vegetables and fruits, it is better to let them be ugly and “bitten”. Avoid such tricks of geneticists as glossy apples and tomatoes, luxurious strawberries, etc. There are no perfect vegetables in nature. Another distinctive feature of such vegetables and fruits is that if you cut them, they do not release juice and retain their shape. But you can buy buckwheat without fear. They have not yet learned how to spoil its genetic structure.

We have presented arguments for and against GMOs, but whether to consume them or not is your personal choice.

Genetically modified organisms (GMO)- these are organisms in which genetic material was artificially added from other animal organisms to obtain improved characteristics of the original organism (calorie content, resistance to pests, diseases, weather, accelerated maturation, more long-term 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 gene sole. Soybeans and strawberries with bacterial genes. This is probably a big salvation in the face of an ever-growing population and other economic problems.

There are currently studies showing that frequent use GMOs can cause 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 puree, 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.

Such 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.

Update: October 2018

Today, in many countries (including Russia), the concept of GMOs has been turned into almost equivalent to the concepts of “products that cause mutations and tumors.” GMOs are being vilified from all sides and for a variety of reasons: they are unsafe, tasteless, and threaten the country’s food independence. Are these same GMOs really that scary, and what are they really? Let’s try to figure it out.

GMO - deciphering the concept

Genetically modified organisms are living organisms modified by genetic engineering methods. In a narrow sense, the concept applies to plants. Previously, breeders like Michurin had to achieve certain useful (from a human point of view) properties in plants using various tricks: grafting cuttings of one tree onto another or selecting for sowing seeds of plants only with certain qualities, and then wait long and hard for the results that persisted only after a couple of generations of plants. Today you can transfer the right gene to the right place and get what you want.

Thus, GMOs are an acceleration of evolution and directing it in the right direction.

How are GMOs created?

To create a GMO plant, several techniques can be used. Today the most popular method is transgenes. To do this, the desired gene (for example, drought resistance) is isolated from the DNA chain in pure form, and then introduce it into the DNA of the modified plant.

Genes can be taken from related species, and then the process is called cisgenesis. When a gene is taken from species distant to a given organism, they talk about transgenesis.

It is about transgenesis that there are terrible stories. Having learned that there is now wheat with the scorpion gene, many begin to fantasize about whether those who eat it will now grow a tail and claws, and whether poison will appear in their saliva. Numerous illiterate publications on websites and forums where the topic of GMOs is actively discussed add fuel to the fire.

This is not the only thing that “specialists” who have little knowledge of biology and biochemistry scare potential consumers of GMO products.

Products containing GMOs

Today it is agreed that GMO products are everything that is genetically modified organisms or all products that contain components of such organisms. That is, not only genetically modified corn or potatoes will be GMO food, but also sausages, which, in addition to sodium nitrate, toilet paper and liver, will contain GMO soy. But the meat of a cow that was fed GMO wheat will not be a GMO product. And that's why.

Are GMOs built into our cells?

Journalists who have not read any normal physiology and biochemistry, who understand the relevance and relevance of the topic of GMOs, but are too lazy to seriously study the issue, launched a “duck” to the masses that the cells of GMO products, entering our stomach and intestines, are absorbed into the bloodstream and spread throughout the body. organs and tissues where they cause mutations and cancer.

It is with great regret that we have to note that this fantasy plot is untenable. Any food in the stomach and intestines breaks down into its component parts under the influence of gastric juice, pancreatic secretion and intestinal enzymes. And these components are not genes or even proteins, but:

Then, in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract, all this delight is absorbed into the bloodstream and used either for:

• getting energy (sugar)
• or for its reserves (fats)
• or as a building material for human proteins (amino acids)

And if, for example, you take a certain genetically modified organism (say, an ugly apple that looks more like a cucumber), then it will easily be chewed, swallowed and broken down into its component parts in the same way as any other thing that has not undergone genetic modification. Let's give another somewhat strange/creepy example, but which will explain more popularly that genes are not integrated anywhere when assimilated into the gastrointestinal tract: if a crocodile (or cannibal) eats a child with Down syndrome and eats a healthy child, both will be equally absorbed and by no one will not affect the crocodile or cannibal in any way.

Other GMO horror stories

The second, no less chilling story concerns the fact that transgenes are integrated into the human genome and lead to, God knows what, terrible consequences, such as cancer and infertility.

Cancer risk: The French first wrote about cancer in mice fed genetically modified grain in 2012. In fact, the leader of the experiment, Gilles-Eric Séralini (Institute of Biology, University of Caen, France), sampled 200 Sprague-Dawley rats, a third of which were fed genetically modified corn grain, a third on genetically modified corn treated with a herbicide, and a third on regular corn. corn kernels. As a result, those female rats that ate GMOs grew tumors in 80% of cases within two years. Males developed liver and kidney pathologies on such a diet. It is characteristic that a third of the rats on a normal diet also died from tumors of various organs, and in general this line of rats is prone to the spontaneous appearance of tumors, regardless of the nature of the diet. So the purity of the experiment is questionable, and it was considered unscientific and untenable.

Previously, similar research was carried out in 2005 by biologist Ermakova (Russia). She made a report at a conference in Germany on high mortality mice fed genetically modified soybeans. After that, this statement, as confirmed in a scientific experiment, went for a walk through cities and villages, driving young mothers into hysterics, forced to feed their children artificial mixtures, which were simply filled with this GMO soybean. Subsequently, five Nature Biotechnology experts agreed on the ambiguity of the Russian experiment and did not recognize its reliability.

In conclusion of this section, I would like to write that even if some piece of foreign DNA (as some sources write about) gets into the human bloodstream, then in no way this genetic information will be integrated anywhere and will not lead to anything. Yes, in nature there are cases of integration of genome pieces into a foreign one. For example, some bacteria spoil the genetics of flies in this way. But such phenomena have not been described in higher animals. In addition, there is more than enough different genetic information in all other products without any GMOs. And if they are still not integrated into our genetic material, then we can continue to safely eat everything that the body can digest and assimilate.

GMOs: harm or benefit

The American company Monsanto introduced genetically modified cotton and soybeans to the market in 1982. They are also the author of the herbicide Roundup, which kills all vegetation except GMO-modified vegetation.

In 1996, when Monssanto's GMO products were released onto the markets, competing corporations, saving their income, began a large-scale campaign to limit the circulation of products containing GMOs. The first to mark the persecution of GMOs was the British scientist Arpad Pusztai, who fed GMO potatoes to rats. True, later experts tore to smithereens all the scientist’s calculations.

Potential harm from GMO products for Russians

• No one hides the fact that on lands sown with GMO grains, nothing ever grows except themselves. This is due to the fact that herbicide-resistant soybean or cotton varieties are not stained by the herbicide, which can be sprayed in any quantity, causing the total extinction of other vegetation.
• The most common herbicide is glyphosate. In fact, it is sprayed even before the ripening of what goes into food, quickly decomposes in plants and is not stored in the soil. But resistant GMO plants allow you to spray a lot, a lot of it, which increases the risk of its accumulation in GMO vegetation. Glyphosate is also known to cause obesity and bone growth. And in the USA and Latin America there are a lot of overweight people.
• Many GMO seeds are designed for only one planting. That is, what grows out of them will no longer produce offspring. This is more of a commercial ploy, as this increases the sales of GMO seeds. There are excellent GMO plants that give excellent results to the next generations.
• Allergization. Since some artificial genetic mutations (for example, in potatoes or soybeans) can increase its allergenic properties, they say that all GMOs are powerful allergens. But some varieties of peanuts, devoid of their usual proteins, do not cause allergies even in those who previously suffered from it specifically for this product.
• GMO plants can displace other varieties of their species. Due to the nature of pollination, they may reduce the number of other varieties of their species. That is, if two plots nearby are planted with GMO and regular wheat, there is a risk that the GMO will displace the regular one, pollinating it. Who would let her grow up next to her?
• Dependence on companies that hold the seed fund. Having abandoned its own seed funds and switched only to GMO seeds, especially disposable ones, the state will sooner or later become food dependent on the holders of the seed fund of GMO plants.

A response to the aspirations of the people

After repeated replication in all media of tales and horror stories about GMO products, the vector of wide public resonance was directed against the machinations of imperialism, completely denying the possibility of expensive Russians consuming harmful and unsafe products containing GMOs or their traces.

Rospotrebnadzor, meeting the wishes of its compatriots, took part in numerous conferences on this issue. In March 2014, at a conference in Italy, a delegation from Rospotrebnadzor took part in technical consultations on the low content of GMOs in food products and the low content of GMO products themselves in Russian trade turnover. Thus, today a policy has been adopted to almost completely prevent GMO products from entering the Russian food market and the use of GMO plants in agriculture, although in 2013 it was planned to start using GMO seeds (Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of September 23, 2013).

The Ministry of Education and Science went even further and, taking into account people’s aspirations, proposed instead of the “GMO-free” label to use a barcode that would contain all the information about genetic modification of this product or its absence. It's a good start, but it will be impossible to read the barcode without a special device.

CONCLUSION: the GMO problem is clearly overblown, the real consequences of long-term consumption of GMO products are unknown, and no authoritative scientific experiments have been conducted on this issue to date.

For those who are still wary of eating GMO foods, here is a partial list of foods containing GMOs.

Products

Manufacturers using GMOs in their technologies

Chocolate products Hershey's Cadbury Fruit&Nut Mars M&M, Snickers, Twix, Milky Way Cadbury chocolate, cocoa Ferrero Nestle chocolate "Nestlé", "Russia" Chocolate drink Nestle Nesquik Soft drink Sosa-Cola "Coca-Cola" Sosa-Cola Sprite, Fanta, Kinley tonic, Fruittime Pepci-Co Pepsi "7-Up", "Fiesta", "Mountain Dew" Kellogg's breakfast cereals Campbell Soups Uncle Bens Mars Rice Knorr Sauces Lipton tea Parmalat cookies Seasonings, mayonnaise, Hellman's sauces Seasonings, mayonnaise, Heinz sauces Baby food Nestle, Hipp, Abbot Labs Similac Yogurts, kefir, cheese, Denon baby food McDonald's (McDonald's) chain of fast food restaurants Chocolate, chips, coffee, baby food Kraft (Kraft) Ketchups, sauces. Heinz Foods Baby food, Delmi products Unilever (Unilever)

JSC "Nizhny Novgorod Oil and Fat Plant" (mayonnaise "Ryaba", "Vprok", etc.) Bonduel products (Hungary) - beans, corn, green peas CJSC "Baltimore-Neva" (St. Petersburg) - ketchups CJSC "Mikoyanovsky Meat Processing Plant" (Moscow) - pates, minced meat JSC UROP FOOD GB" (Nizhny Novgorod region) - soups "Galina Blanca" 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 "Kampina" (Moscow region) - yoghurts, baby food LLC "MK Gurman" (Novosibirsk) - pates Frito LLC (Moscow region) - Layz chips LLC "Ehrmann" (Moscow region) - yoghurts LLC "Unilever CIS" (Tula) - mayonnaise "Calve" Factory "Bolshevik" (Moscow) - cookies "Yubileinoe" "Nestlé" (Switzerland, Finland) - dry milk mixture "Nestogen", puree "Vegetables with beef"

List of GMO food manufacturers

LLC "Daria - semi-finished products" LLC "Klinsky Meat Processing Plant" MPZ "Tagansky" MPZ "CampoMos" JSC "Viciunai" LLC "MLM-RA" LLC "Talosto-products" LLC "Sausage plant "Bogatyr" LLC "ROS Mari Ltd" Unilever: Lipton (tea) Brooke Bond (tea) "Conversation" (teas) Calve (mayonnaise, ketchup) Rama (oil) "Pyshka" (margarine) "Delmi" (mayonnaise, yogurt, margarine) "Algida" (ice cream) Knorr (seasonings) Manufacturing company Kellog's: Corn Flakes Frosted Flakes (cereals) Rice Krispies (cereals) Corn Pops (cereals) Smacks (cereals) Froot Loops (colored ring flakes) Apple Jacks (apple flavored cereal rings) Afl-bran Apple Cinnamon/ Blueberry (bran with apple, cinnamon, blueberry flavors) Chocolate Chip (chocolate chips) Pop Tarts (filled cookies, all flavors) Nulri grain (toast with filling, all types) Crispix (cookies) All-Bran (cereals) Just Right Fruit & Nut (cereals) Honey Crunch Corn Flakes Raisin Bran Crunch (cereals) Cracklin'Oat Bran (flakes) Manufacturing company Mars: M&M'S Snickers Milky Way Nestle Crunch (chocolate rice cereal) Milk Chocolate Nestle (chocolate) Nesquik (chocolate drink) Cadbury (Cadbury/Hershey's) Fruit & Nut

Manufacturing company Nestle: Nescafe (coffee and milk) Maggi (soups, broths, mayonnaise, Nestle (chocolate) Nestea (tea) Neseiulk (cocoa) Manufacturing company Hershey's: 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) Manufacturing company Heinz: 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 manufacturing company - Lay / PepsiCo: (GM ingredients may be present in oil and other ingredients) Lays Potato Chips (all) Cheetos (all) Manufacturing company Cadbury/Schweppes: Dr. Pepper Pringles manufacturer Procter&Gamble: Pringles (chips in 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 is for export to other developed countries
• the third - for export to developing countries

The third category includes about 80% of food products, drinks, and tobacco products exported from the USA and Western European 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 titles food additives are not approved for use in Russia due to the incompleteness of the test package. Listing them would take too much space.

Let us name only the definitively prohibited and absolutely harmful preservatives and emulsifiers for humans:

Finally, I would like to name some dangerous preservatives and emulsifiers that can negatively affect your health. As a rule, labeling with their name is provided on product packaging.

• E121 - citrus red dye
• E123 - red amaranth
• E240 - preservative formaldehyde
• suspicious: E-104, E-122, E-141, E-150, E-171, E-173, E-180, E-241, E-477
• prohibited: E-103, E-105, E-111, E-125, E-126, E-130, E-152
• dangerous: E-102, E-110, E-120, E-124, E-127
• contribute to the development of oncology: E-131, E-142, E-210, E-211, E-212, E-213, E-215, E-216, G: 217, E-240, E-330
• harmful to skin: E-230, E-231, E-232, E-238
• contribute to the occurrence of rash: E-311, E-312 and E-313
• cause intestinal disorders: E-221, E-222, E-223, E-224 and E-226
• stomach upset: E-322, E-338, E-339, E-340, E-311, E-407, E-450, E-461, E-462, E-463, E-465, E-466
• increase pressure: E-250 and E-251
• increase cholesterol: E-320 and E-321

Genetically modified organism (GMO) - an organism whose genotype was artificially changed using genetic engineering methods. This definition can be applied to plants, animals and microorganisms. The WHO gives a narrower definition: “Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) whose genetic material (DNA) has been changed in a way that would not be possible in nature through reproduction or natural recombination." . Genetic changes are usually made for scientific or economic purposes. Genetic modification is distinguished by a purposeful change in the genotype of an organism, in contrast to the random one characteristic of the natural and artificial mutation process.

The main type of genetic modification currently is the use of transgenes to create transgenic organisms.

In agriculture and Food Industry GMOs refer only to organisms modified by the introduction of one or more transgenes into their genome.

Experts have obtained scientific evidence that there is no increased danger in products made from genetically modified organisms as such compared to traditional products.

Encyclopedic YouTube

1 / 5

✪ GMO MUTANTS BIOROBOTS are already a reality. The X-Men are not fiction. Miracles of genetics and genetic engineering

✪ SHOCK! GMO PEOPLE! THE CHINESE STARTED GROWING GMO PEOPLE, PPC

✪ Genetically modified organisms

✪ GMOs (biologist Alexander Panchin tells)

✪ What is GMO?

Subtitles

It’s no longer a secret that professional sports are competitions not of people but of farm technologies. In 2008, the Chinese took over the hosting of the Olympic Games and promised to demonstrate a sports miracle, and they succeeded. Having previously taken third and fourth place in the national team competition in 2008, they not only became first overtook the closest competitor, the US national team, you are short and frail by nature, the Chinese got one of the tallest basketball teams in the world and one of the strongest weight lifting teams, they began to swim and run well, which was not very noticeable for them before, this is not just an increase in results, this is an explosion what kind of explosive is this that ensured such acceleration back in 2006, 200,000 doping tests were made in the world and turned out to be positive, only about two percent does this mean that the remaining ninety-eight percent of athletes certainly do not use any artificial drugs or methods, maybe it’s the matter the fact that some are worn and some have not yet learned to identify and maybe gene doping has long been a conspiracy rumor all over the world, scientists are working to literally rewrite our genetic code through genetic modification and gene editing to illustrate the possibility of interfering with the human code in that Among other things, for sporting purposes, we present open data on the crispr cas9 system. This is a revolutionary method of genome editing that can modify any region of the genome of any species with high accuracy and without damaging other genes. What can you do with crispr cas9? remove unwanted genes add new ones activate dead genes that are larger do not function to control the activity of genes and this is only the information that is in the public domain, it is naive to assume that such work has not been and is not being carried out in the secret military, and back in 2016, Bashar Jeffrey, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Syria, made a shocking statement that the U.S. even our series are using genetically modified soldiers in Syria, such organizations as darpa management of promising research projects The US Ministry of Defense is already beginning to gradually prepare the world for the perception of a new reality. As part of this campaign, darpa, despite the secrecy, invited the science fiction writer Simon Kanva to its laboratory and showed some of its achievements, allowing it to be written about what it saw, as it turned out, before the army from genetically modified people It’s very close, so darpa presented a grant of $40 million to the University of California and Pennsylvania for the development of implants that control memory. The Institute for Preclinical Research at the University of Texas is working on a darpa program on means of survival with significant blood loss. There are many institutes and universities and biological laboratories in the United States, and each one is working in the area allocated to her, some laboratories are working on enzyme complexes that help to survive at low temperatures, others are working on strengthening the skeleton and recruiting muscle mass We see distant echoes of such research in the results of laboratories that are completely open to the public and breed unusually muscular mice or dogs; this work began back in the 90s, 20 years ago, and this is absolutely open, and the research that is written about in scientific journals is what results the military has achieved on their closed facilities for such a long time and having unlimited funding, one can only guess on the eve of massive Russian air raids on terrorist positions, there were always many reports that American helicopters were arriving at the bases of militants controlled by them and taking out terrorist leaders, but where did such concern come from about a couple of bearded men? militants for the sake of which a ton of kerosene and the engine life of an innova helicopter are spent; this does not look like rescuing terrorist leaders, but rather rescuing valuable experimental material from a secret genetically modified organism. Quite recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke out on the topic of genetic modifications, explaining that this kind of experiment is worse than an atomic bomb, that they should either it should be strictly controlled or should be prohibited altogether; a person acquires the ability to interfere with the genetic code created either by nature or people with religious views say by God practically what consequences can come from this, this means that it is already possible to imagine it even not very theoretically; it is already possible to practically imagine that a person can create a person with given characteristics, it can be a brilliant mathematician, it can be a brilliant musician, but it can also be a military man who can fight without fear and without a feeling of compassion, regret and without pain, and that is, you understand, humanity can join and most likely will join the next time is a very difficult and very responsible period in the development of its existence, and that’s what I also said, it can be worse than a nuclear bomb when we do something and no matter what we do, I want to repeat this again, we must never forget about the moral and ethical foundations, obviously that Putin, in his own words, hinted at secret genetic experiments of the United States, one can assume how in the near future a new philosophy will be promoted; synthetically modified genes are honestly gene doping; this is what eliminates the injustice committed by nature; nature is cruel; it rewards some generously and deprives others; the deprived have no chance of becoming the first under no conditions, under any desire, under any training, the only thing that can help them is the mind of doctors of medicine and the scientific progress of a society where gene doping is widespread, consists of millions of mutants, non-mutants will have a place in such a society, less and less people of the old style will be doomed to extinction because they will not be able to compete super taxi drivers with phenomenal reactions super loaders working two shifts at a high pace super soldiers who know no fear and pain a brave new world maybe it seems to you that all this is fantasy that has nothing to do with reality, we’ll see, the wait won’t be long in the end, the future to one degree or another depends on each of us, yes, in the United States they allowed the creation of genetically modified people in this matter, the science of these but their heads collide, the balance may be preserved, but it all depends on how far the scientist will go, well, let's figure out what they can give a green light for The light of the US Academy of Sciences and Medicine presented a report on lifting the ban on the creation in the future of people with an edited genome, but with the caveat that only the correction of mutations leading to the occurrence of severe hereditary diseases is allowed; we are not talking about improving human traits and the ability to fear falling behind competitors too high on the main competitors in this matter are China and India, their views on genetics are different, after all, if you forget for a second about ethical objections, intrusion into genetics can give a colossal advantage even at the level of entire countries, so the slightest increase in the level of intelligence through gene editing can have a huge impact on growth science, and sports, imagine what advantages there are, scientists say that with the help of genetics you can even suppress the tendency to violence, this will reduce the crime rate in general if we are talking about some people, call them super people, who maybe there are some other natural ways to improve people, but the most striking example of the so-called positive eugenics concept in Singapore was developed by the Prime Minister of Singapore; this is such a culling of unwanted people; local sociologists noticed that many educated women do not start a family and do not give birth to children; men take poor Malay Indian women as wives under the patronage of the state; they created two marriage agencies which were essentially engaged in pimping people with a high level of intelligence and good health at the expense of the state, cruises were organized, specially built

Purposes of creating GMOs

The use of both individual genes from different species and their combinations in the creation of new transgenic varieties and lines is part of the FAO strategy for the characterization, conservation and use of genetic resources in agriculture and food processing.

A 2012 study (based also on reports from seed companies) of the use of transgenic soybeans, corn, cotton and canola from 1996 to 2011 found that herbicide-tolerant crops were cheaper to grow and, in some cases, more productive. Crops containing the insecticide produced greater yields, especially in developing countries where previously used pesticides were ineffective. Also, insect-resistant crops were found to be cheaper to grow in developed countries. , according to a meta-analysis conducted in 2014, the yield of GMO crops due to the reduction in losses from pests is 21.6% higher than that of non-modified crops, while the consumption of pesticides is lower by 36.9%, the cost of pesticides is reduced by 39, 2%, and the income of agricultural producers increases by 68.2%.

Methods for creating GMOs

The main stages of creating GMOs:

1. Obtaining an isolated gene.

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. This apparatus synthesizes DNA segments up to 100-120 nitrogen bases in length (oligonucleotides).

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.

Application

In research

Currently, genetically modified organisms are widely used in fundamental and applied scientific research. With the help of genetically modified organisms, the patterns of development of certain diseases (Alzheimer's disease, cancer), the processes of aging and regeneration are studied, the functioning of the nervous system is studied, and a number of other pressing problems of biology and modern medicine are solved.

In medicine and pharmaceutical industry

Genetically modified organisms have been used in applied medicine since 1982. This year, genetically engineered human insulin, produced using genetically modified bacteria, was registered as a medicine. Currently, the pharmaceutical industry produces a large number of medicines based on recombinant human proteins: such proteins are produced by genetically modified microorganisms or genetically modified animal cell lines. Genetic modification in this case means that a human protein gene is introduced into the cell (for example, the insulin gene, the interferon gene, the beta-follitropin gene). This technology makes it possible to isolate proteins not from donor blood, but from GM organisms, which reduces the risk of drug contamination and increases the purity of the isolated proteins. Work is underway to create genetically modified plants that produce components of vaccines and medicines against dangerous infections (plague, HIV). On the stage clinical trials contains proinsulin, obtained from genetically modified safflower. A drug against thrombosis based on protein from the milk of transgenic goats has been successfully tested and approved for use.

In agriculture

Genetic engineering is used to create new plant varieties that are resistant to unfavorable environmental conditions and pests and have better growth and taste qualities.

Genetically modified varieties of forest species with a significant cellulose content in wood and rapid growth are being tested.

However, some companies place restrictions on the use of genetically modified seeds they sell, prohibiting the sowing of self-made seeds. This is achieved through legal restrictions such as contracts, patents or seed licensing. Also, for such restrictions, restrictive technologies were at one time being developed (English) Russian(GURT), which were never used in commercially available GM lines. . GURT technologies either make grown seeds sterile (V-GURT) or require special chemicals to develop the modified property (T-GURT). It is worth noting that F1 hybrids are widely used in agriculture, which, like GMO varieties, require the annual purchase of seed material. Some products contain a gene that makes pollen sterile, for example the barnase gene obtained from the bacterium en:Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

Since 1996, when the cultivation of GM crops began, the area occupied by GM crops has grown to 175 million hectares in 2013 (more than 11% of all global cultivated areas). Such plants are grown in 27 countries, especially widely - in the USA, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, India, China, while since 2012, the production of GM varieties in developing countries has exceeded production in industrialized countries. Of the 18 million farmers growing GM crops, more than 90% are small farms in developing countries.

As of 2013, 36 countries that regulate the use of GM crops issued 2,833 permits for the use of such crops, of which 1,321 were for food consumption and 918 for livestock feed. A total of 27 GM crops (336 varieties) are allowed on the market; the main crops are: soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, and potatoes. Of the GM crops used, the vast majority of areas are occupied by crops that are resistant to herbicides, insect pests, or crops with a combination of these properties.

In animal husbandry

Gene editing has been used to create pigs that are potentially resistant to African swine fever. Changing five “letters” in the DNA code of the RELA gene in farmed animals has produced a variant of the gene that supposedly protects their wild relatives, warthogs and bush pigs, from the disease.

Other directions

Genetically modified bacteria are being developed that can produce environmentally friendly fuel.

In 2003, GloFish appeared on the market - the first genetically modified organism created for aesthetic purposes, and the first pet of its kind. Thanks to genetic engineering, the popular aquarium fish Danio rerio has received several bright fluorescent colors.

In 2009, the GM variety of rose “Applause” with flowers went on sale of blue color. Thus, the centuries-old dream of breeders who unsuccessfully tried to breed “blue roses” came true.

Safety

Recombinant DNA technology, which appeared in the early 1970s, opened up the possibility of producing organisms containing foreign genes (genetically modified organisms). This caused public concern and started a debate about the safety of such manipulations.

When asked about the safety of products made from genetically modified organisms, the World Health Organization responds that it is impossible to make general statements about the danger or safety of such products, but that a separate assessment is necessary in each case, since different genetically modified organisms contain different genes. WHO also believes that GM products available on the international market have undergone safety tests and have been consumed by populations of entire countries without observed effects, and accordingly are unlikely to pose a health hazard.

Currently, experts have obtained scientific data indicating that there is no increased danger of products from genetically modified organisms in comparison with products obtained from organisms bred by traditional methods [ ] . As noted in the 2010 report of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Science and Information:

The main conclusion emerging from the efforts of more than 130 research projects, spanning 25 years of research and involving more than 500 independent research groups, is that biotechnology and, in particular, GMOs as such are no more dangerous than, e.g. , traditional technologies plant breeding

However, some scientists have raised concerns about the lack of long-term studies (2 years or more), the observed effects in some cases, and the possible shortcomings of existing tests.

Use of herbicide-resistant crops in combination with herbicides wide range negatively affects the biodiversity of wild plants, the fauna of agricultural lands, and also reduces the rotation of crops necessary to increase land fertility and reduce pathogen load.

Regulation

In some countries, the creation, production, and use of products using GMOs are subject to government regulation. Including in Russia, where several types of transgenic products have been studied and approved for use.

Until 2014, in Russia GMOs could only be grown in experimental plots; the import of certain varieties (not seeds) of corn, potatoes, soybeans, rice and sugar beets (22 plant lines in total) was allowed. On July 1, 2014, Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated September 23, 2013 No. 839 “On state registration of genetically engineered modified organisms intended for release into environment, as well as products obtained using such organisms or containing such organisms." On June 16, 2014, the Government of the Russian Federation adopted Resolution No. 548 on postponing the entry into force of Resolution No. 839 by 3 years, that is, to July 1, 2017.

In February 2015, a bill banning the cultivation of GMOs in Russia was submitted to the State Duma, which was adopted in the first reading in April 2015. The ban does not apply to the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for examinations and research work. According to the bill, the government will be able to ban the import of genetically modified organisms and products into Russia based on the results of monitoring their impact on humans and the environment. Importers of genetically modified organisms and products will be required to undergo registration procedures. For the use of GMOs in violation of the permitted type and conditions of use, administrative liability is provided: it is proposed to set a fine for officials in the amount of 10 thousand to 50 thousand rubles; for legal entities - from 100 to 500 thousand rubles.

List of GMOs approved for use in Russia, including as food by the population:

Public opinion

Public opinion polls show that the public as a whole is not very aware of the basics of biotechnology. Most people believe statements like: Regular tomatoes do not contain genes, unlike transgenic tomatoes.

According to molecular biologist Anne Glover, opponents of GMOs suffer from a “form of mental insanity.” A. Glover's expressions led to her resignation from her post as chief scientific adviser to the Council of Europe.

In 2016, more than 120 Nobel laureates (including doctors and biologists) signed a letter calling on Greenpeace, the United Nations and governments around the world to stop fighting genetically modified organisms.

GMOs and religion

According to the Orthodox Jewish Union, genetic modifications do not affect the kosher quality of a product.

see also

Notes

1. WHO |  Frequently asked questions about genetically modified foods (undefined)
2. . www.who.int. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
3. genetically modified organism 
4. Rome, 2001, FAO, ISSN 1020-0541
5. European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation;  Directorate E - Biotechnologies, Agriculture, Food;  Unit E2 - Biotechnologies (2010) p.16 What is agricultural biotechnology? 
6. // The state of food and agriculture 2003-2004: The state of food and agriculture 2003-2004. 
7. Agricultural Biotechnology.  FAO Agriculture Series No. 35. (2004). 9 Leshchinskaya I.B. Genetic engineering.
8. (Russian)
9. (1996). Retrieved September 4, 2009. Archived January 21, 2012.
10. Brookes G, Barfoot P. The global income and production effects of genetically modified (GM) crops 1996-2011. GM Crops Food. 
11. 2012 Oct-Dec;3(4):265-72.
12. Klümper, Wilhelm; Qaim, Matin (2014). “A Meta-Analysis of the Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops.”
13. Cisd2 deficiency drives premature aging and causes mitochondria-mediated defects in mice//Genes & Dev. 2009. 23: 1183-1194
14. Insulin soluble [human genetically engineered (Insulin soluble): instructions, use and formula]
15. History of the development of biotechnology Unit E2 - Biotechnologies (2010) p.16 (unavailable link). Retrieved September 4, 2009. Archived July 12, 2007.
16. Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala. UCF professor develops vaccine to protect against black plague bioterror attack(English) (30 July 2008). Retrieved October 3, 2009. Archived January 21, 2012.
17. Obtaining an anti-HIV drug from plants Unit E2 - Biotechnologies (2010) p.16(April 1, 2009, 12:35). Retrieved September 4, 2009. Archived January 21, 2012.
18. Insulin from plants is being tested in humans Unit E2 - Biotechnologies (2010) p.16 (inaccessible link - story) . MEMBRANA (January 12, 2009). Retrieved September 4, 2009.
19. Irina Vlasova. American patients will receive a goat Unit E2 - Biotechnologies (2010) p.16 (unavailable link)(11 February 2009, 16:22). Retrieved September 4, 2009. Archived April 6, 2009.
20. Matt Ridley. Genome: The Autobiography of a Species In 23 Chapters.HarperCollins, 2000, 352 pages
21. The Mission Impossible of Genetic Redesign For Longevity
22. Elements - science news: Transgenic cotton helped Chinese peasants defeat a dangerous pest
23. And Russia is overgrown with transgenic birches… | 
24. Science and technology | 
25. Science and technology Russia
26. Monsanto Seed Saving and Legal Activities
27. Caleb Garling (San Francisco Chronicle), Monsanto seed suit and software patents // SFGate, February 23, 2013: “company’s genetically modified and pesticide-resistant seeds, which are patent-protected. .. Monsanto uses a similar strategy with its seeds. Farmers license their use; technically, they don’t buy them.”
28. Are GM plants fertile, or farmers have to buy new seeds every year? // EuropaBio: "All GM plants commercialized are as fertile as their conventional counterparts."