Have you ever heard of genetically modified food?

In our daily lives, we are still using a lot of genetically modified foods. So how many genetically modified foods can you recognize when you go to the market? Let's explore and differentiate these types of foods with Soumaki through the article below.

What is genetically modified food (GMO)?

Genetically modified food (commonly known as GMO) refers to food that has been altered by humans.

1. What is genetic modification?

Genetic modification is a scientific achievement that dates back to the early 1980s, rather than a recent development. In this technique, genes can be cut, spliced, added, or removed from an organism to create a new species.

For example: the genes of a pest-resistant rice variety can be spliced into a high-yielding rice variety, resulting in "super-strong" rice that is resistant to pests and diseases and can be harvested year-round.

Sounds fascinating, right? However, this method also raises controversies regarding its impact on the environment and human health.

If you're interested, watch the documentary Food Evolution. This film provides an objective perspective and describes the challenges and importance of our decision to choose which type of food to sustain ourselves and the global population in a safe, nutritious, and sustainable way.

2. How are GMO foods being consumed?

According to the report from ISAAA, the area of genetically modified crops has increased 110 times in 21 years. Genetically modified food is also rapidly developing to provide enough food for the world's population.

Crops such as rice, corn, soybeans, tomatoes, potatoes, cotton, and oilseeds have been genetically modified to enhance yield and resistance to pests and diseases. Some animal species such as sea fish, catfish, chickens, pigs, and cattle have also been genetically modified to improve growth and disease resistance.

It is noteworthy that consumers, distributors, supermarkets, and markets have little understanding of GMOs. In light of this situation:

• For consumers: knowledge dissemination and information sharing for smart consumption.

• For manufacturers: disclosure of ingredient sources to provide consumers with more appropriate choices.

According to the USDA report, as of October 2020, Vietnam had issued 45 certificates of approval for genetically modified food/feed products, including corn, soybeans, rapeseed, sugar beets, potatoes, rice, linseed, and cotton.

Since the beginning of 2016, the regulation requiring mandatory labeling in Vietnamese stating "genetically modified" has been applied (for foods with at least 1 genetically modified component > 5%).

However, the limitation is that this regulation only applies to a few types of packaged foods. It is difficult to determine the classification of fresh, dried, frozen foods, and animal feed.

Genetically modified foods

GMOs have become increasingly common in our food supply. The following are some commonly encountered GMOs:

For more detailed information on each type of genetically modified crop, you can refer to the GMO Crop List provided by ISAAA.

Advantages and disadvantages of GMO foods

Genetically modified foods have their own advantages and disadvantages, as follows:

1. Advantages

1.1. Meeting the enormous global food demand:

GMO foods have been researched and selected from beneficial genes (such as high yield, meat production, etc.). Therefore, they provide an abundant food supply, meeting the current explosive demand for food.

1.2. Pest and disease resistance

GMO crops have been genetically engineered with genes that have the ability to resist harmful diseases/pests. This reduces the use of plant protection chemicals and growth stimulants during the development process, thereby enhancing productivity and harvest speed.

1.3. Drought tolerance

Genetically modified crops can withstand adverse climate conditions such as drought, salinity, soil pollution, etc.

1.4. Improved food quality

Genetically modified foods are often filtered to produce products that are more nutrient-rich. Furthermore, GMOs are less allergenic compared to conventional foods.

1.5. Resource conservation

GMO foods can increase adaptability to different climates. They are easy to grow, helping conserve water, land, and energy resources in agricultural production. Cultivating GMO crops reduces environmental pressure by avoiding deforestation for expanding agricultural land.

2. Disadvantages

There are 4 negative impacts of GMOs on health, economy, and the environment:

2.1. Genetic pollution

When genetically modified crops are grown in proximity to natural crops, their pollen can be carried by wind or insects to cross-pollinate with other natural plant species, resulting in new mutations. This accelerates the mutation rate of organisms and poses potential risks to biodiversity.

2.2. Environmental contamination

GMO varieties with high yields ensure global food supply. However, the more abundant the food supply, the more it leads to excess and waste.

According to the FAO, approximately 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted worldwide each year. This amount could feed the entire population of Africa, Europe, and the Americas for a year. Every year, about 8.8 million tons of food is wasted in Vietnam, placing the country second in the region in terms of food waste (according to VTV).

Therefore, the problem here is not about ensuring sufficient food supply, but rather individuals and communities need to reconsider their own consumption patterns and how they address food waste in their daily meals.

Read more: Facing the challenge of food pollution: Secrets to a healthy lifestyle

2.3. Risks to human health

Some studies have shown that genetically modified foods can pose risks to human health, including impacts on the digestive, immune, cancer, and genetic systems. However, there is still no definitive research linking specific diseases to GMOs.

Similarly, the conclusions about the safety of GMOs are not yet firmly established, as there have been no large-scale long-term studies yielding accurate results.

What we do know is that the rate of genetic mutation in animals, plants, and humans is rapidly increasing. Pathogens and viruses are becoming stronger, while the resistance of modern humans is gradually declining. Daily food consumption significantly affects the immune system. Therefore, caution is advised.

2.4. Farmer dependence

GMO seeds have the characteristic of being sterile or degenerating over several generations and are protected by intellectual property rights. Therefore, if farmers want to grow GMO crops, they have to purchase seeds from foreign biotech companies.

Furthermore, the price of GMO seeds is often 2-3 times higher than conventional seeds. Additionally, separate herbicides specific to GMO varieties need to be purchased for cultivation. Farmers are either dependent on GMO seed companies or are on the edge of intense competition with GMO foods.

Conclusion

To date, studies have stated that there is no sufficient evidence to confirm whether genetically modified foods have negative impacts on human health or not. Therefore, the choice to use or not to use GMOs entirely depends on individuals, as well as their attitudes toward this type of food.