Food Biotechnology Series: What’s the Truth About GMO (Part 2)

I’ve covered the safety of food produced with biotechnology, but what about the benefits to families?

Here are some real questions from customers:

  • Should I be concerned about foods produced with biotechnology?
  • Should I be feeding this type of food to my family?
  • Is there any benefit to foods produced with biotechnology?

When we are so unfamiliar with something, it can create fear.  It’s just like avoiding going to the doctor, because we don’t know what to expect or know enough about our health so we get fearful and avoid it all together.  But that isn’t the way to deal with life.  Knowledge is power, truth is even more powerful.

I can’t help but think about an opportunity I had this past July to visit The World Food Prize Museum, a place I hadn’t even heard about until I had the opportunity to visit courtesy of The Soyfoods Council.  The World Food Prize emphasizes the importance of a nutritious and sustainable food supply for all and recognizes the achievements of people who have advanced the quality, quantity or availability of the food supply.  This year’s World Food Prize is awarded to a group of individuals who founded, developed and applied food biotechnology and for good reason.

World Food Prize

Is there cause for concern if foods on our tables are produced with biotechnology?  Not if you have a problem with improved nutrition, safety of our food, or enhanced quality of our food.  The goal of food produced with biotechnology is to keep our food supply consistently safe, affordable and available for all.

For example, in the 1990’s, the Hawaiian papaya crop was nearly devastated by the papaya ringspot virus, which would have eliminated the only U.S. supply of the fruit.  Other approaches to control the virus failed, however, biotechnology saved the crop with the development of virus-resistant papaya.

We all want food that tastes good and stays fresh, right?  Would you buy an apple that keeps its original color longer and doesn’t brown as fast?  How about tomatoes that taste like they are freshly picked from the garden in the middle of January?  Taste rules our purchasing habits.  If I can buy something that I know will taste good and be fresh, I will be happy to purchase that for my family.  Nothing erks me more when I spend money on food and end up throwing it away because it doesn’t taste good or isn’t as fresh as I thought.

Currently, researchers have developed apples and potatoes that keep their original color longer after slicing and they stay crisp longer.  The gene that is responsible for browning is simply silenced.  Neither of these are on the market yet for sale.  But would you buy them for your family?

Is technology ok for apple but not for apples

What about foods that contain a higher amount of better-for-you healthy fats that support brain and heart health?  With all the research available on the benefit of omega-3 fats, most of us are still deficient.  So food biotechnology is being used to develop soybean and canola oils that are higher in omega-3s.  This would be a great alternative to many people to enhance health.

Julia Child Quote

According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, foods produced with biotechnology are the most extensively tested crops ever added to our food supply.  Extensive research has been performed and every major international science organization agrees that foods produced with biotechnology are safe or safer than their conventional or organic counterparts.  A recent review of 1,783 studies about the safety and environmental impacts of foods produced with biotechnology delivered the following: Not a single credible example demonstrating that foods produced with biotechnology pose any harm to humans or animals.  Learn more: “2000+ Reasons Why GMOs are Safe to Eat and Environmentally Sustainable”.

Currently, the only foods available on the market that are produced with biotechnology are:

Where can you find food biotechnology

As a health professional, I am committed to providing truthful, science-based information.  It’s not just what my opinions are.  I care about my family of course, but I also deeply care about you and your family receiving the most accurate information regarding food and nutrition.  That is why I am writing this food biotechnology series and doing the research for you.

Next up in the food biotechnology series: Sustainability and Farmers.  Stay tuned and leave your questions in the comments below.

Related articles

4 Comments

  1. Carolyn Suerth Hudson on October 18, 2013 at 7:57 am

    Thanks Jen for a well written post! I totally agree.
    Carolyn

  2. […] In part one of my blog series, I covered the safety of foods produced with food biotechnology and part two covered benefits of food biotechnology for families.  Part three of the series today will focus on the aspect of farming and […]

  3. Farmer’s Right to Choose Ag Biotech | BIOtechNow on November 13, 2013 at 4:32 pm

    […] Additionally, Jen remarkably highlights the benefits of GMOs for families, while delicately addressing consumer apprehension, in her blog, Food Biotechnology Series: What’s the Truth About GMO (Part 2). […]

  4. […] Additionally, Jen remarkably highlights the benefits of GMOs for families, while delicately addressing consumer apprehension, in her blog, Food Biotechnology Series: What’s the Truth About GMO (Part 2). […]

Leave a Comment





Similar Posts