Genetically Altered Food

Essay by Clay_TaylorCollege, UndergraduateB, February 1997

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It is quite evident that as technology advances m the scientific sense, we as Americans are becoming more interested. One of the conflicts that have raised concern here lately is that on genetically altered foods. By no surprise, one of the major questions of many is whether or not these foods are safe. As altered foods continue to be produced, we will begin to see much

controversy. As the growing industry expands, soils the research, not only nationally, but also

internationally.

This topic has proven to be an environmental issue, particularly by the money that has been involved, as well as the concern for ones health. To the knowledge of most, the United States can

be very manipulative or should I say persuading, so therefore it doesn't take much on their part to

convince the regulators that the crops are safe. Those who protest have debated on a

list of concerns dealing with this issue.

For example, one of which brings a question to the

environmental policies. It states that Stimulating the resistance of cslve use or such herbicides (Nature 559). '

A lot of concern has come from one certain crop and that is maize, which was altered to an extent. The development was done by a company known to be Swiss, called 'Ciba-Geiby'. That which was debated dealt with the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) stating that 'A gene resistant to the antibiotic ampicillin used in an early stage of the developmental process, could theoretically be passed to man via bacteria lodged in the gut of animals which eat the maize unprocessed (559)'. In response to this attack, the company said that there would need to be a great amount of events that would have to take place. The transferring of DNA to the bacteria...