An interesting article i've found on the net

Playing with our food: get the latest on genetically modified organisms and learn how they may harm the body, not to mention the earth

Insect-killing genes from bacteria in your mashed potatoes? Fish genes in your ketchup? It's all possible in the weird-science world of genetic engineering. Proponents say it's a surefire way to increase crop protection and yield, but some studies have suggested scary health effects, including increased allergic reactions and possible organ damage. While no one knows the long-term effects of genetic engineering on humans and the environment, the potential dangers are staggering.


"You have to consider a broad range of possible harmful effects, including creating unknown allergens and increasing natural toxins in food," says Margaret Mellon, PhD, director of the food and environment program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "With genetic engineering, you're operating in a different, unknown world with different risks. And because organisms are highly complex and dynamic, you can't predict what the end result will be."


In genetic engineering, the genes and DNA--the building blocks of organisms--are manipulated, creating a genetically modified organism (GMO) that would never occur in nature. Genes from bacteria, viruses, animals and even humans have been inserted into plants like soybeans, corn, canola, cotton and rice. The process allows the exchange of information between completely unrelated species--say, from fish to fruits, or insects to grains--and was originally intended to increase crop protection and yield. One example: An "antifreeze" gene that allows flounder to survive in very cold water can be inserted into tomatoes to boost their tolerance to frost. Or insect-killing genes from bacteria may be inserted into corn or potatoes to increase their defenses against pests.


But the practice of shuffling genes between species raises plenty of scary possibilities. In 1998, Arpad Pusztai, a researcher at Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland, performed the first study analyzing the effect of genetically engineered (GE) food on mammals. The results: an unmarketed version of GE potatoes caused intestinal inflammation in rats. Further, it appeared that the actual process of genetically altering an organism--not just the toxins created--led to the organ damage.


"There is mounting evidence that GE foods damage animal health and human health," says Ronnie Cummins, national director of the Organic Consumers Association. "It's a risk we just don't need to be taking." Other potential hazards of shuffling genes between species:


1. Creating allergenic foods. Genetically altering a food creates new proteins that may be allergenic. A recent study found that moving a gene from a bean, which is not an allergen, to a pea, created an allergenic plant. "Even under normal circumstances, eating unaltered food, it's hard enough to track down an allergen," Mellon says. "Genetic engineering makes it nearly impossible."


2. Increasing toxins in plants. Most plants produce natural toxins at low levels, as part of their defense mechanisms against pests. Genetic engineering can affect the metabolism of the plant, causing it to kick up production of these naturally occurring toxins to possibly harmful levels. For example, canola contains glucosinolates that, in high quantities, can impair metabolism and lead to goiter, and high levels of naturally occurring lectins in soybeans can cause intestinal inflammation.


3. Gene transfer. There is a theoretical possibility that genes from GE foods could be transferred to cells of the body or to the DNA of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. N-acetyl-L-glufosinate (NAG) is a nontoxic form of an herbicide used in GE crops. When GE foods containing NAG are consumed, it appears to be converted back into the highly toxic herbicide glufosinate in the digestive system, says Cummins.


4. Outcrossing. The unintended mixing of genes from GE crops to conventional crops or wild species can contaminate plants, seeds and the food supply. For example, in 2000, StarLink corn--a GE variety containing insecticidal protein that was approved only for animal use--was inadvertently introduced into the human food supply. Organic crops may also be affected. "In Hawaii, where papayas are being genetically modified, there's now a problem of low-level contamination of organic papaya," says Doreen Stabinsky, a genetic engineering expert for Greenpeace.


5. Ecological risks. The long-term ecological impact of GE foods is especially troubling. Possibilities include the reduction in crop diversity, the creation of super weeds, resistant pests and increasingly virulent strains of bacteria and viruses, and a resulting increased use of pesticides and herbicides. And, for the most part, genetic engineering is irreversible. Once GMOs are introduced into the food supply, they can't be recalled.
Even scarier: Some companies are "manufacturing" pharmaceuticals in plants--for example, Ventria Bioscience is engineering rice to produce proteins that can be used as drugs. While these crops are theoretically isolated, there's always the fear that they could be inadvertently introduced into the food supply--just as StarLink com was.


On the bright side, genetic engineering of foods appears to be on the decline--primarily because the industry is discovering that their technology isn't working very well. "This 20-year experiment in gene Shuffling may be drawing to a close," says Cummins.


Meanwhile, the best way to avoid GE crops is to focus on organic foods and minimize your consumption of processed and packaged foods. Most GMOs are found in foods that contain corn, canola or soy oils, like chips and crackers, or high fructose corn syrup. With the exception of papaya and possibly some squash and potatoes, most whole foods remain unaltered.


In the final analysis, the question may come down to one of ethics. "In the world of genetic engineering, the sky's the limit in terms of what scientists are trying to do," says Stabinsky. "But just because you can do something, should you?"

JUST SAY NO TO GMOs





This article is highly controversial, not only because of the topics / issues discussed but also, it is extremely one-sided. Even so, it was an interesting read from the perspective of a person who is strongly against the act of changing the genetic makeup of food we consume for our own beneficial needs. Good read, though.