Food Safety And Genetically Engineered Foods - 929 Words

The reading that stood out to me so far was Paarlberg’s article â€Å"Food Safety and genetically Engineered Foods.† It made me think more critically about food safety in the united states and GMOs and expanded on the politics behind many of our policies. The majority of the article focuses on the infrastructure behind our food safety and food regulations. Food is safer today than ever before due to better sanitation, increased awareness about contamination in both the public and private sector, and government regulations. At the federal level, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food Safety and inspection Service (FSIS) are responsible for food safety. The FSIS inspects meant and poultry while the FDA inspects everything else. This division of labor is useful because one organization could not handle inspecting the copious amount of food grown in the US. However, the lack of communication between the two organizations led to the formation of a Food Outbreak Response Coordinating Group in 1998. Despite the efforts of government agencies, food suppliers and average citizens, outbreaks still occur. The most common pathogens are Salmonella, Listeria and toxoplasma. Outbreaks evoke swift response from the government, recalls of hundreds of pounds of food, consumer panic and revenue loss. 1998’s Food Modernization Act gave the FDA â€Å"new responsibilities to inspect food-processing plants and farms for prevention purposes, rather than just tracing contamination after itShow MoreRelatedGenetically Foods Should Be Approved For Human Consumption1675 Words   |  7 PagesGenetically engineered foods are defined as foods that have had genes from other animals or plants (hereby referred to as foreign genes) added onto their genetic codes. The genetic engineering technique can be employed on animals, plants, or on such microorganisms as bacteria (NIH). The question of whether foods derived from such organisms should be approved for human consumption is what has raised wides pread controversy among many circles. There are those who view GM foods as the ultimate solutionRead MoreLabeling Of Genetically Engineered Food1107 Words   |  5 PagesLabeling Genetically Engineered Foods A popular debate in the United States that’s been ongoing since 1990, is the labeling on Genetically Modified or Engineered foods otherwise known as GMO’s. Genetically engineered food is an unnatural process of plant or meat products. These two products have had their DNA artificially altered in a laboratory by genes from other plants, animals, viruses, or bacteria to produce foreign genes in food. Monsanto, an agriculture company, claims the reason behind thisRead MoreGmo Essay1583 Words   |  7 Pages According to The Center for Food Safety, it has been estimated that upwards of 75% of processed foods on supermarket shelves- from soda to soup, crackers to condiments- contain genetically engineered ingredients† (Center for Food Safety). With genetically modified organisms taking over supermarkets across the nation, consumers are beginning to question their safety and how they are affecting our health. Since the Federal Food and Drug Association (FDA) deemed GMO s safe for human consumption, manufacturersRead MoreThe Implications Of Genetically Engineered Foods1675 Words   |  7 Pages Genetically engineered foods are defined as foods that have had genes from other animals or plants (hereby referred to as foreign genes) added onto their genetic codes. The genetic engineering technique can be employed on animals, plants, or on such microorganisms as bacteria (NIH). The question of whether foods derived from such organisms should be approved for human consumption is what has raised widespread controversy among many circles. There are those who view GM foods as the ultimate solutionRead MoreGenetically Modified Foods For The Health Of The General Public And The Environment1062 Words   |  5 Pagesgrocery store and food stand in the U.S. Packed full of full flavor and nutrition, granny smith apples hold another hidden secret in its sweet and sour flesh..it’s genetically engineered. Tangelos, nectarines, and plums are also among the foods that have been genetically engineered (ISAAA). Although GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and GM foods have been dee med safe for the environment and human consumption, there is an ongoing debate regarding the safety of genetically modified foods. Some peopleRead MoreShould We Produce Genetically Modified Food?897 Words   |  4 PagesShould we produce genetically modified food? As we know genetic modification has been very widely used now in agriculture for a long time. In the market most of the food may contain an ingredient from genetically modified crops. According to a Center for Food Safety report, currently, up to 92% of U.S. corn is genetically engineered (GE), as are 94% of soybeans and 94% of cotton (cottonseed oil is often used in food products). It has been estimated that upwards of 75% of processed foods on supermarketRead MoreThe Genetically Engineered Foods : Genetically Modified Foods1656 Words   |  7 PagesThe Genetically Engineered Foods Introduction Genetic modification is a special gene technology that alters the genetic machinery of living organisms such as animals, plants, bacteria or other microorganisms. Foreign genes (genes from other organisms) combined and inserted into the original genetic codes are known as recombinant DNA technology and the resulting food is called genetically engineered food, genetically modified (GM) food or transgenic food. Human beings have bred plants and animalsRead MoreNutritional Labeling And Education Act ( Fda )1405 Words   |  6 Pagesyour food is not a new one. Consumers have fought long and hard for foods to have labels containing their simple ingredients. Finally in 1990 the Food and Drug administration established the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (fda.gov). However the fight to know what is in our food is far from over. Bioengineering has come a long way and has resulted in food that grows faster and with more consistent quality. This is at the expense of the consumer. With the change in the way that food is producedRead MoreEssay about Genetically Engineered Food Crops: Benefits Outweigh Risks1632 Words   |  7 PagesGenetically Engineered Food Crops: Benefits Outweigh Risks Genetically engineered (GE) food crops have caused heated debate in the food industry for many decades and have caused many consumers major concern. According to Dr. Carroll Rawn, a biology professor at Seton Hall University, genetically engineering food entails taking genes from a certain crop and inserting those genes in the DNA of another. This process changes the nucleotide sequence of the crop and, therefore, its characteristicsRead MoreArguments Of Proponents And Opponents Of The Safe And Accurate Food Labeling Act1744 Words   |  7 PagesAccurate Food Labeling Act. This paper will now analyze each issue to determine the strengths and weakness of each side’s argument. One argument that proponents make about genetically modified food is that they are no different than natural foods. An argument that opponents make is that genetically modified organisms have not been tested enough because they are fairly new and some scientist truly don’t have an understan ding of how it will affect humans bodies differently than natural foods. Proponents