1. What is genetically modified food

Genetically modified food means that scientists change the genes of animals and plants in the laboratory to create food types with new characteristics. For example, adding an anti-freeze gene from a marine fish that grows in the Arctic to ordinary tomatoes will allow this popular food to be stored for a longer period of time in winter, thereby greatly extending the shelf life. The topic of genetically modified foods quickly breaks down into two camps. Those who agree with it believe that technological progress can greatly improve our living standards, while those who oppose it believe that genetically modified foods can cause unexpected poisoning or allergic reactions. ]

"Genetically modified food" (GM FOOD) has now become a central issue of environment and health in many countries around the world. Moreover, it is also rapidly dividing the public ideological camp: those who agree with it believe that technological progress can greatly improve our living standards, while those who are afraid of it believe that the practice of science has gone "too fast".

So, what are "genetically modified foods"?

Genetically modified food means that scientists change the genes of animals and plants in the laboratory to create food types with new characteristics. Many people already know that genes are written on the DNA of all living things, and they are the chemical information that builds and sustains life. By modifying genes, scientists can change some or all of an organism's characteristics.

However, so far, this technology is still in its infancy, and no food containing genes grown from other animals and plants has achieved large-scale economic cultivation. At the same time, many people insist that the food produced by this technology is "unnatural".

The world's first gene-transplanted crop was tobacco containing antibiotic antibodies, which was cultivated in 1983. It would be another decade before the first commercially available genetic food appeared in the United States, a tomato crop that could delay ripening. It wasn't until 1996 that tomato pancakes made from this tomato food were allowed to be sold in supermarkets.

Why do some people think that genetically modified technology may be harmful to human health? Critics say we don't yet understand enough about how genes work. We do not have complete control over the consequences of genetic modification. Critics worry that sudden changes could lead to the creation of toxic substances or trigger allergies.

There are also criticisms that the DNA used by scientists is taken from some animals and plants that carry viruses and bacteria, which may cause many unknown diseases. Should we trust the food we eat?

In order to ensure consumer safety and maintain confidence, all foods must undergo a series of testing and management procedures. The purpose of the testing program is to detect problems before the food reaches the market. If a consumer unfortunately gets sick from the food they eat, it is often because of a problem in the food production line.

2. The harm of genetically modified food

An article published by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' "Science News" summarized the "possible" harm of genetically modified food to human health into three points:

First, toxins in genetically modified crops can cause acute or chronic poisoning in humans or produce carcinogenic, teratogenic, or mutagenic effects;

Second, immune or allergenic substances in crops can cause human body Produce allergy or allergic reactions;

3. Changes in the main nutrients, micronutrients and anti-nutritional factors in genetically modified products will reduce the nutritional value of the food and unbalance its nutritional structure.

50% of China’s soybeans are imported genetically modified soybeans, mainly from the United States and Argentina. These soybeans are mainly used for oil extraction. "The soybean oil, tofu, soy milk, etc. we eat are actually genetically modified, and we have been eating them all the time." Chen Zhangliang said

In fact, China is the fourth largest sower of genetically modified crops in the world. In 2001, the sowing area of ??genetically modified crops in the world exceeded 50 million hectares, and that in China was 600,000 hectares.

Business Weekly learned from the Ministry of Agriculture that China currently has four types of genetically modified crops approved for commercialization: cotton, tomatoes, bell peppers, and petunia. Among them, there are only two kinds of food: tomatoes and bell peppers.

Zhu Xinquan, chairman of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Biotechnology, told reporters that due to the lack of good varieties of sweet peppers, sowing has not been done, but there are indeed tens of thousands of acres of genetically modified tomatoes across the country.

Xue Dayuan, a researcher at the Nanjing Environmental Science Institute of the State Environmental Protection Administration, believes that genetically modified cotton should also be regarded as food because cotton seeds can extract oil. In some rural areas, farmers eat cottonseed oil. Data from the GM Safety Management Office of the Ministry of Agriculture show that in 2002, China's GM cotton reached 1.5 million hectares, accounting for 1/3 of cotton production.

In addition, there are a large number of "transgenic experimental fields" distributed throughout the country, especially in the suburbs of Beijing, with a total area of ??about 1 million acres.

At the same time, many of the crops China imports from abroad every year contain genetically modified ingredients. According to information released by the Ministry of Agriculture, in 2001, China imported 1.724 million tons of rapeseed, most of which came from Canada and Australia. Canada is the country with more than two-thirds of the world's genetically modified rapeseed planting area.

However, compared to soybeans, this is not an alarming number. From January to September 2002, China imported 4.58 million tons of soybeans. The import targets were highly concentrated and mainly relied on the United States, Argentina and Brazil. The three countries accounted for 41%, 36% and 23% of the total imports respectively. 70% of the soybeans in the United States are genetically modified soybeans, and 90% of the soybeans in Argentina are genetically modified (only the Brazilian government bans the sowing of genetically modified soybeans). It can be estimated from this that about 80% of China’s imported soybeans are genetically modified soybeans. These soybeans are mainly used to extract oil (edible oil).