Introduction of GM food

GM foods mean foods or food ingredients that are or are derived from organisms that have been modified through the use of modern biotechnology. The new biotechnology is actually an extension of traditional plant breeding. The traditional plant breeding techniques, such as cross-fertilization of selected plants help people to produce desired traits. This is “old biotechnology.” The new biotechnology, known variously as gene splicing, recombinant DNA, or genetic engineering, involves direct modification of DNA, a living thing‘s genetic material. This new technique is more precise, making it possible to direct and predict changes without introducing extraneous, undesirable traits. The new technique will also allow scientists to introduce genes from essentially any organism into a plant.

Recombinant DNA techniques

Formation of recombinant DNA (plasmid, target DNA)

Transformation techniques

Methods that put the recombinant DNA into cell

3 main types of GM food technique

• 1. Inserting genes: • Genes are determined by different DNA sequences, when the

isolated gene is inserted into a plant, it becomes part of the plant’s gene and works with its own function .

• This method can increase or improve the plant such as resistance to insects, which increases the yield of food afterwards.

• 2 Removing genes:• The function is reduced or stopped through genetic modification. We

reduce the function of virus which causes dried and spot of the tomato by removing parts of the gene, thus that virus cannot be reproduced and tomato can grow healthily.

• 3. Changing the process of catabolism• Food can be enhanced by changing the process of catabolism, such

as controlling the percentage of starch of glutinous rice, and it also includes controlling the taste, mass, colour, and usefulness of food.

How common is GM food?

• 80% of rice and wheat used nowadays.

• Half of the fields are used for planting GM food.

• 40% soy bean of US are genetic modified, and 60% of soy bean’s products become GM food.

• 71 kinds of plants and micro-organisms in US were reported until 2005.

Example of GM Food [2]

• The first GM whole food, FLAVR SAVRTM tomato, was marketed in the United States in 1994.– Slower ripen rate– Ripen longer on vine– Fully developed flavors

Flavr Savr Tomato developed by Calgene (Sources: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agripedia/glossary/flavr.htm)

Other examples of GM Food

• Soy bean• Corn• Papaya• Potato• Tomato• Milk from GM

cow• Pumpkin

• McDonald’s hamburger• KFC’s Zinger burger• Maxim’s Ham-egg sandwi

ch• KFC’s Mashed potato wit

h gravy• Wyeth Nursoy Soy Based

Infant Formula• Nissin Chicken Cup Nood

les • Pringles Sour Cream'N O

nion

                                          

Other examples of GM Food

Potential Benefits

1. Cure diseases or other medical uses A Singapore doctor is working on removing a gene

from mice, if it is transferred to potato’s gene, it can produce a protein abbreviated as ANF, which is used to cure hypertension, congestive heart failure, and failure of kidney.

2. Increase the yield of food If the gene of plant is altered, their life cycle can be

reduced. Compare with normal plant in same period of time, their yield is increased.

Example: Normal corn’s life cycle is half year and GM corn’s life cycle is 3 months. Each cycle can produce 500 corns. After 1 year, there are 1000 normal corns while 2000 GM corns, which is doubled of the normal one.

Potential Benefits

3. Resistance to bad living conditions In bad living conditions, the quantity and quality of nor

mal plant decreases a lot, changing the gene of plant can make them grow healthily under bad conditions, and it brings advantages to companies and consumers.

Besides, the plant may not be necessarily grown in original region but could be in mountains, desert or snowfield.

4. Improve the appearance and taste of food The juice of tomato can have a better taste, and water

melon will have no seeds after genetically modified. Example: Cubic watermelons and much larger apples

which have been grown in Japan.

Potential Benefits

5. More resistance to insects The immunity towards insects is increased, hence less in

secticide is used and less production cost is needed, the price can also be reduced.

As no insecticide is used, it is safer to eat as insecticide is harmful to human.

6. Enhance the nutrition of food The nutrition value increases by changing the genes of food, thus consumer will gain advantages from it. Example: GM rice produce more protein. GM tomatoes have more vitamin.

Potential Benefits

7. Alter the properties of food so that it is easier for food processing

The production cost is reduced as it is easier to process the food, which leads to a lower price of that food hence it is economical.

As there are fewer processes, less raw materials are wasted and it protects the environment.

8. Remove the parts causing allergy The substances causing allergy can be removed, and th

ings that have never been eaten by human before can be genetically modified so that it is suitable for eating, hence there are more choices of food.

Potential Hazard1 Affect the ecosystem There are cycles among different food chains, they relies on each other to fo

rm a steady and stable condition. GM food will affect this equilibrium seriously and it may cause extinction of certain species as many GM food is resistant towards insects.

2 Super-germs may exist GM plant with immunity towards insect may develop super germs that have

immunity towards GM plant. GM food may suffer from some new diseases and pass them to human through food chain.

GM food’s pollen grain or seed will be pollinated to other farmlands which cause the change of tradition species. When grass gain the new genes, it may become super grass which affect the ecosystem and cause hazard towards food production. It also leads to the more frequent use of grass remover and brings hazard towards the land.

Example: GM soybean’s pollen grain cross with grass to form super grass that will not be killed easily.

Potential Hazard

3. Cause allergy As the structure of GM food is altered, it may cause all

ergy and the affected area may spread seriously.

4. Cause failure of antibiotics When genes are inserted to cells, scientists will add so

me antibiotic to determine whether it is successful or not. If it is a success, new cells will gain immunity towards antibiotic and increase the strength of germs.

As many plants have gained immunity towards insect, when people suffer from the disease or eat the plants, the antibiotics will become useless. And there may be no ways to fight against the super germs.

Potential Hazard

5. Alter the nutrition of food One of the uses of GM food is to increase the yield by s

hortening the life cycle, however, as the growing period is shorten, the nutrition value may decrease.

6. Produce toxin and fatal disease The process of making GM food may produce toxin and

fatal disease which may cause death after eating the food.

7. Transfer harmful substance to other organisms As virus is used to transfer gene for making GM food, a

nd the gene transfer process cannot be controlled easily, it is possible for virus to gain harmful substance and harm other animals since.

Potential Hazard

8. Extinct of certain genes Companies want to earn as much as possible hence the

y insert genes to their food so that no further generation can be produced, this causes extinction of food.

When new genes are used commonly, the old ones will be abandoned and face extinction.

9. Indistinguishable between GM and non-GM food Soy bean from USA resist the insecticide hence 40% soy

bean were imported to Europe, however, both GM and non-GM soy bean are mixed and USA claims that there is no difference between GM soybean and normal one.

Evidence of hazard

• The evolution of bacteria • German scientist has discovered and shown GM food’s gene has been pass

ed onto organisms, and change the structure of gene of micro organism living in ileum. This proves that it will affect the human’s health, and it makes us worry as our genes may also be altered.

• An experiment was set up as follows:• Genetic modified pollen grains were fed to young bees for a period of time,

and the bacteria found in the bees’ ileum contains genes of GM pollen grain.

• Another example was introduced, the GM potato were fed to mice, and it thickens the wall of stomach, this shows that the chance of having cancer increases. Besides, the mice become weaker in fighting against disease and the brains of the mice wither. Other bad effects were found in kidney, intestine and spleen. GM potato will harm the liver and immune system.

• A person who is allergic to Brazil’s walnut ate some soybean that contains gene of the Brazil’s walnut showed same allergic symptoms in1991.

Amazing Findings of GM food• A 2005 study conducted by PG Economics investigat

ing the global impact of GM crops reported that they contributed to significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural practices. This reduction results from decreased fuel use, about 1.8 billion litres in the past nine years, and additional soil carbon sequestration because of reduced ploughing or improved conservation tillage associated with biotech crops. In 2004, this reduction was equivalent to eliminating more than 10 billion kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, or removing 5 million cars — one-fifth of the cars registered in the United Kingdom — from the road for one year.

Conclusion• After knowing the principles behind genetic engineering and GM food

and realizing the potential benefits and hazards of GM food, we can overall or at least have a better understanding of the scope of GM food. Undoubtedly, GM food has both potential benefits and hazards. But no matter you like GM food or not, it is widespread globally and can be found worldwide. Just look around and you will see them all around you. The worldwide spread of GM food is still a controversial issue nowadays. No one can surely say that GM food has more benefits than demerits or say that it has more hazards than merits. The truth of GM food is not yet unlocked for the time being. It takes time and effort for the truth to be unlocked in the foreseeable generations.

• Overall, after comparing the potential benefits and hazards of GM food, our group agrees that GM food can bring more merits than demerits to human beings. To a certain extent, GM food is a valuable asset to the modern world.

Group Member List

• Chan Kwing Lam (1)

• Chu Ho Shing (5)

• Lam Chung Kwun (12)