Genetically modified food: eat whatever becomes?

Why am I afraid of genetically modified

United States market food unless specifically noted, the default is to contain genetically modified ingredients.

In fact, bacteria produce Bt protein, used as pesticide spraying to crops, has spent decades, but also as a "harmless" and "green" to the use of pesticides. GM just let this kind of "green insecticides" production carried out directly in the plant body.

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As an active support of modern biotechnology and modern agricultural technology, frequently asked question is: genetically modified food, this "security has not been fully confirmed," food, don't you dare eat?

my answer is this: as long as the listing of food, I do not consider is not genetically modified, as long as the delicious, cheap I did eat. In fact, the United States market food unless specifically noted, the default is to contain genetically modified ingredients. And those with a "non-transgenic" label, one is expensive, and the second is not showing any good places, so I was consistently the subject. Count up, I eat those "genetically modified food" years, almost 10 years.

Panic, frequently comes from not knowing.

For the majority of the public, the most feared or "this thing would not be safe". My expertise told me: "absolute security" food simply does not exist, relative to traditional food, genetically modified food and the possibility of the "harmful" will not be higher. In some ways, it's a security risk or even lower.

For many people worried of transgenic rice, the most common questions is: "worms eat will die, it would not be harmful to people?" and the traditional rice compared to current GM rice is transferred to a Bt gene.

The role of this gene is expressed in a protein. It is eaten, insects and insect of receptors, thereby producing toxicity, kill insects. Therefore, to some extent, Bt protein equivalent to half of the "hufu", and the receptor is "hufu" other half, only two sections, can play a role. For the human body, the receptor that half simply does not exist, so the Bt protein in the human body does not produce "toxicity". In fact, bacteria produce Bt protein, used as pesticide spraying to crops, has spent decades, but also as a "harmless" and "green" to the use of pesticides. GM just let this kind of "green insecticides" production carried out directly in the plant body.

Some people are worried that this kind of "unnatural" protein in the human body can not produce other harmful effects.

In fact, all the proteins are eaten after basically are broken down into individual amino acids. From different protein amino acid for human body, is the same. Only a small part of no decomposition full protein fragment (peptides), might raise the intestinal immune response of human body's excessive, resulting in irritation. In our traditional food, many of which can cause allergies, such as peanuts, eggs, seafood, etc. Development of transgenic crops in one of the rules is to prevent from these may contain allergens in search of species is genetically modified. For genetically modified crops, go into gene is clear, easy to track it does not cause allergies. The "traditional breeding techniques," such as the induced mutation screening of the mutant gene is unknown, it is very difficult to track it expressed proteins, there is no way to know if it will cause allergies. From this perspective, genetically modified foods more secure.

There are also concerns that go into the Bt gene in rice will be transferred to the person or micro-organisms in the body.

Logically, we cannot say "impossible", but I think scientists should charge much effort to put a gene transfer to other crops, is not difficult to understand: the Bt gene in rice to be transferred to the human body has more difficult. At the same time, the Bt gene have been consolidated into rice, it transferred tothe human body or microbial opportunities — even if there would not be higher than that of other genes. If it cannot be transferred to the human body, other food gene transfer into human can. Why don't worry because we eat chicken and chicken genes introduced into your body?

Development of transgenic crops and promotion, in addition to the security of the food itself as, also from other many complex factors, such as the environment, politics, economy, ethics, etc.

But the food, as long as listing, they have nothing to eat.

□ Cloud Centerless (United States Food Engineering doctorate)