Nutrition Discussion D 1: What is GMO? Should a product be labeled as Genetically Modified (GM) if it contains an ingredient that has been genetically modified? Do you think consumers should know if...

Genetically Modified (GM) foods and safety
GMO is the abbreviated form of Genetically Modified Organism. These refer to certain foods that have been genetically engineered by adding specific genes that are totally unrelated to them, in order to create specific traits in them. Genetic engineering technology has enabled the growth of crops that are sustainable, enjoy improved growth, are naturally pest resistant, have enhanced nutritional content and are easy to farm. Today, a lot of food that we consume are GMOs or contain GMO ingredients. For example, corn, cotton, soybeans, some zucchini and alfalfa are mostly GMOs. By products like oil, corn syrup and sugar are also extracted from GMOs. Many processed and fast food are also GMOs.
There is currently limited evidence regarding the safety or environmental impact of GMOs (Domingo, 2000). One of the main concerns regarding GMOs is that they are artificially created and would never occur naturally. This in itself is a cause of concern. In addition, not knowing the side-effects, if any, itself puts people in doubt regarding the safety of GMOs. The FDA has not done any testing of GMOs for safety either.
Even though GMO’s allow for the development of enhanced qualities in foods, since their positive and negative effects are not verified, consumers would definitely want to know which of their foods are GMOs. It must be up to the consumers to decide, which foods they want to consume and which they...