The US government has mandatory tests that must be done before these foods are mass produced for human consumption. All GMO foods are regulated by the USDA, FDA and EPA. One example of these tests are equivalence testing. “Equivalence testing involves a comparison of the GMO with traditional counterpart(s) which are accepted as safe in use. This process is based primarily on phenotypic characteristics, the compositional analysis (taking into account the biological variability), and on the expected intake and role in the diet of the GMO” (Shilter 2.2.1). If the GM product is out of limits of the natural diversity of the traditional food further testing is required such as, animal testing and nutritional evaluations and an extensive safety assessment. As you can see the testing of these foods are extensive and not taken lightly. You can rest assured that these products have been thoroughly tested before they end up at the dinner …show more content…
For example, Monsanto produces a type of cotton plant that now naturally defends itself from insect pests such as, cotton bollworm and pink bollworm. By using this technology the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy in Washington, DC, has reported “US cotton growers planting Bollgard cotton showed a 260-million-pound increase in cotton production