Foods are essential to human. It provides us energy and nutrient we need to survive. Therefore, we always want to improve the food appearance, nutrient value and increase crop yield. This leads to the derivation of genetically modified (GM) foods. GM foods are foods derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally, e.g. through the introduction of a gene from a different organism (WHO 2016). Although it is a newly advance scientific technology, the effects of GM foods, especially its effects on human are controversial. Many scientists have been doing a lot of tests and research to figure out the effects of them. Whether or not GM foods should be produced has become a hot debate issue nowadays. Many people worry about the GM foods will harm their health. Generally, there are four main positions on this issue. First, people who totally support the production of GM foods. Second, people who oppose the production of GM foods and require GM food labeling. Third, people who totally oppose the production of GM foods. Fourth, people who support the production of GM foods but require regulations on the production process. Firstly, there are two groups of people who totally support the production of GM foods.
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The first group support it because they believe that the GM foods are beneficial. One of the world’s largest nonprofit research and development organization, Battelle, recently published an article, “Five Good Reasons to Support GMOs”. The author expresses that before the GM foods are sold, they must be tested rigorously, including potential risks to human’s health, livestock and the environment. The tests can guarantee the GM products do not harm our health and the environment, which means they are safe to eat. Furthermore, biotechnology can be used to make foods more nutritious. The author uses tomato as an example that genetically modified tomato can have higher levels of nutrients called anthocyanins (Battelle 2015). This group of people support GM foods because they think GM foods are safe to eat and beneficial. The second group of people, especially biotechnology companies, support GM foods because they can make profit by producing them. Ian Murnaghan recently published an article “Economic Impact of GM Foods” on the GeneticallyModifiedFoods website to address the effects of GM foods from economic perspective. Murnaghan points out that many genetic engineering techniques and GM products have been patented because developing GM foods requires huge cost and time (Murnaghan 2016). If GM foods become popular, more and more food companies would buy their patents to produce GM products. The biotechnology companies can make much money by selling patents. Therefore, biotechnology companies support GM foods. Apart from biotechnology companies, some farmers support GM foods because GM technology can increase crop yield (Murnaghan 2016). As more crops are produced, farmers can make more profit by selling them. Hence, they support GM foods. Secondly, people who oppose the production of GM foods and require GM food labeling. Label GMOs: California 's Grassroots is an organization, which aims to unite the people to require mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods, has publish an online article entitled “What are eating”. The author points out that there are 64 countries including the European Union, China and Australia label GM foods. However, United States does not require labeling of GM food. . He believes GM foods have not been proven safe and the long-term health risks
The first group support it because they believe that the GM foods are beneficial. One of the world’s largest nonprofit research and development organization, Battelle, recently published an article, “Five Good Reasons to Support GMOs”. The author expresses that before the GM foods are sold, they must be tested rigorously, including potential risks to human’s health, livestock and the environment. The tests can guarantee the GM products do not harm our health and the environment, which means they are safe to eat. Furthermore, biotechnology can be used to make foods more nutritious. The author uses tomato as an example that genetically modified tomato can have higher levels of nutrients called anthocyanins (Battelle 2015). This group of people support GM foods because they think GM foods are safe to eat and beneficial. The second group of people, especially biotechnology companies, support GM foods because they can make profit by producing them. Ian Murnaghan recently published an article “Economic Impact of GM Foods” on the GeneticallyModifiedFoods website to address the effects of GM foods from economic perspective. Murnaghan points out that many genetic engineering techniques and GM products have been patented because developing GM foods requires huge cost and time (Murnaghan 2016). If GM foods become popular, more and more food companies would buy their patents to produce GM products. The biotechnology companies can make much money by selling patents. Therefore, biotechnology companies support GM foods. Apart from biotechnology companies, some farmers support GM foods because GM technology can increase crop yield (Murnaghan 2016). As more crops are produced, farmers can make more profit by selling them. Hence, they support GM foods. Secondly, people who oppose the production of GM foods and require GM food labeling. Label GMOs: California 's Grassroots is an organization, which aims to unite the people to require mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods, has publish an online article entitled “What are eating”. The author points out that there are 64 countries including the European Union, China and Australia label GM foods. However, United States does not require labeling of GM food. . He believes GM foods have not been proven safe and the long-term health risks