Surely on some occasion you have ingested a food that has been genetically modified without knowing it. Transgenic food They are produced through genetic engineering, in order to create products with specific characteristics. However, there is some controversy and scientists cannot agree to determine to what extent they are beneficial or the opposite. What are transgenic foods? What are its pros and cons?
What are transgenic foods?
GMO foods are those that have been created from the genetic material of other organisms. Genetic engineering is responsible for carrying out these techniques in order to create a series of desired properties.
Transgenic could be defined as Genetically modified organismsAlthough not all ways to change the DNA of plants, microorganisms or animals are carried out through genetic engineering. Thus, all GMOs are GMOs, while not all GMOs are considered GMOs.
In fact, there are some agricultural crops in which they have been used genetic improvement techniques, while others are considered strictly transgenic as they have been created with genetic engineering. The latter makes it possible to isolate a gene, characterize it and handle it in a laboratory and then introduce it into the genome of another living being. In this way, it is possible to obtain the characteristics we want more efficiently.
In this sense appears the biotechnology, with the ability to transfer the gene from one organism to a different one in order to give it that quality that it does not possess. In this way, it is possible that a crop is more resistant to a plague or that it withstands dryness better, as a result of drought.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of GM foods?
Once we have analyzed what are transgenic foodsYou should know that they have defenders and detractors who remain for or against their consumption. From here we have analyzed the main pros and cons of GMOs so that you come to your own conclusions.
Arguments in your favor
• The resulting foods are more nutritious, resistant and durable.
• Crops protect against weeds, insects and viruses.
• Plants and animals grow faster, and fruits are larger.
• Protein can be added to prevent malnutrition and reduce the risk of disease.
• Being more resistant, they are used less pesticides and herbicides, being good for the environment and the economy.
• Some products have been designed to withstand barren or drought soils.
Counterarguments
• Crossing of genes can cause bacteria to become antibiotic resistant.
• Fungi and viruses tend to mutate as a protective measure, giving rise to hitherto unknown species.
• It may happen that new species are more invasive than the rest and that they may negatively influence the ecosystem.
• Some studies warn that transgenic foods could affect fertility.
• Modified seeds are controlled by some multinationals that prevent small farmers from benefiting from them due to their high price.
Examples of transgenic foods
While in the United States they know very well what are transgenic foods, in Europe there is hardly any awareness of it. In any case, despite what it may seem, in Spain we have the increased acreage of altered maize genetically.
The most common transgenic foods that you have been able to include in your day to day without knowing it are soy (developed to be resistant to herbicides), in addition to corn oils, rapeseed (one of the most altered) and cotton (potentially dangerous the from China and India).
The milk and its derivatives possess many growth hormones after the use of injection techniques in cattle. Yellow squash and zucchini have come to be genetically engineered to be virus resistant.