The transgenic foods are food group including in its composition an element, whose origin is from an organism that was incorporated through the use of genetic techniques: a gene belonging to another species. With the help of biotechnology it is possible to transfer a gene from one organism to another with the aim of giving it some special quality that it did not possess. It is in this way then that the various species of transgenic plants have the ability to resist pests, withstand periods of drought, or withstand some herbicides.
What are transgenic foods
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Transgenic foods, also called "genetically modified foods", are those that have been transformed in their composition or DNA for a specific purpose, incorporating genes from other plants or animals, taking only one quality that you want to place in the food you are creating..
These can have very obvious characteristics that differentiate them from those grown organically, such as in their taste, shape or size. However, in other cases, the difference might not be easily noticed, since these changes are related to their decomposition time and would not alter their morphology or physical characteristics.
The science that runs and creates this type of food is genetic engineering, which uses biotechnology (systems that link technology with living organisms) for this purpose. In this field, genes can not only be modified, but also deleted or duplicated.
Currently there is not enough regulation to legislate the exercise of this science and the commercialization of said foods. However, in Europe, this type of food must meet certain mandatory conditions:
- Foods that are genetically modified must be necessary and have some use.
- Its characteristics must be specified and must continue to be so over time.
- They are safe for human consumption without affecting people's health and are not destructive to the environment.
- That on the label of the product made with these or their packaging, they indicate that it has been genetically modified, so that the individual has the right to know what they are consuming and decide whether or not they want to ingest it.
Transgenic seeds
Before providing a definition as such, we must first know that a seed is a component of a plant that contains an embryo, which serves to produce a new sample. The transgenic, for its part, is an adjective that refers to that living being whose composition has been altered by the incorporation of external genes (which were not their own by nature).
Therefore, transgenic seeds are those created in a laboratory, there they are modified to be resistant to various factors that could affect the development of the plant. Thanks to this type of seeds, plants resistant to insects and herbicides can be created, which has allowed the list of transgenic foods to increase in the food market.
The external genes that are grafted onto them can come from other kingdoms, such as the animal kingdom, which would be impossible to happen in nature. An example of this is transgenic corn to which genes from a bacterium are added.
These seeds are patented, and it is not possible to store them, so they must be purchased every year with the updated price at the time of purchase, which will generally be higher than the previous year.
These types of seeds were introduced in the nineties, mainly in the crops of Argentina, Brazil, the United States, India and Canada. Companies that are dedicated to the transgenic food business argue that this could combat hunger as food grows more easily and is more resistant. In addition, according to their position, they contribute to the environment since, by resisting various diseases, the use of agrochemicals is not necessary.
However, environmental groups have demonstrated against this type of seeds and food, as they claim that these elements have a negative ecological impact and for human health.
History of GM foods
The improvement of species through their selection to be consumed, dates from between 12,000 and 4,000 years BC, since at that time plants were selected in a controlled manner.
By the 19th and 20th centuries, countless advances were made in improving food through genetic manipulation. The first crossing of plants of different genera was made in 1876, and later in 1927, X-rays were irradiated to seeds, which produced mutant foods.
In the 1980s, the biotechnology company Monsanto created the first modified plant, and later in the 1990s, Calgene's first transgenic food would be marketed: the Flavr Savr tomato; in the same way, a large quantity of cereals and other genetically modified products appeared.
Already in the XXI century, the cultivation of transgenic products has expanded to 28 countries, reaching 181.5 million hectares, having a large presence mainly in the United States, Argentina, Canada and China.
This type of activity has generated great controversy among environmental groups, since many effects that these foods could have on human health are unknown, as well as the impact that it could generate on the environment.
Advantages and disadvantages of transgenic foods
At present, it is very likely that some food whose genes have been altered for some specific purpose has been consumed, without being aware of it. The truth is that there are pros and cons in terms of its consumption and cultivation.
A significant number of people support the distribution of this type of food and another good group is against it; each position presents arguments as valid as those of its opponent. On the one hand, those who support this activity, assure that there is no evidence of secondary effects or damage to the environment for it; and his counterpart claims that it is something so recent that it is hasty to assert that there is no harmful factor surrounding the consumption of these products.
Advantages of transgenic foods
People who defend their use and the techniques used in their creation process, present arguments in favor of transgenic foods, such as that they represent more resistant foods with higher nutritional qualities, which contribute to a greater extent to well-being. of the human being. Among the benefits of transgenic foods can be mentioned:
- Improvements in the taste, appearance and nutrients of food. The latter can be proteins against malnutrition or diseases.
- Plants that have better resistance to extreme climates, droughts, pests and viruses, so it is not necessary to use large amounts of pesticides, fertilizers or water.
- In some cases, the size of said foods and their harvest are increased, their duration without decomposing is also prolonged and their production period decreases, which generates a greater supply of them at a lower cost and in a shorter period of time. weather.
- Foods with more effective medicinal characteristics can be created, which can be used as vaccines.
- They are foods that are assiduously analyzed and controlled during their production processes.
Disadvantages of GM foods
This type of food generates great uncertainty in many people and in their detractors, since in many cases, it is not known exactly what possible effects their consumption can have in the medium and long term. On more than one occasion, some of these products have had to be withdrawn from the market due to their harmful effects that have been verified, although these have been specific cases.
This has generated controversy in the face of the indiscriminate use of other products, to which environmental groups allege that there is no certainty about the risks of transgenic foods, how they affect human health, or that it may represent an ecological impact negative.
The following are the consequences of GMO foods:
- The combination, alteration and duplication of genes can generate resistance of bacteria to antibiotics, allergies, toxicities and genetic changes.
- Fungi, herbs and viruses can transform into other unknown species for their own protection. Such is the case of the appearance of the so-called super weeds, to which the herbicide resistance genes of some plantations have been accidentally transferred.
- According to the environmental group Greenpeace, a study determined that the reproduction of rats that were fed these products decreased, which is why it is suspected that it affects fertility.
- Small farmers are affected by their commercialization, since the patent for the seeds is held by multinationals, who control prices, making the harvest unprofitable for them.
- Being tests carried out outdoors, transgenic pollen can contaminate crops surrounding the experimental field, without having verified all the effects that the product could have.
Examples of GM foods
There is in the market of many countries in the world an important variety of them. Here are 10 GMO foods:
1. Corn or corn: This food is grafted genes from the bacterium "Bacillus Thuringiensis", whose objective is to serve as a natural pesticide, since it emits a toxin that affects the larvae of various insects and creates resistance to glyphosate (pesticide). Its grains will be brighter and of an orange color.
2. Soy: Genes are grafted onto it that give them resistance to herbicides, in the same way as with sugar and alfalfa.
3. Potatoes or potatoes: An antagonistic copy of the starch enzyme is added that cancels the latter, to prevent them from oxidizing more quickly. Another transgenic version of them was Amflora, which lasted two years on the market, characterized by having more cellulose, which is why they were used in the paper and textile industries.
4. Tomatoes: One of your genes is inhibited so that its decomposition period is longer. There is another transgenic version, which is the black tomato, whose color is due to antiocin (the pigment of the berries), and its flavor is more appetizing.
5. EverMild onion: It is a type of transgenic onion to which genes from other plants are grafted so that it obtains a smoother flavor and does not irritate the eyes.
6. Rice: was added three genes from other species to contain more vitamin.
7. Wheat: The addition of other genes is carried out to obtain greater resistance to droughts, as in the case of sunflower.
8. Grapes: By adding other genes, it becomes more resistant to decomposition and the seeds are eliminated from within. This last quality was also achieved in some types of watermelons.
9. Meat: Its modification produces the increase in size and weight of the cattle and, at the same time, accelerates their growth.
10. Milk: Cows receive a hormone to speed up milk production.
There are other products whose manufacture is artificial by making compounds, such as aspartame, which is a substitute for sugar, which has been shown to have high levels of toxicity, which is why it has been banned in many countries.
Frequently Asked Questions about Transgenic Food
What are the main transgenic foods?
There is a great variety of these in the market, but the main ones are corn or corn, wheat, meat, milk, a great variety of fruits, vegetables and tubers.What are transgenic foods for?
Its main purpose is to obtain food that is more resistant to hostile climatic conditions, have a greater resistance to pests, increase its duration before its natural decomposition or obtain a food with the characteristics desired by the consumer; for example, the large size and sweetness of an orange, replicated in all the others.What was the first transgenic food?
In 1992, a type of transgenic tobacco that was resistant to certain viruses was cultivated in China, but the first commercialized was the tomato called Flavr Savr, to which a gene was introduced that accelerated its maturation process and delayed its decomposition time. This was approved in 1994 in the United States, but had to be withdrawn from the market in 1996, as it presented changes in its composition, soft skin and strange taste.What is the most cultivated transgenic food in Mexico?
The modified food that is most widely grown in Mexico is actually eight varieties of yellow corn, which is supported by permits from the country's Ministry of Health. Mexico is considered as the center of origin and domestication of corn.How are transgenic seeds made?
There are several ways to create modified plants:- It is usually done through infection with the bacterium "Agrobacterium tumefaciens", which allows the transfer of genes to plant cells.
- Plant a plant "in vitro" in a laboratory.
- Or DNA bombardment, in which a cannon fires microscopic spheres of gold or tungsten at plant embryos, introducing new genes.
