Gene-Edited Foods And GMOs Safety Norms, Pros and Cons

With the rising population, there is no doubt that the need for food production is skyrocketing. Human health is at risk due to poor food quality because food passes through multiple stages, like export and packaging. During this time, the chances of contamination due to unhygienic practices increase, thus affecting the food's quality. To deal with increased food demand, prevent contamination, increase longevity, and more, gene-edited or gene-modified foods are considered.

This Story also Contains

1. Gene-Edited Foods And Gene-Modified Foods
2. What Are The Concerns Around Genetically Edited Foods?
3. Are Gene-Editing Foods Completely Unsafe?
4. New Updates On Gene-Edited Foods
5. What Is Being Done To Ensure Safety?

Gene-Edited Foods And Gene-Modified Foods

Genetically modified or edited food promises to bring a revolution as it can combat existing difficulties and climate change. It must be noted that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are different from genetically edited food because the former are organisms whose genetic material is modified to produce desired traits.

Gene-Modified Foods

DNA with desirable genes is extracted from sources and inserted into organisms that act as vectors. These vectors are then inserted into the targeted genome (plant or animal cells) and integrated with the target’s DNA. Henceforth, the new progenies are called genetically modified.

Gene-Edited Foods

This process enables scientists to make precise cuts in the genome itself, thus omitting the use of GMOs. Due to this, only minor changes arise, which are generally indistinguishable from naturally existing mutations. It was only recently that crops generated through CRISPR/ Cas technology were made available for consumers. Milder-flavoured leafy veggies and long-lasting bananas were produced through this technology.

Some examples of gene-edited foods are:

• Gene edits were done in rice species to increase yields and produce more resilient crops.

• The increased size of the tomato was possible due to gene editing.

• Gene editing is widely used in livestock to improve muscle mass, milk production, and more.

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What Are The Concerns Around Genetically Edited Foods?

Food marketed as genetically edited may not go down well with everyone because people have varying opinions and questions about the safety and authenticity of such foods. Some of the concerns regarding gene-edited foods are listed below:

• People believe manipulating the genetics of any organism is against ethics and disturbs ecosystems, so it should not be done.

• Manipulating the DNA for desirable traits may sometimes result in lethal or harmful combinations that can create new health hazards.

• People may develop new allergies due to the unknowingly produced allergens in the edited food products.

• Corporate control over the ecosystem and food removes the essence of the natural habitat and can potentially disrupt equilibrium.

Are Gene-Editing Foods Completely Unsafe?

It cannot be said that edited foods can only cause health hazards or allergies. The foods we are eating on a daily basis, like nuts, seeds, eggs, and more, can also generally cause allergies. Nobody is completely aware of the genetic material of the food they are consuming. It is not necessary that every natural food commodity suits a person. Therefore, it is not completely right to comment on gene-edited foods.

In fact, scientists are researching and conducting responsible experiments to remove allergy-inducing components and produce less allergenic foods. For example, gluten-free wheat is an example, as many people are intolerant to gluten.

Another example is the production of lactose-free milk because a considerable number of people cannot digest the milk proteins, which causes digestive problems and other allergic reactions.

New Updates On Gene-Edited Foods

A new movement was recently observed, especially in the US and UK, regarding genetic techniques and genetically altered food products. Both the producers and retailers have to be aware of the safety concerns and regulations of the genomic techniques used in the process.

Foods produced through CRISPR/Cas that undergo only minor manipulations were excluded, as they pose no more than a few more harmful threats than genetically modified foods. However, they were still not given a clean chit because these are lab-grown foods, while nature does not support or use any of them.

What Is Being Done To Ensure Safety?

There are dangers associated with gene-edited foods because genomic techniques offer an unlimited range of edits or manipulations. Sometimes, multiple genes can be targeted or a single gene can be edited to an impossible extent, thus producing many potential threats. Thus, strict regulations must be imposed and followed.

The regulations for genetically altered foods might be different in different countries. Some countries, like New Zealand, impose a cautious approach and strict regulations for both gene-edited and genetically modified foods. Still, a few countries have different rules for gene-edited and modified foods.

Maintaining safety regulations is necessary, as their absence or dysregulation can encourage the use of illegal and harmful ways to produce foods. Unlabeled and non-transparent foods will be openly transported, risking many lives and interfering with the ecosystem. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the government and other food organisations to propose accurate laws that are to be followed by producers, consumers, and all other involved operators.

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