To review the past food consumption studies related to the over-consumption of GM foods

There have been no case studies reported on the over eating of GM foods. However, if the GM product emphasize on a particular type of nutrient, and the nutrient is eaten too much, it may cause some toxicity effects.

To review the maximum consumption of GM foods

Health hazards:

Allergenicity-> Proteins may be produced from the Genetic modification which cause allergies. These protein sources may originate from completely unrelated species, which led to allergies in some individuals. A good example would be the case of peanut, which is a common type of food that causes allergic reactions. If genes of the peanut is transferred into another crop, individuals who are allergic to peanuts may develop allergic reactions especially if it is not labelled on the packaging.

Gene transfer-> The transfer of genes to the bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract/ cells of body from the GM food would be a concern if the genetic material (e.g anitibiotic resistant genes) affects health.

Outcrossing-> Eating GM foods that have been given resistance to antibiotics could cause consumers to acquire antibiotic resistance as well. Some plants are injected with antibiotics to help them live longer and fight off infection.However, eating plants or animals that contain antibiotics will only worsen the conditions by introdcing more antibiotics into their systems. The higher is the level of antibiotics, the more prone people are immune to it.

Bacteria-> Bacteria in the human digestive system may collect the antibiotic-resistant genes from the GM foods. This may pose a problem as the bacteria is adapting to the anitbiotics
If bacteria pick up antibiotic-resistant genes, the already growing problem of bacteria adapting to our antibiotics will be magnified.

To review the latest trends and developments of genetic modification

Some examples of developments of GM foods:

Crop-> Tomato
Genetic Modification->Genetically modified tomatoes contain four times the normal quantity of lycopene, a carotenoid.
Benefits->The carotenoids are powerful antioxidantswhich has the ability to lower the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer.

Crop-> Broccoli
Genetic Modification-> Production of anti-oxidants and anti-carcinogens such as glucosinolate through genetic modification.
Benefits-> Antioxidants and anti-carcinogens prevent or slow down the aging of human cells.

Crop-> Golden rice
Genetic Modification-> Insertion of a gene from narcissus, another from a bacteria and a third conferring resistance to hygromycine (an antibiotic used in the selection of transgenic plants) into rice so that it produces beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A.
Benefits-> This rice could help prevent vitamin A deficiencies, which can cause diarrhea, measles, eye diseases and other health problems.

Crop-> Potato
Genetic Modification->Modification of potato to produce more starch.
Benefits->By producing more starch, it decreases fat absorption of the deep fried potato.

Latest news/ reports:

Addition of human genes into the rice
10 March 2007
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) started on three types of the rice to be planted over 1300 hectares in Kansason 28th feb 2007. Developed by Ventria Bioscience of Sacramento, California, the rice varieties have been given genes that either make the human breast milk proteins lactoferrin and lysozyme or the human blood protein albumin. The rice will make human proteins useful for treating infant diarrhoea in the developing world. Ventria plans to extract the albumin for industrial use in cell cultures, while the milk proteins are destined for rehydration drinks used to treat infants with diarrhoea. Trials on 140 children in Peru show the proteins give children a better chance of overcoming the condition and help them recover more than a day faster.
Extracted from:
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/opinion/gm-food/mg19325943.100-rice-with-human-genes-to-be-grown-in-us.html

To review the use of GM foods from various sources

GM foods, in short for Genetically modified foods, are foods that are derived from desired traits from plants, animals, insects and other organisms, using the molecular biology method. The genetic engineering method may also be used for the transferring of genes, so that the new modified plant has drought tolerance, for instance. Non plant organisms may also be used, a good example would be the transfer of Bacillus thuringiensis into corn. This type of bacterium produce crystal proteins that kills the insect larvae. This suggests that the newly modified plant is resistent to the insect larvae, as it produces its own pesticides.


Due the the recent technological advancements, scientists have devloped many kinds of food crops with different advantages. These are the following trends of GM foods:

1. Pest resistance->Some crops may be infested by insects, casuing financial losses and starvation in poorer countries. To overcome these problems, farmers used the pesticides and insecticides. However, this pose a problem to the overall health and the environment (water), especially if excessive chemical fertilisers have been used. By growing GM crops, it allows the crops to develop its own pesticides againts insects. This saves cost and minimises pollution to the environment.

2. Herbicide tolerance-> It is not cost effective for the farmers to remove the weeds that have grown over time physically, most farmers choose to destroy the weeds by spraying different quantities of weed killers. Moreover, this is expensive and time-consuming. Crop plants genetically-engineered to be resistant to one very powerful herbicide could help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed.

3. Disease resistance-> Many microorganisms are present in the food that we eat, and in the environment, which makes us more susceptible to diseases. Plant biologists uses the genetic engineering method to create plants that are resistance to these diseases.

4. Cold tolerance->Unintended freezing can kill sensitive seedlings. An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill unmodified seedlings.

5. Drought tolerance-> With increasing population, there has been a demand for housing. As a result, there is a problem of space constrains, which led to land which were originally used for crop production been changed for housing. Food crops has been shift to the land plots which were unsuited for its growth. However these plants are unable to withstand long periods of droughts and the high salinity in the soil and groundwater. Creating plants through genetic modification will help people to grow crops in formerly inhospitable places.

6. Nutrition->Malnutrition is a common problem in the third world countries. With the growth of the GM crops, additional nutrients and vitamins such as vitamin A and Vitamin C may be added which helps to alleviate the problems of nutritional deficiency.

7. Phamaceuticals-> Medicines and vaccines are expensive and require special storage conditions. This may pose a problem in the third world countries where it is not medically advanced. Scientists working in the research field are working to develop edible vaccines in tomatoes and potatoes. These vaccines ensures easier shipping, storage and administration than traditional injectable vaccines.

8. Phytoremedication->It is not neccessary for GM plants to be grown as crops, as pollution continues to pose a problem. With genetic engineering, it allows the heavy metals to be removed from pollution.

New tasks on GM food

TASKS:

+ To review the use of GM foods from various sources.
-To prevent pest infestation, faster and increased harvest returns.
-What are the common trends of GM foods? E.g. resistance against diseases or pests?

+To review the latest trends and developments of genetic modification
-What are the latest developments in the industry of GM foods?
-What are the latest news or reports related to the use of GM foods?

+To review the maximum consumption of GM foods.
-Are there any health hazards during the over-eating of GM foods? What are they?
-What are the other consequences of over-consumption of GM foods?
-Is there a permitted limit based on the acceptable daily intake? What are they?

+To review the past food consumption studies related to the over-consumption of GM foods.
-What are some of the past food consumption studies related to over-eating of GM foods?
-What are the common types of GM foods related to the over-consumption of GM foods?