Answering CBS Reporters’ Questions about GMOs
In a CBS This Morning segment about Consumer Reports' recent study on GMOs in packaged food, a number of questions about GMOs were raised, including questions about their history, safety, and regulation. In this post, we addressed some of the inaccuracies in the video segment, but we wanted to take the opportunity to provide answers to a few questions that were left unanswered during the short segment.
We reached out to a few of our contributing experts to provide answers to those questions. If you have outstanding questions after watching the CBS/Consumer reports segment, please submit your questions at gmoanswers.com/ask. .
Ruth MacDonald, professor and chair of food science and human nutrition, and assistant dean of graduate programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University, weighs in on the question, "Why are GMOs bad for you?"
"There is substantial evidence that foods and food ingredients derived from plants that have been bioengineered are safe for human and animal consumption. Four lines of evidence demonstrate the safety of GMO foods:
1. Multiple laboratory studies done by independent scientists with a range of animals over many years have shown no health concerns. (An overview of the last 10 years of genetically engineered crop safety research. Alessandro Nicolia, Alberto Manzo, Fabio Veronesi, and Daniele Rosellini. Critical Reviews in Biotechnology published online September 13, 2013.)
2. Livestock have consumed GMO grains for over 20 years, and there is no evidence of changes in health, growth or reproduction. (Prevalence and impacts of genetically engineered feedstuffs on livestock populations, A. L. Van Eenennaam and A. E. Young, J ANIM SCI published online September 2, 2014.)
3. No human disease or allergic reaction has ever been documented to be linked to consumption of GMO foods or food ingredients. (Foods derived from genetically engineered plants.)
4. Most of the major medical and health organizations in the US and abroad have publicly stated that GMO foods and food ingredients are safe for consumption. (American Medical Association Policy on Bioengineered (Genetically Engineered) Crops and Foods H-480.958. Modern food biotechnology, human health and development: an evidence-based study.)”
These organizations are:
• American Association for the Advancement of Science
• American Medical Association
• American Society for Microbiology
• Australian Academy of Sciences
• Brazilian Academy of Sciences
• British Medical Association
• Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Council for Agricultural Science and Technology
• European Commission
• European Food Safety Authority
• Federation of Animal Science Societies
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• French Academy of Science
• Indian National Science Academy
• Institute of Food Technologists
• International Council for Science
• International Union of Food Science and Technology
• Italian National Academy of Science
• Mexican Academy of Sciences
• National Academies of Science (United States)
• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
• Pontifical Academy of Sciences
• Royal Society (United Kingdom)
• World Health Organization
During the interview, CBS reporters also asked, "You tell us it [food] has GMOs, and you want us to do what with that information?" Cathy Enright, executive director for the Council for Biotechnology Information, provides her perspective on GMO labeling.
"For us, this question is the crux of the GMO labeling debate: how do we provide information that is useful to the consumer and is not used to scare us.
Contrary to what some might think, we support a consumer’s right to know what is in their food. Since our business is agriculture, we think it’s great that people are interested in learning about how our food is grown and arrives at the marketplace - from the seed, to harvest, through processing, and finally, what’s available at our local farmer’s market or grocery store.
Helping consumers gain insight into the full spectrum of this process is why we created GMO Answers – to create an open dialogue enabling anyone to ask questions and get public, transparent answers about food and agriculture, including how GMOs are made, who grows them, what their use has meant to society, and what the safety data says.
We also support mandatory food labeling that safeguards our health and nutrition, such as making sure we’re aware of the potential presence of allergens, and notifying us of a change in composition, nutrition, smell or flavor of a product in comparison to its conventional counterpart. This is information immediately useful in making important health and nutrition decisions.
But, what does a mandatory “may contain GMOs” label tell the consumer about health, nutrition, an ingredient, or how a food may have been processed? As we discussed in another post on our website, Rutgers University conducted a survey in 2013 about consumers' awareness and perception of GMOs. According to an article about the report:
"[D]etermining what labeling information they value is not a straightforward task…
"Before [we introduced] the idea of GM foods, the survey participants were asked simply, 'What information would you like to see on food labels that is not already on there?' In response, only seven percent raised GMO labeling on their own… In contrast, when asked directly whether GM foods should be required to be labeled, 73 percent said yes."
We understand consumers’ have a lot of questions and concerns about GMOs. Whether the number is 7% or 73% or 90% who want labels, or whether mandatory labeling is being used to prejudice one plant breeding method, we believe it’s important to provide comprehensive, factual information about GMOs and agriculture and to answer any question that helps consumers make informed decisions when out shopping for ourselves or our families."
The interviewers also wanted to know, "Why can't we find out if they're good for you or bad for you?" Vancouver Island University faculty member Robert Wager answers this question.
"The truth is that you can find out whether GE crops are safe and “good” for you. Internationally agreed upon food safety testing protocols are used to evaluate all GE crops. The evaluation process often takes a decade or more before the GE crop is allowed to be commercialized. GE crops are tested between 10-50 times more than food from other breeding methods even though the genetic disruptions from other breeding methods far exceed those from GE crop breeding. Thousands of research papers have examined every reasonable risk for GE crops and derived food.
"Food safety authorities around the world all agree that food derived from GE crops is as safe or in some cases safer than food from other breeding methods (GE crops are the only crops tested for potential allergens before they are commercialized). National health authorities and every National Academy of Science from around the world also all agree on the safety of foods derived from GE crops.
"Food derived from GE crops has been part of our regular diet for 18 years and trillions of meals. In that time there is not a single documented case of harm from consuming food derived from GE crops. It is impossible to prove a negative (lack of harm), so the only way we can determine the safety of anything, including food, is pre-market safety testing and from a safety record after commercialization. In this regard food derived from GE crops have an impeccable safety record. If a GE crop were ever demonstrated to cause harm, it would not be commercialized."
The Consumer Reports spokesperson also asked this question: "If they're different enough to get a patent for, why aren't they different enough to demonstrate that they're safe?" University of Florida professor and Horticultural Sciences Department chair Kevin Folta explains the common misconceptions surrounding seed patents and GMOs.
"GM seeds are not the only type of seeds that can be patented. For example, see this patent for the Goose Creek Tomato. Patents protect the technology, breeders' rights and the process, while labels describe the qualities of the product. GM seeds are the only seeds to go through rigorous safety testing, unlike conventional or organic seeds, and seeds developed through radiation treatments and mutation breeding -- even though all can be patented."
In this response on GMO Answers, Gregory Conko goes on to explain, "Any new plant variety with a unique combination of traits can be patented, no matter what breeding method is used to develop it. In fact, many more non-genetically engineered plant varieties have been patented than genetically engineered ones.” Read the rest of his response, including links to United States Supreme Court cases about seed patents, here.
Finally, the CBS interviewers asked, "Why shouldn't I buy foods that have GMOs? Is it going to do something to my children or me?" Registered Dietitian and principal at K Consulting Lisa Katic answers this question.
"The question related to GMO consumption being safe for adults or children is certainly top of mind for many consumers.
"When people first hear about the concept of genetic engineering being done on particular crops it can be confusing or even frightening, but when a complete explanation of the process is given the majority of consumers embrace the technology.
"Let’s start with the term GMO. This is a term that was created by those opposed to the technology when it was first introduced into the food supply. It is technically incorrect as there are no actual organisms in the food that consumers eat. The word organism is often the part of “GMO” that concerns the public. The term is used now by everyone because it is the one recognized by the public as referring to genetic modification of plants or crops. The process of genetically modifying a plant starts with a gene. There is nothing harmful or new about the genes being bred into plants. These genes represent a specific trait that the plant is going to possess like being resistant to heat or drought. Think of flowers that can grow and survive in dessert-like conditions. Some crops are modified to do the same thing.
"Building on the notion that there are no organisms in the actual food you eat, there are also very few crops in the food supply that are genetically modified. Today, only corn, cotton, soybeans, papaya, squash, alfalfa, canola and some sugar beets are modified to carry traits that are either resistant to weeds or bugs or are improved nutritionally in some way.
"The reason you hear that 90% of the food on grocery store shelves is genetically modified is because many food ingredients are made from corn or soybeans, which represent the bulk of modified ingredients in the food supply. Think about corn oil, vegetable oil, which is soybean oil, or high fructose corn syrup just to name a few examples. These are common ingredients that have been in foods for a long, long time and are virtually the same ingredients as they have always been.
"In conclusion, the foods you are eating and feeding to your children do not contain an unknown organism and are perfectly safe for consumption. We are talking about common ingredients that have been in the food supply for decades and consumed by millions of people daily around the world. Leading government agencies and health professional groups both in the US and around the world have reviewed this technology and deemed it safe and acceptable. Humans have been modifying and improving crops to meet our needs and high standards for hundreds of years. Biotechnology is another way to reach our goals of growing more food on less land at the same low cost to consumers."
We welcome your questions about GMOs or biotechnology in agriculture! Ask your questions here.
