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Q: The Pros and Cons of GMO Wheat ...

A: There is no GMO wheat commercially available anywhere in the world. Currently, there are just 10 GMO crops commercially available in the U.S. today. Those crops are alfalfa, apples, canola, corn (field and sweet), cotton, papaya, potatoes, soybeans, squash and sugar beets.  The efforts to genetically modify these crops focus entirely on expressing positive traits that support quality of the crop and improving resistance to certain concerns, such as insects. The infographic below identifies the genetic traits expressed, as well as the uses of the 10 GMO crops approved in the U.S. ...

Answered by Community Manager

Question

Q: What are the development and widespread use of wheat? ...

A: There is no GMO wheat commercially available anywhere in the world. Currently, there are just 10 GMO crops commercially available in the U.S. today. Those crops are alfalfa, apples, canola, corn (field and sweet), cotton, papaya, potatoes, soybeans, squash and sugar beets.  To learn more about the development of wheat, please visit the National Association of Wheat Growers’ website. You can also find additional information on the complexity of its genome here and here. Below is an infographic from the International Wheat Genome that illustrates wheats’ importance as a staple f ...

Answered by Community Manager

Question

Q: What is the process of the production of GMO wheat? Flowchart? ...

A: There is no GMO wheat commercially available anywhere in the world. There are just 10 GMO crops commercially available in the U.S. today. Those crops are alfalfa, apples, canola, corn (field and sweet), cotton, papaya, potatoes, soybeans, squash and sugar beets.  However, posted below is a five-minute video that offers a great visual illustration of how GMOs are made.   We hope this answers your question, if you have any other questions about GMOs or biotechnology, please ask here! ...

Answered by Community Manager

Question

Q: How does wheat gluten relate to GMO? ...

A: Thank you for taking the time to submit your question about GMOs and gluten. While there is no genetically modified wheat currently commercialized anywhere in the world, and GMOs are not related to gluten, I appreciate this opportunity to share some resources where you can learn more about gluten and why it is such an important protein in wheat and other crops.   Gluten is a protein not just found in wheat, but also in other crops, including rye and barley, which helps foods like bread, maintain their shape. The Wheat Foods Council, a leading source of science-based information on w ...

Answered by Jennifer Spurgat

A: The short and easy answer is that they are not related. Gluten is a protein in wheat and is said to be the glue that holds or binds bread together while giving it a desired chewy texture. Because wheat gluten cannot be tolerated with those having celiac disease, it has received enormous attention in the past several years mostly as a gluten-free diet craze for both celiac sufferers as well as the general population. While wheat is the primary grain containing gluten, it is also found in smaller amounts in rye and barley.     Genetically modified or GMO wheat is not current ...

Answered by Community Manager

A: Thank you for taking the time to submit your question about GMOs and gluten. While there is no genetically modified wheat currently commercialized anywhere in the world, and GMOs are not related to gluten, I appreciate this opportunity to share some resources where you can learn more about gluten and why it is such an important protein in wheat and other crops.   Gluten is a protein not just found in wheat, but also in other crops, including rye and barley, which helps foods like bread, maintain their shape. The Wheat Foods Council, a leading source of science-based information on w ...

Answered by Jennifer Spurgat

A: The short and easy answer is that they are not related. Gluten is a protein in wheat and is said to be the glue that holds or binds bread together while giving it a desired chewy texture. Because wheat gluten cannot be tolerated with those having celiac disease, it has received enormous attention in the past several years mostly as a gluten-free diet craze for both celiac sufferers as well as the general population. While wheat is the primary grain containing gluten, it is also found in smaller amounts in rye and barley.     Genetically modified or GMO wheat is not current ...

Answered by Community Manager

Question

Q: I recently looked at an article that states the new genetically modified wheat c ...

A: In Brief: Fortunately, recent research has proved this worrying claim to be false. Even before these recent findings, there was a huge amount of scientific evidence showing that RNA eaten in food in the diet is very unlikely to ever reach a human gene and bring about gene silencing in the human body (summarised here by the Australian food safety regulator FSANZ http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/gmfood/Pages/Response-to-Heinemann-et-al-on-the-regulation-of-GM-crops-and-foods-developed-using-gene-silencing.aspx).   Answer: Whole grain foods and food fiber are good for your h ...

Answered by David Tribe Ph.D.

Question

Q: I have read several articles and watched an alarming utube video that blame GMOs ...

A: Sorry to hear about your husband’s problem.  One of my best friends has GI issues as does her daughter and it is not pleasant.  They’ve been looking for answers too, so I did some research and thought I’d chime in here. I’ll provide some thoughts on why it is not due to anti-pest measures in GMO food, then a bit on increasing celiac disease and then address potential causes, their tie to GMO, and finally a rather interesting twist on the future of GMO and celiac disease.   The anti-pest protein (we'll call it Bt from now on) does not make "sto ...

Answered by Kevin Folta

Question

Q: Under the tab PUBLIC REVIEW, you claim JAPAN is a supporter of your GMO. Why did ...

A: Japan is a strong supporter of biotech crops. As with most countries, its regulatory system requires a rigorous review and assessment of all of the scientific studies on each biotech trait. If its assessment concludes the GM trait and crop are safe, Japan grants a regulatory approval that allows the crop to be imported and used as food or animal feed. (Check out this table — GMO Safety Reviews and Approvals from Around the World — which captures many of the products Japan has approved since 1995.)   However, if Japan’s regulatory agencies have not reviewed and approve ...

Answered by Kelly Clauss

Question

Q: Probably the first well-known GMO food that has circulated in our food supply fo ...

A: Firstly, I want to clarify that there are no transgenic or GM wheat varieties in the marketplace. However, has wheat ever been genetically modified? Yes, but not commercially. The wheat varieties that you are referring to are genetically engineered wheat, which is created through traditional plant breeding and this question brings some important issues to the surface: the manner in which new wheat varieties are created and traits that serve as realistic targets. Singled out here is plant height and whether or not changes in plant height may impact other characteristics of wheat. Let’s ta ...

Answered by Brett F. Carver

Question

Q: Any response on the UCLA study that shows in order to increase wheat crop yields ...

A: We reached out to Bob Goldberg in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at UCLA. Included below is his response to this question: “There is no genetically engineered wheat grown anywhere in the world. Wheat was the first crop to be domesticated, ~10,000 years ago, by our ancestors. Gluten is a protein that is naturally found in wheat seeds and is used by the wheat plant when it germinates as a source of carbon and nitrogen for the growing seedling.  Dwarf wheat is not a GMO, as there is no genetically engineered wheat on the market or grown for animal or human ...

Answered by Community Manager

Question

Q: Has Monsanto determined why their experimental GMO wheat has appeared unwittingl ...

A: The quick answer is: no, the USDA is still conducting an investigation into the detection of GM wheat plants in one field of one farm in Oregon.  However, there is no evidence that GM wheat has appeared in the commercial wheat supply, including wheat seed, grain or flour, and all markets are currently open for the purchase of U.S. wheat.    Following is more detail:   USDA is conducting an investigation, and we are looking into the situation as well.  While neither of these investigations is closed, both USDA and Monsanto have stated that all of the evid ...

Answered by Steve Joehl

A: UPDATED ANSWER   To update the readers to this question previously answered August 20, 2013, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that it has completed its investigation of an isolated incident involving the presence of Roundup Ready ® wheat on a commercial farmer’s field in Oregon in May 2013.  The final report was released by USDA APHIS on September 26, 2014.   USDA reported that there is no evidence that genetically modified wheat is in commerce or the commercial wheat seed supply.  Simply put, the USDA cannot find any prese ...

Answered by Steve Joehl

A: UPDATED ANSWER   To update the readers to this question previously answered August 20, 2013, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that it has completed its investigation of an isolated incident involving the presence of Roundup Ready ® wheat on a commercial farmer’s field in Oregon in May 2013.  The final report was released by USDA APHIS on September 26, 2014.   USDA reported that there is no evidence that genetically modified wheat is in commerce or the commercial wheat seed supply.  Simply put, the USDA cannot find any prese ...

Answered by Community Manager

A: UPDATED ANSWER   To update the readers to this question previously answered August 20, 2013, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that it has completed its investigation of an isolated incident involving the presence of Roundup Ready ® wheat on a commercial farmer’s field in Oregon in May 2013.  The final report was released by USDA APHIS on September 26, 2014.   USDA reported that there is no evidence that genetically modified wheat is in commerce or the commercial wheat seed supply.  Simply put, the USDA cannot find any prese ...

Answered by Steve Joehl

A: UPDATED ANSWER   To update the readers to this question previously answered August 20, 2013, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that it has completed its investigation of an isolated incident involving the presence of Roundup Ready ® wheat on a commercial farmer’s field in Oregon in May 2013.  The final report was released by USDA APHIS on September 26, 2014.   USDA reported that there is no evidence that genetically modified wheat is in commerce or the commercial wheat seed supply.  Simply put, the USDA cannot find any prese ...

Answered by Community Manager