Food Sources - Genetically Modified Crops
Food Preparation & Nutrition: AQA GCSE, topic 6.1.2
Genetically Modified Crops
Genetically modified (GM) foods have desirable characteristics because of gene modifications.
GM plants and crops
- To make GM plants, we take a desirable gene from one plant/animal/bacterium and place it into another plant.
- GM crops grow from GM seeds.
Examples
- GM soybeans that are resistant to weed-killers like Roundup.
- GM cotton and maize that is toxic to some pests. Farmers can get a higher yield if pests eat less of the crop.
Locations
- The UK does not grow GM crops.
- The USA, Brazil, Argentina, India and Canada are among the countries that grow GM crops.
Advantages and Disadvantages of GM Crops
Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified (GM) crops:
Advantages
- We can make crops grow faster.
- Farmers get a higher crop yield, so production costs are lower.
- Lower production costs mean lower consumer prices.
- We can modify GM crops to contain nutrients that people lack in their diets.
- We can modify crops to have longer shelf lives to reduce food waste.
- We can make some seasonal foods available sooner in the year by modifying crops to ripen earlier.
Disadvantages
- May affect the number of flowers and weeds and insect populations, so reducing farmland diversity.
- Possible health effects (no science yet).
- Sellers are restricted in parts of the world.
- E.g. some GM foods cannot be imported under EU law.
- People could develop allergies to GM foods.
- GM genes could cause issues in the wider environment (e.g. creation of a 'superweed' that is resistant to herbicide).
Safety Concerns about GM Crops
Some consumers worry about the unnatural altering of genes. The European Union has guidelines on GM foods because of safety concerns.
Labelling and safety assessments
- According to EU law:
- Producers must label GM foods. This extends to foods that contain 1% or more of GM ingredients.
- Meat and dairy products don't have to be labelled if the animals they came from were fed on GM foods.
- Safety assessments must be carried out for GM foods. GM foods cannot be sold if any health risks are identified.
Test yourself on Food Sources - Genetically Modified Crops
GM foods have desirable characteristics because of gene modifications. What does GM stand for?
Which country does NOT grow GM crops?
When do meat and dairy products NOT need to be labelled?
According to EU law, producers must label foods that contain what percentage of GM ingredients?