One of the most talked about nutritional problems recently is Genetically Modified Organisms, which came to the fore with the GMO food definition. These foods and substances, known as GMO foods, are obtained by changing the genetic structure of a living thing using Genetic Engineering technology.
By changing the gene structure of the living thing in a laboratory environment, a living creature is created to which new features are transferred. If this gene belongs to another living creature, the new species formed is called a Transgenic Organism (for example, the gene of an insect is transferred to a food). These processes are done while the plant to be produced is at the seed stage, not with a technique such as grafting after the plants have grown. By planting genetically modified seeds, a harvest with new properties is obtained.
So why did science turn to producing such foods? Food policies have been changed to meet the increasing nutritional needs of developed countries. In fact, the problem was not due to insufficient food production. The real problem was with the unbalanced distribution of the food produced. Instead of adopting legal practices that require precautions in order to protect their own benefits, developed countries preferred to produce such scientific solutions that increase production and income but have a lot of potential harm.
Thanks to the GMO application, manufacturing companies have many advantages. Thanks to the new gene features of the plants produced:
• Plants with higher resistance properties need less fertilizer and pesticides
• Thanks to the species with better quality characteristics, more efficiency is obtained and the harvest amount is increased
• Less pesticides are used by creating plants that are resistant to insect species. • Plants that are resistant to diseases are produced. Resistant fruits have been produced in some places - Strawberry)
While all of these seem like useful applications at first glance, they are actually In the beginning, it only increased the advantages of the producer and changed the economic cycles thanks to high income. Most importantly, the health of future generations has been threatened by the deterioration of the ecological balance.
GMO scientific studies continued for many years and eventually the first application was started by planting corn in the United States in 1995. The first GMO application in our country was started in 1998 with the cultivation of cotton, corn and potatoes. The countries that produce the most GMOs after the USA are Argentina, Brazil, India and China. The most produced foods are corn, potatoes, tomatoes, rice, soy, canola, wheat, sunflower, peanuts, some fish species, fruits, tea and food by-products.
25 GMO foods imported to our country The entry of all types of nutrients and food by-products is free. These are products such as corn, soy, cotton, canola, sugar beet, potatoes, tomatoes and by-products, bacteria and yeast. In the food industry, most of these substances are included in many foods. The potential harms of these foods, which have been consumed uncontrollably for the last 15 years, are slowly emerging.
In production in America, precautions are being taken by leaving at least 50 m of space between the field where GMO food is planted and other fields. However, research has shown that the properties of GMO food can be transported up to 4.5 km thanks to pollination, pollen, birds and insects. Some studies have even pointed out that it can spread over an area of 10 km. If GMO food disrupts the genetics of the same species of organism, this is called horizontal gene escape. If GMO food can transfer its genetic properties from plants to animals and even humans and disrupts their genes, this is called vertical gene escape.
Research on GMO foods continues in terms of health. The potential harms found are stated as having allergic and carcinogenic effects, resistance to antibiotics, gene transfer, harm to other microorganisms and unknown harms. A creature that is genetically completely different from its own species disrupts the ecological balance by harming other creatures living in the same environment (other plants/insects/animals). It is also safe for the creatures (animals/humans) that consume it as food. Since we, as consumers, cannot distinguish which foods are GMOs, food policies need to take protective measures in this direction. The entry of GMO foods into our country is not prohibited. Because there are no technical possibilities to analyze every substance that enters. However, the GMO regulation came into force on September 26, 2010. Since this date, labeling of GMO foods has become mandatory. Statements such as "The genetic structure has been modified or obtained from a GMO product" will appear on the food item. The use of GMOs in baby food and children's food is strictly prohibited. Labeling has become mandatory.
Another negative effect of GMO foods is that they make producers dependent on seed producers due to sterile seeds. The seed of a fruit produced from a GMO seed cannot be used in the second harvest because it is sterile. In addition, each country must protect its own genetic diversity by taking precautions against the possibility of GMO foods harming other species due to gene escape.
As a result, although their harms have not yet been proven, the potential harms of GMO foods are known. Individual precautions can be taken by increasing consumers' awareness of reading labels, but the real awareness must be shown by companies and supervisory institutions that produce and offer food to many people.
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