Transcript Introduction of GM food

Introduction of GM food
GM foods mean foods or food ingredients that are or
are derived from organisms that have been modified through the
use of modern biotechnology. The new biotechnology is actually
an extension of traditional plant breeding. The traditional plant
breeding techniques, such as cross-fertilization of selected
plants help people to produce desired traits. This is “old
biotechnology.” The new biotechnology, known variously as
gene splicing, recombinant DNA, or genetic engineering,
involves direct modification of DNA, a living thing‘s genetic
material. This new technique is more precise, making it possible
to direct and predict changes without introducing extraneous,
undesirable traits. The new technique will also allow scientists to
introduce genes from essentially any organism into a plant.
Transformation
techniques
Methods that put the
recombinant DNA
into cell
Recombinant DNA
techniques
Formation of
recombinant DNA
(plasmid, target DNA)
3 main types of GM food technique
• 1. Inserting genes:
• Genes are determined by different DNA sequences, when the
isolated gene is inserted into a plant, it becomes part of the plant’s
gene and works with its own function .
• This method can increase or improve the plant such as resistance to
insects, which increases the yield of food afterwards.
• 2 Removing genes:
• The function is reduced or stopped through genetic modification. We
reduce the function of virus which causes dried and spot of the
tomato by removing parts of the gene, thus that virus cannot be
reproduced and tomato can grow healthily.
• 3. Changing the process of catabolism
• Food can be enhanced by changing the process of catabolism, such
as controlling the percentage of starch of glutinous rice, and it also
includes controlling the taste, mass, colour, and usefulness of food.
How common is GM food?
• 80% of rice and wheat used nowadays.
• Half of the fields are used for planting GM
food.
• 40% soy bean of US are genetic modified,
and 60% of soy bean’s products become
GM food.
• 71 kinds of plants and micro-organisms in
US were reported until 2005.
Example of GM Food
[2]
• The first GM whole food, FLAVR SAVRTM tomato, was
marketed in the United States in 1994.
– Slower ripen rate
– Ripen longer on vine
– Fully developed flavors
Flavr Savr Tomato developed by Calgene
(Sources: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agripedia/glossary/flavr.htm)
Other examples of GM Food
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Soy bean
Corn
Papaya
Potato
Tomato
Milk from GM
cow
• Pumpkin
Other examples of GM Food
• McDonald’s hamburger
• KFC’s Zinger burger
• Maxim’s Ham-egg
sandwich
• KFC’s Mashed potato
with gravy
• Wyeth Nursoy Soy Based
Infant Formula
• Nissin Chicken Cup
Noodles
• Pringles Sour Cream'N
Onion
Potential Benefits
1.
2.
Cure diseases or other medical uses
A Singapore doctor is working on removing a gene
from mice, if it is transferred to potato’s gene, it can
produce a protein abbreviated as ANF, which is used
to cure hypertension, congestive heart failure, and
failure of kidney.
Increase the yield of food
If the gene of plant is altered, their life cycle can be
reduced. Compare with normal plant in same period of
time, their yield is increased.
Example: Normal corn’s life cycle is half year and GM
corn’s life cycle is 3 months. Each cycle can produce
500 corns. After 1 year, there are 1000 normal corns
while 2000 GM corns, which is doubled of the normal
one.
Potential Benefits
3.
4.
Resistance to bad living conditions
In bad living conditions, the quantity and quality of
normal plant decreases a lot, changing the gene of
plant can make them grow healthily under bad
conditions, and it brings advantages to companies and
consumers.
Besides, the plant may not be necessarily grown in
original region but could be in mountains, desert or
snowfield.
Improve the appearance and taste of food
The juice of tomato can have a better taste, and
watermelon will have no seeds after genetically
modified.
Example: Cubic watermelons and much larger apples
which have been grown in Japan.
Potential Benefits
5. More resistance to insects
The immunity towards insects is increased, hence less
insecticide is used and less production cost is needed,
the price can also be reduced.
As no insecticide is used, it is safer to eat as insecticide
is harmful to human.
6. Enhance the nutrition of food
The nutrition value increases by changing the genes of
food, thus consumer will gain advantages from it.
Example: GM rice produce more protein.
GM tomatoes have more vitamin.
Potential Benefits
7.
8.
Alter the properties of food so that it is easier for food
processing
The production cost is reduced as it is easier to process
the food, which leads to a lower price of that food hence
it is economical.
As there are fewer processes, less raw materials are
wasted and it protects the environment.
Remove the parts causing allergy
The substances causing allergy can be removed, and
things that have never been eaten by human before can
be genetically modified so that it is suitable for eating,
hence there are more choices of food.
Potential Hazard
1 Affect the ecosystem
There are cycles among different food chains, they relies on each other to
form a steady and stable condition. GM food will affect this equilibrium
seriously and it may cause extinction of certain species as many GM food
is resistant towards insects.
2 Super-germs may exist
GM plant with immunity towards insect may develop super germs that have
immunity towards GM plant. GM food may suffer from some new diseases
and pass them to human through food chain.
GM food’s pollen grain or seed will be pollinated to other farmlands which
cause the change of tradition species. When grass gain the new genes, it
may become super grass which affect the ecosystem and cause hazard
towards food production. It also leads to the more frequent use of grass
remover and brings hazard towards the land.
Example: GM soybean’s pollen grain cross with grass to form super grass
that will not be killed easily.
Potential Hazard
3.
Cause allergy
As the structure of GM food is altered, it may cause
allergy and the affected area may spread seriously.
4.
Cause failure of antibiotics
When genes are inserted to cells, scientists will add
some antibiotic to determine whether it is successful or
not. If it is a success, new cells will gain immunity
towards antibiotic and increase the strength of germs.
As many plants have gained immunity towards insect,
when people suffer from the disease or eat the plants,
the antibiotics will become useless. And there may be
no ways to fight against the super germs.
Potential Hazard
5. Alter the nutrition of food
One of the uses of GM food is to increase the yield by
shortening the life cycle, however, as the growing period
is shorten, the nutrition value may decrease.
6. Produce toxin and fatal disease
The process of making GM food may produce toxin and
fatal disease which may cause death after eating the
food.
7. Transfer harmful substance to other organisms
As virus is used to transfer gene for making GM food,
and the gene transfer process cannot be controlled
easily, it is possible for virus to gain harmful substance
and harm other animals since.
Potential Hazard
8. Extinct of certain genes
Companies want to earn as much as possible hence
they insert genes to their food so that no further
generation can be produced, this causes extinction of
food.
When new genes are used commonly, the old ones will
be abandoned and face extinction.
9. Indistinguishable between GM and non-GM food
Soy bean from USA resist the insecticide hence 40%
soybean were imported to Europe, however, both GM
and non-GM soy bean are mixed and USA claims that
there is no difference between GM soybean and normal
one.
Evidence of hazard
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The evolution of bacteria
German scientist has discovered and shown GM food’s gene has been
passed onto organisms, and change the structure of gene of micro
organism living in ileum. This proves that it will affect the human’s health,
and it makes us worry as our genes may also be altered.
An experiment was set up as follows:
Genetic modified pollen grains were fed to young bees for a period of time,
and the bacteria found in the bees’ ileum contains genes of GM pollen grain.
Another example was introduced, the GM potato were fed to mice, and it
thickens the wall of stomach, this shows that the chance of having cancer
increases. Besides, the mice become weaker in fighting against disease
and the brains of the mice wither. Other bad effects were found in kidney,
intestine and spleen. GM potato will harm the liver and immune system.
A person who is allergic to Brazil’s walnut ate some soybean that contains
gene of the Brazil’s walnut showed same allergic symptoms in1991.
Amazing Findings of GM food
• A 2005 study conducted by PG Economics
investigating the global impact of GM crops reported
that they contributed to significantly reduced
greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural
practices. This reduction results from decreased fuel
use, about 1.8 billion litres in the past nine years,
and additional soil carbon sequestration because of
reduced ploughing or improved conservation tillage
associated with biotech crops. In 2004, this
reduction was equivalent to eliminating more than 10
billion kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, or
removing 5 million cars — one-fifth of the cars
registered in the United Kingdom — from the road
for one year.
Conclusion
• After knowing the principles behind genetic engineering and GM
food and realizing the potential benefits and hazards of GM food, we
can overall or at least have a better understanding of the scope of
GM food. Undoubtedly, GM food has both potential benefits and
hazards. But no matter you like GM food or not, it is widespread
globally and can be found worldwide. Just look around and you will
see them all around you. The worldwide spread of GM food is still a
controversial issue nowadays. No one can surely say that GM food
has more benefits than demerits or say that it has more hazards
than merits. The truth of GM food is not yet unlocked for the time
being. It takes time and effort for the truth to be unlocked in the
foreseeable generations.
• Overall, after comparing the potential benefits and hazards of GM
food, our group agrees that GM food can bring more merits than
demerits to human beings. To a certain extent, GM food is a
valuable asset to the modern world.
Group Member List
• Chan Kwing Lam (1)
• Chu Ho Shing (5)
• Lam Chung Kwun (12)