Labeling GMO's

The current labeling in the US is simple, companies can choose to label their products, but it is not mandatory, this is to avoid technical issues and loss of production. But there is companies that are starting to label their products if they are NONE GMO's, this is to insure the worrisome buyers that the product that they are about to consume is not genetically modified. I on one believe that GMO's should not be label because of so much controversy that is going on, if companies label their products they risk the losing their clients, and honestly U.S thrives on big companies, if big food companies start labeling their foods they will loss their income. Anyways people that are consensus of GMO's are mainly concerned because they do not know the human health risks or benefits.

http://www.nongmoproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Revised-Seal-copy.jpg

The Controversy of GMO's

For a long time people have doubted if GMO's are a danger to our health, and if scientist are so "secure" of the GMO's why not just label them? An article in New York Times "Battle Brewing Over Labeling of Genetically Modified Food" talks about how many civilians are questioning whether or not GMO's are safe and also civilians have the right to know what they are consuming. This article shows why GMOs should be labeled or not. This opposes my argument because people doubt the products that have GMOs and question if they are safe. The fact is, that they are right scientist do not have evidence of how GMOs may affect the body. But why should we focus on the bad when we can focus on the good? What if a plant could be genetically engineered to help someone lose weight, what if a certain type of food that is GM would help people with potassium deficiency. These GMO foods could create positive what ifs. Yes, they are unknown but have we ever thought of the positive possibility? The possibilities are endless and probably prosperous. 


HARMON, AMY. "Dispute Over Labeling of Genetically Modified Food - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/25/science/dispute-over-labeling-of-genetically-modified-food.html?_r=1&ref=geneticallymodifiedfood>.

Results of the GMO lab.

This is the  results we got from our GMO lab, yes the bands are extremely faint :

But thankfully our other classmates Diana Kaputyan and Juana Velazquez also did cornbread and produced visible bands :

This gel basically shows how the Cornbread that we tested is NOT a GMO product. We used a Non-GMO food control, Test food, and GMO positive control. My gel consists of lanes 2&3 that are Non GMO food controls, Lanes 4&5 that are Test food(cornbread DNA), 6&7 that are GMO positive control, and lane 1 is the ruler. The GMO positve lanes appear but not the cornbread lanes, which shows evidence that the cornbread that we used is not a GMO product.

Purpose of GMO Lab

As our final project in my biotechnology class we had a GMO lab where we tested food to find out if they were GMO products or not. My partner and I decided to test out cornbread and find out if it was actually a GMO product. The lab includes various step to test for the presence of GMOs, we used PCR and gel electrophoresis to finally find if it is a true GMO product. PCR is process we use to amplify a certain gene. We use a DNA template that has the gene we want to amplify, then we have two primers, Taq polymerase, buffer and magnesium. With all these ingredients that we use in PCR it will help us ampliy the gene that we desire.

How GMOs are made

GMOs are made by getting a specific gene from one organism and introducing it to another organism so it grows and expresses that specific gene. In simpler ways GMO products have their genes altered by choosing a specific gene from a different organism and expressing it.
An example of a genetic engineering process for agricultural crops is when a plant has its gene altered to become a "pest-resistance crop". This helps farmers not lose their annual crop because of insects that eat it all up.

Diagram process of GMO'S

Why GMOS?

GMOs the new product of the future, they are altering our lives we are surrounded by them wherever we go. The GMOs supply the growing population with endless amounts of food. The use of GMOs have given the push this nation needs to thrive. GMO plants such as soybean, corn, canola and rice have been available for human consumption in the U.S. The purpose of genetically modified food is to offer endless possibilities such as reducing the use of pesticides, which pollute our ecosystem, to be able to add more vitamins and proteins in food, and to also maybe one day be able to find new treatments for various diseases. GMOs bring endless amounts of hope, and prosperity. GM crops should be used in our lives because they create a difference they reduce pollution in our ecosystem, they make people who eat them stronger and healthier. GMOs are part of our future, and they will lead us towards success.