Genno modified products have been the most favorite topic of ongoing debate over the past few years. Opinions are divided, some say that these products pose a great danger to human health, others, on the contrary, argue that the harm of these products has not yet been proven by any research conducted. To eat or not to eat genetically modified foods?
What are genetically modified foods and how are they obtained?
Genetically modified (GMO) or transgenic organisms (plants) are those into whose genetic structure a “target gene” has been introduced from other plant or animal species in order to give them qualitatively new properties useful to humans. For example, to increase the yield of wheat, create a variety that is resistant to drought, to any pests, weeds, to improve the taste of plants, extend their shelf life, etc.
Work on breeding genetically modified plants is carried out in laboratory conditions. To do this, a gene is first isolated from a plant or animal needed for transplantation, and then it is introduced into the cell of the plant whose properties are required to be improved. All genetically modified plants, as a rule, undergo testing for food and biological safety.
There are about 50 plant species in the world produced using the achievements of genetic engineering, including soybeans, rice, eggplants, apples, rye, wheat, cabbage, rapeseed, strawberries, tobacco, cucumbers, corn, and cotton. Directly in Russia, a ban has been imposed on the production of genetically modified plants and, accordingly, products. However, there is no ban on the import of such products from abroad and their sale. The result is a variety of products on the shelves of our stores made from genetically modified plants, for example, soy: protein products for athletes, semi-finished meat products, dry soy milk, ice cream, cheese and the like. In addition, there is permission to import one genetically modified variety of potato and two varieties of the same corn.
The benefits of genetically modified products.
Undoubtedly, there are benefits from genetically modified products, and they lie in economic benefits. They help in solving many issues related to supplying the population with agricultural products, including in case of famine or drought. The area of arable land used for growing vegetables and grains not only does not correspond to the rate of population growth on the planet, it is also decreasing. Therefore, genetically modified plants and their cultivation can make it possible to increase crop yields several times even in small agricultural areas. In addition, growing genetically modified plants will help to significantly reduce production costs, which will affect the final cost of the product, which will be several times less. For example, a ton of “normal” wheat costs on average about three hundred dollars, and a ton of transgenic wheat costs only fifty dollars. There is a difference? What are the savings? Of course, the production of such plants is beneficial both to the producers themselves (due to low costs) and to the consumers of this “raw material”, from which it can be made several times more product than from "normal".
However, despite such positive sides, most biologists say that it is unknown how the consumption of genetically modified foods will affect human health in the future, after several generations, since current research has not yet proven any negative impact. Even, on the contrary, the cultivation of such plants can, over time, make it possible to get rid of various toxic substances (pesticides) used today in large quantities in the production of various agricultural plants. This, in turn, will reduce the number of immune disorders, chronic (allergic) diseases, etc.
Why are genetically modified foods dangerous?
As mentioned above, all genetically engineered plants must undergo safety testing. This is the crux of the problem. Nobody informs the public about the results of such studies. Therefore, a special institute of independent experts is needed that will establish the reliability of all research conducted. The need for such an institute is explained by the fact that many studies of this kind are carried out through the financing of manufacturing companies that benefit from a positive result, because genetically modified products will help not only recoup all costs, but also make huge profits. Therefore, various falsifications of research results arise. We won’t go far for an example. When checking the safety of one of the varieties of modified potatoes, it turned out that eating it can lead to changes in the composition of the blood and internal organs. And, despite this, the variety has been approved and is widely used by people for food. There was always big money more important than health citizens.
Of course, the transgene itself, consumed by people, will not cause visible harm, since it will not be able to penetrate into the gene code of people. However, this gene will wander around the body and stimulate the synthesis of proteins that are not intended by nature for human body. Therefore, what the result of such a synthesis will be in the future can only be guessed at. Many scientists talk about the possible dangers associated with the consumption of genetically modified products. Among them we can note food hazard, namely, metabolic disorders, weakened immunity, the appearance of various non-harmless allergic reactions. In addition, the result of consuming products containing genetically modified organisms may be a violation of the structure of the gastric mucosa and resistance of the intestinal microflora to antibiotics. It is also possible that health levels may decrease due to the accumulation of herbicides in the body, since genetically modified plants tend to accumulate them. Consumption of genetically engineered products can trigger the development of cancer.
The use of genetically modified plants also causes environmental harm, affecting variety formation. As a rule, one, sometimes two plant varieties are taken to work with genes. Therefore, there is a possibility of extinction of many plant species. Radical ecologists warn that the consumption of genetically modified products undermines the gene pool, which may result in the emergence of mutant genes and their carriers will also be mutants. One way or another, all the fears and warnings regarding the use of genetically modified foods will become clear no earlier than after half a century, when a generation of people eating transgenic food has changed.
What genetically modified products can be found on store shelves?
In most cases, stores stock genetically modified products from soybeans, corn, rapeseed, potatoes, as well as meat, vegetables, fruits, fish and some other products. Genetically modified plants may be part of baby food, sausages, chocolates, margarine, ice cream, vegetable oil, mayonnaise, bakery and confectionery. These products are taste qualities They are in no way inferior to natural ones, only their cost is much lower. However, manufacturers do not always indicate on the labels of their products that they contain genetically modified organisms or that these products are genetically modified. In our country, the requirements of sanitary and hygienic standards provide for the mandatory presence of information of this kind on the product if the composition of a genetically modified product contains GMOs of 0.9% or more of the total volume of the product. Despite this, such information is not always indicated on products.
To produce products, genetically modified plants and organisms are used as raw materials by such well-known companies as Nestlé (coffee, chocolate, baby food), Hersheys ( soft drinks, chocolate), Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola (sweet carbonated drinks), McDonald's, Danone (dairy products, baby food), Similac (baby food) and some others.
Each person decides for himself whether to purchase genetically modified products or not. But still, I would not take risks and consume products whose effects have not yet been studied, especially giving them to children whose bodies have not yet formed. But this is just my opinion. The choice is yours.
At the end of June, the State Duma adopted a law banning the cultivation of genetically modified plants and animals in Russia. The decision was criticized by representatives of the Russian scientific community - the harm of GMOs has not been scientifically proven by any research. At the height of the debate, more than a hundred Nobel laureates signed a letter calling for an end to the campaign against GMOs.
At the same time, the farmer cooperative LavkaLavka is enthusiastic about supported new law, declaring that “GMOs are the path to world collapse, famine and darkness.” The ensuing criticism and accusations of incompetence and obscurantism at LavkaLavka were called a planned information attack, and opponents of the new law were accused of almost working for international corporations. All this has provoked a new discussion about the dangers and benefits of genetic engineering.
We asked Mikhail Gelfand, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor of the Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics of Moscow State University, member of the European Academy, and Alexander Panchin, Candidate of Biological Sciences and author of the book “Sum of Biotechnology. A Guide to Combating Myths About Genetic Modification of Plants, Animals, and People” comment on the most common myths about GMOs.
“GMOs are unnatural and therefore harmful”
Alexander Panchin:
“The idea that what is natural is healthy, and what is healthy must be natural, is wrong, but it is deeply ingrained in people’s minds. Toadstool, for example, is completely natural, but you shouldn't eat it. Or smallpox is a natural pathogen that causes serious illness, and the smallpox vaccine was invented artificially to defeat smallpox. Or they praise natural ones organic products, which are cultivated on farms, but there are examples of mass poisoning with products from such farms. Thousands of people die from infectious diseases caused by completely natural pathogens, E. coli and salmonella, but not a single person has died from the “terrible GMO”.
At the same time, there are many examples of the benefits of GMOs from a consumer point of view. For example, tomatoes are rich in anthocyanins, substances found in blueberries and black currants. These substances, according to research, reduce the risk cancer diseases and diabetes. Another well-known example of a beneficial GMO is golden rice, rich in vitamin A, which was bred specifically to compensate for the deficiency of this vitamin in residents of developing countries. Or potatoes, which produce fewer carcinogens when processed.
“GMOs cause allergies, cancer and infertility”
Mikhail Gelfand:
“In the thesis that a person can have allergy for a genetically modified product, like for any other, there is minimal meaning. There was one such example - the Brazil nut gene was transplanted into soybeans to make it richer in fats. And those who are sensitive to this soy could be allergic. brazil nut. If a person is allergic to a certain protein, and the transplanted gene encodes this protein, then there will be an allergic reaction to the new product.
But since this problem has long been known, when testing the variety side effects tested: This soybean variety with the nut gene has not been tested. There is also the opposite effect. Let's imagine that someone is allergic to apples, to the specific protein they contain. Accordingly, if you remove the genes that encode this protein, you will get a non-allergenic apple variety that people will be able to eat.
What GMOs provoke cancer development- senseless lies spread by unscrupulous people. There is no scientific evidence of this, and, on the contrary, there are experimental and observational studies that show that consuming GMOs does not lead to cancer.
Where did this legend come from? There are two sources. First, the study is an article by Gilles-Eric Séralini in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology. He fed the rats genetically modified corn, and they developed tumors. The work was done at a low scientific level, and the article was eventually withdrawn from the journal and was criticized in the scientific community. The fact is that Séralini worked with a strain of Sprague-Dawley rats, which were bred specifically to study anticancer drugs on them; these rats grow tumors regardless of what they are fed. But on television or on the Internet they like to show photographs of these rats with tumors as evidence that eating GMOs leads to cancer.
The second source is the lectures of Irina Ermakova [Russian biologist]. In some variants of genetic engineering, Agrobacterium was used, which seemed to be a convenient mechanism for genetic manipulation of plants. This bacterium causes growths in plants that look like bumps on the stems, similar to tumors. Ermakova shows pictures of these plants and tries to prove that those varieties obtained with the help of this bacterium will cause tumors in animals. But growths in plants have nothing in common with cancerous tumors; plants do not have cancerous tumors at all.
There is probably a misconception that GMOs can cause infertility, based on experiments on rats by the same Irina Ermakova. You need to understand about these experiments that they were not published in any serious scientific journal. On the contrary, there are quite a lot of experiments that were carried out on existing genetically modified varieties, when rabbits and rodents were observed in several generations. No infertility was recorded.
“Fields with GM products are treated with toxins (herbicides), such products cannot be eaten”
Mikhail Gelfand:
“There are statistics that the share of herbicides [ chemical substances used to kill weeds] in fields with GMOs and in fields without GMOs is approximately the same. But the use of pesticides in fields with GMOs is on average 40% less, and this is also noticeable because the biodiversity in fields with GMOs is higher than in conventional ones, because less “chemicals” are poured. And eating food with pesticides is much worse for humans than with herbicides: there is a greater chance that they will cause some harm.
Alexander Panchin:
“Even so-called organic farming uses herbicides. The herbicides used on GMO fields are no more dangerous than those used in other types of agriculture.”
“GMOs are harmful to the environment”
Alexander Panchin:
"Most great harm The damage agriculture does to the environment is the conversion of natural ecosystems into arable land due to population growth. For example, there was a swamp with its own living creatures - frogs, for example, this was their natural ecosystem. The swamp was dried up, the ecosystem was destroyed, and turned into agricultural land. But genetic engineering also allows you to save space, increasing the productivity of one piece of land. There are many applications of genetic engineering to protect the environment. This could be used if there wasn't a strong green movement against genetic modification."
Mikhail Gelfand:
“It is likely that the cultivation of GMOs may negatively affect some species of insects. But so far all publications, even in decent magazines, are about bad influence GMOs on insects were ultimately not confirmed. There was an uproar in the press and among the “greens,” and then several articles were published saying that this effect was not confirmed: something was not taken into account or was poorly calculated. But the refutation itself did not become a sensation; they did not write about it so actively.”
“All research on the harmlessness of genetic engineering was bought by large producers of GMO seeds”
Alexander Panchin:
“You need to understand that GMOs are not only transnational corporations. In Russia, China, Iran, the UK and in general in any normal country there are scientists who are developing GMOs, and not all of them work for corporations.
Many of the studies on the benefits or harms of GMOs are conducted at government expense. In Russia, the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Sciences has conducted more than a dozen studies with funds from the state budget, and not with money from seed producers. There is a document from the European Commission that presents the results of more than ten studies on the effects of GMOs on the body and the environment. Hundreds of scientists worked together and came to the conclusion that GMOs are no more dangerous than their counterparts. In general, all modern molecular genetics says that there are no fundamental differences There is no difference between GMO and non-GMO. There are genes in all living organisms.”
“In the end, the harm of GMOs has been proven by many studies”
Mikhail Gelfand:
“There is no evidence that GMOs are harmful. Harmful varieties do not enter the crop. They undergo very stringent tests, and genetically modified products are strictly licensed. In addition, these are targeted changes and the consequences are predictable, the likelihood that it will accidentally end up in consumption harmful product, is negligible."
Alexander Panchin:
“Not a single serious scientific organization considers GMOs more dangerous than their analogues. The only thing that is promising to discuss now is which GMOs would be useful to the consumer. And what do we need to do next, what new modifications do we need and what needs to be done so that they effectively reach the market. So that they are good, everyone likes them and the people are not afraid of them.”
Nowadays, more and more people are trying to eat healthy and pay increased attention to the quality of the products they eat. This is especially true for parents, since the child’s health directly depends on his diet.
In the wake of the popularity of the principles of a healthy lifestyle, so-called pure organic bioproducts have also become in great demand. The inscription “non-GMO” on the packaging has become a kind of sign of high quality, safety and naturalness.
What actually lies under this abbreviation GMO and how is it translated into simple human language? Are genetically modified foods really that bad for our health? We will try to answer these questions further.
What is GMO?
So, what is GMO and, as they say, “what do they eat it with”? Genetically modified organisms (hereinafter GMO) are organisms whose genome (DNA) has been purposefully changed (improved, supplemented) using genetic engineering methods (source - Wikipedia). It is important to note that changes specifically made by humans to genotype Such organisms would be impossible in living nature due to the mechanisms of natural recombination and reproduction.
This is due to the fact that most living organisms on Earth develop gradually, i.e. generation after generation, adapting to changing conditions of existence. That is why people have learned to influence the process of evolution of plants and animals in order to use the advanced achievements of genetic engineering for scientific as well as economic purposes.
In principle, the decoding of GMOs itself gives a minimal idea of what a genetically modified product is.
In simple words, this is the product for the production of which improved technology was used. gene level raw materials. For example, bread made from wheat that is resistant to temperature changes, products made from modified soybeans, and so on.
Currently, GMOs are produced using transgenes , i.e. specific pieces of DNA that scientists insert into the original genome of an organism. As a result we get transgenic organisms , which, by the way, are capable of passing on improved DNA to their offspring ( transgenesis ).
Genetic engineering has provided modern breeders with an advanced method for improving the DNA of plants and animals. This makes it possible to solve global food problems in those countries where people do not have enough food due to climatic conditions or other unfavorable conditions.
GMO creation process or editing genome consists of the following main steps:
- isolating isolated gene responsible for certain exceptional properties body;
- introduction of genetic material into a nucleic acid molecule (DNA vector) for further transplantation into a cell of a new organism;
- transfer of the vector into the DNA-modified organism;
- cell transformation;
- sampling of GMOs and elimination of unsuccessfully modified organisms.
Genetically modified organisms use:
- In applied and fundamental scientific research. Few people know that thanks to GMOs, scientists are learning more and more every year about the mechanisms of regeneration and aging, about the work nervous system , as well as about such serious diseases as or .
- In pharmacology and medicine. Genetic engineering insulin person was registered in 1982. From that moment on, a new era began in the development of modern medicine. Thanks to breakthroughs in genetic engineering, there are now many life-saving drugs produced from recombinant human proteins, for example, vaccines .
- In agriculture and livestock breeding. Breeders use GMOs to create new varieties of plants that will produce greater yields while being resistant to diseases, climate change and other external factors. Improved animal DNA helps protect them from certain diseases. For example, genetically modified pigs do not become infected African swine fever .
Regarding GMOs throughout large quantity There were fierce disputes over time. The thing is that opponents of genetically modified products argued that they could cause irreparable harm human health (provoke the development cancer , cause mutations ). In addition, the altered DNA of products will have a negative impact on the health of future generations, causing terrible diseases in such genetically modified people.
However, today proponents of genetic engineering have irrefutable evidence of the safety of products improved with transgenes. At the dawn of the development of selective agriculture, scientists such as Michurin tried to improve food plant species using various tricks.
If we talk about GMOs in a broad sense, then these are organisms of the future, obtained thanks to the ability of humans to influence the process of evolution. Scientists involved in genetic engineering set themselves noble goals - to provide people all over the earth with food in the required quantities.
And this is really not easy to do, because there are places where it is really very difficult to grow crops or raise livestock for food. So, we learned how the abbreviation GMO stands for, now let’s talk about the painful stuff.
Harm and benefits of GMOs
As we found out above, GMO products contain components of genetically modified organisms. It turns out that not only the fruits and vegetables themselves and grains (corn, potatoes, rye, wheat, soybeans, and so on) can be called GMO food, but also the products in which they are found.
For example, soy sausages or liverwurst, bakery products, ketchup, sauces, mayonnaise, sweets and so on. It is important to note that meat from cattle or poultry fed with GMO plants cannot be classified as genetically modified products.
It was previously assumed that altered cells of genetically modified foods are capable of integrating into the DNA of the organism that consumes them. However, as scientists have proven, this statement is false. Any food, even if it contains GMOs, under the influence of gastric juice and enzymes breaks down in the human body into fatty acid , sugar, amino acids And triglycerides .
It means that regular products just like genetically modified ones, they are equally absorbed and do not cause harm to health. Another talk of the town about the connection between GMO products and the risk of development oncological diseases , and mutations at the DNA level has been debunked by the scientific community.
In 2005, domestic scientists conducted an experiment on mice and received sad results. As it turned out, the mortality rate of mice from cancer that ate genetically modified soybeans increased sharply. Similar experiments were carried out around the world.
Researchers were in a hurry to publish the sensational results of their observations, sometimes forgetting to double-check everything thoroughly. The media, in a constant state of pursuit of “hot facts,” have been relishing this topic for several years and writing exclusively about possible harm GMO.
Indeed, only a few tried to understand the issue without emotions and get to the truth. As a result, mass hysteria about GMOs reached its apogee and hundreds of thousands of people around the world firmly believed that there was nothing more terrible in their lives than Genetically modified foods .
On forums on the Internet, at home in the kitchen, on the street and in the store, mothers shared their concerns about baby food, which contains ominous GMOs. Grandmothers could not sleep peacefully and thought only about the benefits and harms of Nesquik cocoa, chocolate and other sweets that their grandchildren love so much, and fathers and grandfathers lamented about “not the same” meat products and chemical bread.
Actually for Lately Scientists have not been able to find evidence that eating GMOs increases the risk of developing cancer or other diseases. And all previously conducted experiments could not resist comprehensive criticism and verification.
It turned out that the mice and rats that were used to conduct the experiments also died en masse both when GMOs and regular food were used in their diet. The problem was not with the fruits of genetic engineering, but with this particular species of rodents used in laboratory research. They are genetically more susceptible oncological diseases, regardless of diet.
According to the World Health Organization, talking about the dangers of GMO products can only be based on the results of specific studies of one type or another. Available worldwide, genetically modified products undergo rigorous quality and safety controls. They are consumed as food by entire isolated nations without any mass negative consequences, therefore can be considered safe.
In fairness, it is worth talking about some, albeit not fatal, but still negative aspects associated with GMOs:
- It has been proven that where genetically modified plants once grew, conventional varieties will never be able to grow again. This is due to the fact that the soil where GMO plants grow is poisoned by pesticides, herbicides and other toxic compounds used in agriculture to combat pests and diseases. They kill conventional crops, but cannot harm genetically modified crops.
- GMO plants can accumulate toxic substances (pesticides, poisons).
- Due to changes in DNA structure, not only positive, but also some negative properties plants. For example, GMO soybeans or potatoes can cause persistent.
- GMO plants displace other varieties of their species. This is due to the peculiarity of their pollination.
- GMO plant seeds are disposable material that does not produce offspring. This important point, which is primarily associated with commerce. When the state switches exclusively to GMO plants, abandoning its own crops, it automatically becomes dependent on seed producing companies.
List of GMO products
In 20016, more than a hundred world-famous scientists (chemists, biologists, doctors), including Nobel laureates, sent an open letter to the UN and Greenpeace with a request to stop the persecution of GMOs. Even devout Jews have recognized genetically modified products as kosher, Muslims that they are halal, and the Catholic Church says that it is GMOs that will help solve the food problem in the world.
However, if you still want to know what exactly you are eating, then below is a list of manufacturers who use GMOs and their trade names in their products.
| The product's name | Trade name |
| Chocolate | Hershey's, Fruit&Nut, Milky Way, Mars, M&M, Twix, Snickers, Cadbury, Ferrero, Nestle, M&M’S |
| Cocoa, tea, coffee, chocolate drinks | Cadbury, Nestle, Nesquik, Kraft, Lipton, Conversation, Brooke Bond |
| Soft drinks | Soca-Cola, Pepsi, Sprite, Fanta, 7-up, Dr. Pepper, Kinley tonic, Mountain Dew, Fruittime, Fiesta |
| Cereals and breakfast cereals | Kellogg's, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes, Corn Pops, Froot Loops, Smacks, Apple Jacks, Chocolate Chip, All-Bran, Raisin Bran Crunch, Honey Crunch Corn Flakes, Cracklin'Oat Bran |
| Cookies and sweets | Parmalat, Kraft, Yubileynoye, Hershey’s products (Toblerone, Kit-Kat, Mini Kisses, Kisses, Milk Chocolate Chips, Semi-Sweet Baking Chips, Milk Chocolate Chips, peanut butter Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Strawberry Syrup, Chocolate Syrup, Special Dark Chocolate Syrup), Pop Tarts, Crispix |
| Canned soups | Campbell |
| Rice | Uncle Bens |
| Sauces (ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressings), seasonings, dry soups | Gallina Blanca, Knorr, Hellman's, Heinz, Ryaba, Vprok, Baltimore, Calve, Maggi |
| Meat and sausage products | Minced meat and pate from Mikoyanovsky Meat Processing Plant CJSC, minced meat from Cherkizovsky MPZ OJSC, pate from MK Gurman LLC, Klinsky Meat Processing Plant LLC, MLM-RA LLC, ROS Mari Ltf LLC, Bogatyr Sausage Plant LLC ", LLC "Daria - semi-finished products", LLC "Talosto-products", CJSC "Vichyunai", MPZ "KampoMos", MPZ "Tagansky". |
| Baby food | Similac, Hipp, Nestle, Kraft, Delmi Unilever |
| Canned vegetables | Bonduelle |
| Dairy | Danon, JSC "Lianozovsky Dairy Plant", Campina, Ehrmann |
| Ice cream | Algida |
| Butter, margarine, spread | Puffy, Delmi |
| Chips | Russian potatoes, Lays, Pringles |
This is not an exhaustive list of trade names and manufacturers that use GMOs. Since many people have a very negative attitude towards genetically modified organisms, not all companies want to spoil their image and openly declare that they use the achievements of genetic engineering. And although the problem of GMOs is overblown, and the harm from such products is clearly exaggerated, only the person himself can decide for himself whether to eat them or not.
Many products now carry the “non-GMO” label, raising not only the price of the product by making it “organic”, but also our trust in it. We will tell you what GMOs are, whether you should believe all the myths, and whether they are really as dangerous as they try to present.
What is GMO?
The abbreviation GMO stands for genetically modified organism, which can be a living organism or a food product that is created using genetic engineering. What are the advantages of this notorious genetic engineering technology? The fact is that, for example, in agriculture, pests avoid treated plants, and a very large harvest can be harvested. They have very long term storage and attractive appearance- glossy shine, large size, beautiful shape. They are all created like a carbon copy. That is, it is very profitable, but is it safe for human health?
There are several common opinions about what kind of harm GM foods can cause to the human body:
1. The likelihood of tumor formation increases.
2. The body loses its ability to be susceptible to antibiotics and pills.
3. The easiest outcome is simple food poisoning.
4. GM foods can cause an allergic reaction in the body.
But not all experts today can confirm the veracity of each of these arguments. For example, Pamela Ronald, who has been studying plant genes for many years, argues that there is nothing wrong with GMOs: “Genetic modifications are not something new. Almost everything we eat now has been genetically modified in one way or another." She says: “Genetic modifications, in the sense of gene transfer between species, have been used for more than 40 years in winemaking, medicine, plant breeding, and cheese making. During all this time, there has never been a case where harm was caused to humans or the environment.”
Indeed, the harm of genetically modified organisms has not been officially proven by any scientist, although many experiments and studies have been conducted. So the connection between GM products and the occurrence of tumors is nothing more than an assumption.
As for pill resistance, bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics by creating genes through natural mutation.
Most plants produce substances that are toxic to humans. However, many foods that people consume produce toxins at low enough levels that they do not cause any adverse health effects.
But if genetic engineering technology is added to this plant, it is likely that it will begin to produce toxins at a higher rate. high level, and this means a direct threat to humans.
Children are more susceptible to food allergies than adults (almost 2 times). Allergic reactions in the human body occur when a genetically modified protein enters the body and stimulates immune system. This is a completely normal reaction of the body to new components that it encounters for the first time.
Another danger that GM products pose is that the beneficial substances and properties of a particular fruit, vegetable or berry may have more low quality, how nutritional properties its normal counterpart. Thus, the body simply does not perceive the nutrients it receives.
When buying food, we increasingly pay attention to the presence or absence of GMOs in them. Today there is no clear opinion about their impact on the human body; transgenes have both their adherents and their opponents. We will try to understand what GMOs are and what effect they have on our body.
What is GMO?
GMOs are genetically modified organisms that have been modified using genetic engineering methods to speed up evolution and direct it in the necessary direction. In other words, this is an organism in whose DNA another foreign gene has been introduced, which is not intended for it by nature, in order to acquire new properties.
Their use is most common in agriculture, where new plant varieties are created and grown that are resistant to environmental influences and, as a result, produce high yields. In livestock farming, this makes it possible to raise more productive animals, which are characterized by accelerated growth. This made it possible to solve the food problem, which was acute in many countries.
Such products are divided into the following groups:
- Products of processing of transgenic raw materials. These are: cottage cheese, syrups, crackers, tomato paste, condensed milk, soy milk, flour, starch, chips, cereal, carbonated drinks, wheat.
- Transgenic vegetables and fruits;
- GM ingredients that are used as sweeteners, coloring and structuring agents. These mainly include corn and soybeans.
- Animal products. These are various canned foods, sausages and semi-finished products (dumplings, pancakes, manti, pasties, etc.)
The gene production process has now been established and automated in special laboratories.
GMO production consists of the following stages:
- growing the genes that are required;
- introduction of the grown gene into the DNA of the donor organism;
- transfer of DNA with an integrated gene into the desired organism;
- subsequent process of engraftment in the body;
- screening out those GMOs that failed to undergo the modification process.
This technology can significantly reduce the cost of growing products, increase their viability, and also increase their competitiveness. 
Harm and benefits of GMOs
GMOs today are considered potentially dangerous. No one can confidently say that they are harmful. Research and experiments have not been carried out in this area, therefore there is no evidence of their harmlessness. Therefore, two opposing camps emerged among scientists. Some claim that GMOs can solve important humanitarian problems and transgenes do not cause any harm, because they are not integrated into human genes and, accordingly, cannot influence the synthesis of proteins in our body. However, this cannot be stated unequivocally due to the lack of relevant research - this is rightly pointed out by scientists from another camp
Why are GMOs dangerous? Many scientists claim that they cause the following problems:
- reduce immunity;
- cause cancer;
- lead to mutations and infertility;
- cause death;
- allergic diseases appear;
- lead to the body's resistance to antibiotics.
The harmful effects of GMOs were discovered during experiments on rats. The experimental subjects showed destructive processes in the liver and a decrease in brain volume. It is also known that the fields where GMOs are grown are treated with herbicides, which contain a very toxic element that kills all living things. This leads to a decrease in the insect population and an imbalance in nature. 
It will take about fifty years to identify the consequences of consuming GMOs. Therefore, it is important to be careful in choosing food so as not to harm your health.
How to choose the right products
Whether or not to buy a product with transgenes is up to everyone to decide for themselves. When you go shopping, remember that up to 45% of the products in our stores today contain GMOs. They are mainly included in sausages (up to 85%), semi-finished products (pancakes, dumplings, pasties, etc.), confectionery, baby food, carbonated drinks, tea and coffee.
Products with GMOs are always cheaper and do not spoil for a long time - this applies mainly bakery products, fruits and vegetables. Insects are also not interested in them, they always have the same size, even when cut they do not change shape and do not release juice. Even if manufacturers and sellers label the product with the appropriate inscription, this, in fact, does not necessarily mean the absence of transgenes. To be safe, just cook yourself. homemade food instead of semi-finished products, and replace soda with compotes, jelly and natural herbal teas.
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