GMO’s and how they are affecting vulnerable Communities
Often
when we talk about vulnerable population in their need for food, very rarely is
the topic discussed on what type of food they are getting and how it affects
their health. Many of the food available to these populations are genetically
modified and are laced with round up and other chemicals that have taken over
the modern food industry.
Direct
genetic modification of products is focused most heavily on cash crops such as
corn and soy. Although this process is primarily focused on just a few
products, the effect is huge in that these types of crops are the foundational
basis for nearly all processed foods that American’s consume daily. It is
currently estimated that a staggering 88% of corn and 93% of soy crops are
genetically modified. Derivatives from these products go under hundreds of
names such as high fructose corn syrup, soy lecithin, hydrogenated oils,
tocopheral, protein, and many others that are commonly found on any package in
a supermarket or grocery store. The Center for Food Safety estimates that at
least 70% of products on store shelves contain some form of genetically
modified ingredient (1).
Unlike
what most American’s think, the FDA does not in fact require any safety testing
on genetically modified products. Instead, companies that submit their product
to the FDA can opt do a “voluntary assessment” in which they present their own
research and information on their product and the FDA gives their stamp of approval;
placing unfounded trust in the companies and warning them that it is their
responsibility to put safe food on store shelves and they may be held liable if
they don’t. Because GMOs are a relatively new phenomenon, it is not yet
possible to do long-term studies on possible health effects caused by extensive
consumption of them. Instead, all of America is unknowingly and experimentally
consuming GMOs on a daily basis, and the FDA and government are refusing
consumers the basic right of controlling their own health and wellbeing.
Many
organizations outside of the FDA, such as the World Health Organization and the
National Academy of Sciences, support the production of GMOs and claim that
they pose no safety or health risk to humans. However, other organizations such
as the American Academy of Environmental Sciences claim that in animal studies,
the consumption of GMOs has been shown to contribute to infertility, organ
damage, and gastrointestinal and immune system disorders (2). The American
Medical Association has stated before that mandatory safety testing on GMOs
needs to be instated. With many conflicting opinions and research available to
a consumer, it is hard to determine what is the truth and what isn’t. Making
especially hard for vulnerable populations to tell if they are getting food
that will hurt or help them.
These are often in products that are both
cheap and marketed towards poorer vulnerable populations. Taking advantage of
these populations through such things as genetic modification as well as
increases in health issues is not only wrong, but also preys on the weak and
poor that can afford anything else. Stand up and demand that corporations stop
genetically modifying food and that the FDA do their job and test this food
before releasing it to the public.
Sources
Comments
Post a Comment