Although the research history of genetically modified food is only a few decades, its advantages such as increasing production and enhancing its ability to resist pests and diseases are obvious. On the other hand, its potential risks, such as allergy, toxicity and environmental impact, have also attracted worldwide attention.
The first is the toxicity problem. Some researchers believe that artificial extraction and addition of genes may not only achieve some expected effects, but also increase and accumulate trace toxins in food.
Secondly, the problem of allergic reaction. People who are allergic to a food are sometimes allergic to a food they were not allergic to before. For example, scientists added a gene of corn to the genes of walnuts, wheat and shellfish, and protein also added it along with the genes. Then, people who used to eat corn may be allergic to these walnuts, wheat and shellfish.
The third is nutrition. Scientists believe that foreign genes will destroy the nutrients in food in ways that people don't know yet.
The fourth is the resistance to antibiotics. When scientists add a foreign gene to plants or bacteria, this gene will be connected with other genes. After people take this improved food, the food will transfer the drug resistance gene to the pathogenic bacteria in the human body, which will make the human body resistant to drugs.
The fifth is the threat to the environment. Many transgenic varieties contain bacterial genes extracted from Bacillus, which can produce a protein that is toxic to insects and pests. In a laboratory study, the larva of a butterfly died or developed abnormally after eating the pollen of milkweed plants containing Bacillus genes, which caused another concern of ecologists. Other species that are not within the scope of improvement may become victims of improved species.
Common genetically modified food varieties:
1. Some rice varieties (mostly in Hubei and Guangxi),
2. Colored cotton (mostly in Xinjiang),
3. Small tomatoes (all over the country) are called "cherry tomatoes" by some people with ulterior motives! Typical genetic modification!
4. colored peppers (all over the country),
5. Black rice peanuts (all over the country),
6. Dongzao (mostly produced in Shandong, Henan and Hebei) was snapped up by Wenzhou people a few years ago!
7. Some rapeseed oil (mostly in southern provinces),
8. All imported soybeans (mostly COFCO)
9. All imported corn (mainly COFCO)
10. A purple sweet potato is more expensive than ordinary sweet potato (also called sweet potato, sweet potato) (in Zhejiang, Sichuan, Shandong, Henan and other provinces).
1 1, sweet corn (fruit corn) (very common in China)
12, all the papaya sold in the national market, and accessories, because there are no non-genetically modified papaya in China now.
(Appendix II)
Several criteria for judging genetically modified food;
1, season. In addition to greenhouse vegetables, other anti-season fruits, such as winter dates, must be genetically modified. In other words: what should be eaten in any season appears in that season, and there is no genetic modification. On the contrary, 8 and 9 of 10 are genetically modified.
2. color. Different from the traditional ones, it must be genetically modified, such as colored cotton, and it is absolutely impossible for people to contact clothes and bedding for a long time; Another example is colored pepper, black rice peanut and purple sweet potato.
3. head. Traditionally, tomatoes have a certain size. For example, a small tomato as big as a thumb must be genetically modified. Another example is soybean, also called soybean, which is made of tofu and soybean milk. Their shape should be the shape of animal viscera: waist-shaped, a little flat, but now soybeans are round and much larger, like peas, with high yield. This is definitely genetically modified.
4. Taste. The traditional corn is generally yellow corn and white corn, which is slightly sweet. Now the popular sweet corn has a high sweetness and is undoubtedly genetically modified.
5. Pests. Any crop that pests like to patronize is not genetically modified, and any crop that pests are afraid of, that is, there are no pests or few pests, is definitely genetically modified.
6. output. Generally speaking, the yield of transgenic crops is much higher than that of traditional crops in the first few years.