Genetically Modified And Irradiated Food

Genetically Modified and Irradiated Food: Controversial Issues: Facts versus Perceptions explains the technologies used in these processes so they can be understood by those in general public health, scientific organizations, politicians and opinion makers/policymakers. The facts presented include a massive amount of scientific evidence that these technologies are safe and can be beneficial. Because the world is facing a future with an increasing number of people, new technologies are needed to ensure enough safe and healthy food, thus technologies that have the potential to dramatically increase the availability of safe and healthy food should be welcomed by everybody. Includes references to science based research on GMOs Explains the technologies in a clear way that can be understood by the general public Includes a massive amount of scientific evidence that these technologies are safe and can be beneficial

Although the true economic impact of genetic modifications is yet to be realized, the potential of this new technology to benefit the food processing industry and to improve food quality is enormous. Specific genetically modified whole foods and food ingredients that have recently become available or are about to become available are described and discussed in relation to their technical performance and consumer acceptance. The regulatory, ethical and communication issues in food biotechnology are also reviewed. As the products of gene technology come on stream, decisions need to be made as to whether or not to use them. Yet, many food industry professionals have little or no background in biotechnology and have a limited concept of possible applications in foods. Therefore, this book aims to foster a greater understanding of the benefits and potential pitfalls of this new technology.

This collection of essays explores whether genetically modified foods are safe to eat, how the environment is impacted by GM foods, and the effectiveness of government regulation around GM foods.

This volume richly explores the controversy surrounding the development of genetically modified foods and their use for human consumption, including health concerns and the potential environmental impact. Author Kevin Hillstrom presents a well-researched and unbiased overview on the topic that includes discussion of the history of G.M. foods and how they are created, the benefits of growing G.M. foods, and the potential dangers and concerns. Experts on both sides of the issue are quoted with full source notes for quotes provided at the end of the text.

This study provides a general framework that is able to explain cross-national regulatory variation. Its most important theoretical contribution is to include the notion of public perceptions into a political economy theory of regulation. The study involves four case studies from the realm of environmental, health, and safety risks.

Assists policymakers in evaluating the appropriate scientific methods for detecting unintended changes in food and assessing the potential for adverse health effects from genetically modified products. In this book, the committee recommended that greater scrutiny should be given to foods containing new compounds or unusual amounts of naturally occurring substances, regardless of the method used to create them. The book offers a framework to guide federal agencies in selecting the route of safety assessment. It identifies and recommends several pre- and post-market approaches to guide the assessment of unintended compositional changes that could result from genetically modified foods and research avenues to fill the knowledge gaps.

Biotechnologies developed over the past few decades have opened up a wide range of avenues and opportunities in diverse sectors, yet the scale of the today's global debate on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their application in agriculture is unprecedented. Furthermore, the scientific and policy bases for assessing and passing judgement on genetically engineered products are necessarily evolving as rapidly as the pace of evolution in biotechnology itself. The purpose of this publication -- the second in FAO's new series dedicated to ethics in food and agriculture - is to share the current knowledge of genetically engineered products in relation to consumers, including the safety of their food and protection of their health, and environmental conservation. It seeks to unravel and explore the claims and counterclaims being made in the GMO debate from an ethical perspective, considering the proprietary nature of the tools used to produce GMOs, the potential consequences of their use in intensifying food production and the unintended and undesirable effects that their application could have, both now and in the future.

Modern biotechnology has surpassed science fiction with such feats as putting fish genes in tomatoes to create a more cold-resistant crop. While the environmental and health concerns over such genetically modified foods have been the subject of public debate, religious and spiritual viewpoints have been given short shrift. This book seeks to understand the moral and religious attitudes of groups within pluralistic societies whose traditions and beliefs raise for them unique questions about food and dietary practice. What questions are there for kosher Jews, halal Muslims, and vegetarian Hindus about food products containing transgenes from prohibited sources? How do these foods impact the cultural practices and spiritual teachings of indigenous peoples? Concerns from the above traditions as well as Christianity, Buddhism, Chinese religion, and ethical vegetarianism are included. Contributors look at the ethical context of each tradition and also include information from focus groups. This enlightening work concludes with recommendations for the labeling of genetically modified foods.