Everything you need to know about genetically modified organisms

Genetically altered foods continues to be a hotly debated issue with powerful lobbies on both sides. Continue reading for more information on genetically modified organisms.

• Corn that resists attacks by insects, canola that is tolerant of herbicides, and cheese that can be made without using animal rennet have been some of the advances introduced by genetic modification, but some people worry that possible long-term effects may not have been adequately assessed.
• For centuries, food growers have tampered with plant and animal genetics by crossbreeding to bring out desirable traits while suppressing less desirable ones. Refinement of such techniques has enabled farmers to produce increasingly abundant crops.
• In recent years, food biotechnology has added a new dimension, thanks to genetic modification. Genetically modified (GM) foods or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are terms that refer to a change in the code or organization of the genetic material of an organism. One method to achieve this change is "genetic engineering" — the practice of moving one gene or group of genes from one organism to another.
• The production of GMOs is regulated in the United States and Canada. To date, each country has approved at least 40 plant varieties derived by genetic modification.
• Soybeans, corn, and canola are the most widely produced GM crops and furnish a number of ingredients that are used in highly processed foods. In fact, about 70 percent of processed foods contain at least some GM ingredients.

• Genetic engineering enables research botanists to add desirable hereditary traits to almost any plant. Possibilities include producing more nutritious foods; corn with increased high-quality protein, or a type of rapeseed that synthesizes more of the unsaturated fatty acids of canola oil.
• Agricultural scientists are also trying to alter plants to make them more productive or better able to withstand adverse growing conditions, such as drought. This type of genetic engineering has potential in overcoming world food shortages; conceivably, arid desert areas may one day produce drought-resistant grains.
• Another approach involves engineering plants to be resistant to disease, herbicides and pests. One modification alters a plant's taste to make it less attractive to insects, allowing farmers to reduce pesticide use. Another is aimed at developing a plant resistant to new kinds of herbicides that do not harm the crops and beneficial insects.

Cheese producers have also benefited from genetic modification.

• The classic way to make cheese involves using rennet extracted from calf ­stomachs to curdle milk. But chymosin, the major enzyme in rennet can also be produced through genetic engineering.
• Inserting this cloned gene into the genetic machinery of certain bacteria, yeasts or fungi causes them to dutifully churn out pure chymosin.
• Approved in 1990 by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, chymosin became the first product of genetic engineering in our food supply.
• It is 100 percent identical to that found in calf stomach, but because it does not come from animals, it is acceptable to consumers who do not want meat products in their cheese.
• Cheese made with it is indistinguishable from that produced with animal rennet. In any case, chymosin itself is degraded during cheese making and none is left in the finished product.
• Today, in North America, more than 80 percent of cheese is made using chymosin.

Genetically modified food is taking the world by storm! Make sure you understand exactly what GMOs have to offer with this simple guide.