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lets the farmer spray weed-killer directly on the crop without killing it. Crops such as Bt-Cotton produce pesticides inside the plant. This kills or deters insects, saving the farmer from having to spray pesticides. The plant s themselves are toxic, and not just
resistant to antibiotics to help them find out which cells have taken-up the new DNA. These marker genes are resistant to antibiotics which are commonly used in human and veterinary medicine. Some scientists believe eating GE food containing these marker genes could encourage gut bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance. What are the problems created through genetic engineering of food and crops?
Currently commercialized GM crops in the U.S. include soy (91%), cotton (88%), canola (88%), corn (85%), Hawaiian papaya (more than 50%), zucchini and yellow squash (small amount), and tobacco (Quest® brand). About half of the sugar beets grown for sugar in 2008 were GM and current projections are which about 90% grown in 2009 will be GM. W h a t a r e o t h e r sources of GMOs? Products derived from the above, including oils from all four, soy protein, soy lecithin, cornstarch, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup among others. Also:
· meat, eggs, and dairy Genetic products from animals that engineers have eaten GM feed (and continually the majority of the GM corn encounter and soy is used for feed); unintended side effects – · dairy products from cows GM plants injected with rbGH (a GM create toxins, hormone); react to GMR-3xP3-reef fluorescent protein marker gene expression in weather · food additives, enzymes, transgenic Drosophila. GMR-3xP3-DsRed, GMR-3xP3-ZsGreen and flavorings, and processing GMR-3xP3-AmCyan marker gene expression in a yellow white (y w) diff e r e n t l y, contain too agents, including the background observed with white light (A) or with red (B), green (C) or cyan (D) filter sets. Sarkar et al. BMC Biotechnology 2006 6:27 much or too sweetener aspartame doi:10.1186/1472-6750-6-27 little nutrients, (NutraSweet®) and rennet bec o m e used to make hard to insects. Farmers in India, who diseased or malfunction and die. cheeses; and let their sheep graze on Bt cotton When foreign genes are inserted, · honey and bee pollen that plants after the harvest, saw dormant genes may be activated may have GM sources of thousands of sheep die! or the functioning of genes altered, pollen creating new or unknown proteins, Why do genetically engineered or increasing or decreasing the The Health Dangers: foods have antibiotic resistant output of existing proteins inside genes in them? the plant. The effects of consuming What are the potential dangers The techniques used to transfer these new combinations of of eating GM foods? genes have a very low success proteins are unknown. There are a number of dangers rate, so the genetic engineers continued on page 18 attach “marker genes” which are What foods are GM?
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