The international food information council ific would like to provide comments in response to the oehha prioritization notice for aspartame dated march 5, 2009. Purchase food biotechnology, volume 17 1st edition. The impact of agricultural biotechnology on biodiversity. The video segments below were developed to help clarify the facts on food produced through biotechnology and to address some of your most common questions. In its broadest definition, biotechnology is any technique which uses living organisms to make products, to improve plants or animals, or to develop. Nov 03, 2015 the ongoing debate over specialty drugs reflecting conflicting motives of buyers and sellers neglects important insights about the impact of these new technologies, their value to society. In this survey, it is important to appreciate that biotechnology spans animal and plant biotechnology. Gm plants and animals are used to enhance taste, shell life, nutrition and quality of food. Jun 28, 2016 in contrast to the sections on food safety, which properly imply that biotechnology is a fundamentally innocuous tool of food production and that the fruits of biotechnology will be substantially equivalent to those with which we are already familiar, the environmental section gives an incorrect impression that biotechnology raises. International food information council ific suite 430. However, many myths and misperceptions about food biotechnology have led to questions about its safety and benefits for the public.
Jul 24, 20 the web has become a sewer channeling scare mongering about crop biotechnology. Myths and facts the truth about biotech crops myth. The future of food biotechnology animal science blogs. Biology is a natural science that explains natural phenomena as well as describing or predicting. Ge food is extensively tested and the ge food at present on our supermarket shelves is perfectly safe to eat. Biotech booklet 4, myths and facts about agricultural. Nov 08, 2007 their leading concerns were diseasecontamination 36% and food handlingpreparation 35%. This booklet provides factbased answers to some of the misunderstandings and myths about the technology.
General scientific principles, safety, and regulations the current connotation of food biotechnologyalso known as genetically modified organism gmo, or genetically engineered ge, among othersis a food product developed through the genetic modification of a plant, animal, or microorganism in a laboratory by scientists. Evolution is the driving force of creation and extinction of species. Additional references featured in united soybean board busts top soy myths with sciencebacked facts release 2016 united soybean board consumer attitudes about nutrition study. Many scientists raise questions about the growing dependence of farming on non renewable resources, the depletion of soils through erosion and the heavy reliance on chemicals which are costly but also raise. Facts and myths about the interagency working group iwg. But diets that strictly limit calories or food choices are hard to follow. Agbioworld june 21, 2003 pdf versionon june 15, a group of antibiotech organic food activists calling themselves the independent science panel issued a report called the case for a gmfree sustainable world, regarding crops and foods improved using modern biotechnology techniques. We would like to share our experience and provide context to the issue of aspartames safety as the state of california explores it. Can use of genetically engineered crops or organic farming lead to more sustainable agricultural. This booklet explains the facts behind genetic modification gm and explores some of. There are serious doubts about the adequacy of ge testing and about the validity of the conclusions drawn from the results. Agricultural biotechnology, especially genetic engineering or genetic modification gm, is a topic of considerable controversy worldwide. Although foods produced through biotechnology have been safely consumed. Pdf recent advances in agricultural biotechnology have highlighted the need for experimental.
The public debate is fraught with polarized views and opinions, some are held with religious zeal. Sep 25, 2015 unfortunately there a lot of myths and misconceptions out there especially on biotechnology here in kenya. If a bioengineered food is significantly different from its nonbiotechnologyderived counterpart such that the common or usual name no longer adequately describes the new food, the name must be changed to describe the difference for example, broccoflower. I claim that the very preponderance of myths about the public is. As part of the international service for the acquisition of agribiotech application. Full text get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 721k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Biotechnology institutes center of marine biotechnology comb, can reuse waste captured from fish tanks to. They claim biotechnology will be a savior and fix many of the very real and pressing problems that the monsantos of the world created in the first place. Jun 24, 2014 however, many myths and misperceptions about food biotechnology have led to questions about its safety and benefits for the public. Biotechnology and food second edition american council. Fad diets often promise quick weight loss or tell you to cut certain foods out of your diet. Myths, facts and controversies in the diagnosis and. Biotech food myths, misconceptions and misinformation a. We rely almost entirely on the testing carried out by the ge biotechnology companies that have spent billions of dollars developing the food and.
From the staff of cspis nutrition action healthletter. This has been confirmed by every expert body that has considered the issue. Facts and myths about the interagency working group iwg proposed voluntary guidelines on food marketed to children. Biotech crops only benefit largescale american farmers fact. The real facts millions of farmers across the world have. In fact, overall losses to farmers as a result of the european. On the plus side lots of factual information too of which many may not be aware of. The past,present,and future of food biotechnologyis. Crops and foods improved through biotechnology are at least as safe as those produced through other methods.
Executive summary modern biotechnology greatly benefits the quality and quantity of food, human and animal health, and the environment. Biology considers the cell as a basic unit of life. The ongoing debate over specialty drugs reflecting conflicting motives of buyers and sellers neglects important insights about the impact of these new technologies, their value to society. You may lose weight at first on one of these diets. Parliament of south africa march 6, 2012 urban myths on. Farming biotechnology crops actually requires fewer resources than conventional farming. Biotechnology can extend advances in crossbreeding, allowing for new food varieties. Sep 27, 2011 facts and myths about the interagency working group iwg proposed voluntary guidelines on food marketed to children. Their leading concerns were diseasecontamination 36% and food handlingpreparation 35%. Myths and facts klaus ammann university of bern bern, switzerland. So when i saw this brief by isaaa on top 10 facts for biotech in kenya it was only prudent to share them sharing is caring after all.
Unfortunately there a lot of myths and misconceptions out there especially on biotechnology here in kenya. Fad diets are not the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Recently many advances in food industry represent great role of food biotechnology. Food biotechnology table of c ontents food insight. Recirculating farms myths and facts reformatted from original created with food and water watch 2009. Monsanto and other corporate proponents of genetic engineering are using a form of emotional blackmail to get people to accept this new technology. Anaphylaxis is a serious systemic allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death. Ann mesaros rd cde texas state department of health service. The agrochemical corporations which control the direction and goals of agricultural innovation through biotechnology claim that genetic engineering will enhance the sustainability of agriculture by solving the very problems affecting conventional farming and will spare third world farmers from low productivity, poverty and hunger molnar and kinnucan 1989, gresshoft.
The agrochemical corporations which control the direction and goals of agricultural innovation through biotechnology claim that genetic engineering will enhance the sustainability of agriculture by solving the very problems affecting conventional farming and will spare third world farmers from low productivity, poverty and hunger molnar and kinnucan 1989, gresshoft 1996. The video segments below were developed to help clarify the facts on food produced through biotechnology and to. One of the most common techniques used by antibiotech campaigners is the circulation of top 10 type lists. By the end of the 21st century, biotechnology is likely to touch the lives of most europeans through its application in areas such as food production, medicine and environmental protection. In contrast to the sections on food safety, which properly imply that biotechnology is a fundamentally innocuous tool of food production and that the fruits of biotechnology will be substantially equivalent to those with which we are already familiar, the environmental section gives an incorrect impression that biotechnology raises. The web has become a sewer channeling scare mongering about crop biotechnology. Biotech food myths, misconceptions and misinformation a response to false activist claims. Rcgm report in the context of myths and facts which this booklet used with their. These myths are debunked in further detail below and some of the great. Suggestions to use when talking about food biotechnology, including key messages that summarize the basic themes and facts of food biotechnology. Crops improved through biotechnology enjoy farmer satisfaction levels in the high 90. Twelve myths global hunger current estimates are that 700 million people in the world, more than the entire population of the western hemisphere, do not get enough food for an active and healthy life. One of the most common techniques used by antibiotech campaigners is.
A technology boost is coming to biology, and, in turn. Food biotechnology is an interesting and complex topic, and information. The biotech industry claims that ge food crops will save the environment and solve the hunger crisis. Unfortunately, it is also marked with much ignorance and misinformation. Biotech crops are among the most rigorously tested food in history. What this is shaping up as at the global level is competition between the 800 million people who own automobiles and the 2 billion lowincome people in the world, many of whom are already spending over half their income on food. This article examines current knowledge about food additives, vitamins and nutritional pharmacology in relation to present knowledge of cancer incidence. Biotech crops only benefit largescale american farmers. Why would scientists want to fiddle with a plants genes. Biotechnology emerges in an area when there is widespread concern about the longterm sustainability of our food production systems. Big fat myths center for science in the public interest. Agricultural biotechnology is the science of using genes to alter crops. The reasons range from improving crop yields to designing plants that are resistant to pests and disease.
285 526 338 414 551 123 907 1225 863 1267 1589 1114 737 874 691 523 774 878 1284 1429 853 800 1583 499 1158 1566 380 276 803 203 322 585 470 1184 1112 434 1438