Why People Are Scared by Food Biotechnology
Food biotechnology has been used by humanity for more
than eight thousand years, as researchers claim. Today, a lot of food
products we can see on shelves in shops appear thanks to tiny
microorganisms that produce enzymes. Cheese,
bread, beer, alcohol and yogurt are products that cannot be produced
without enzymes. Namely, the microorganisms that produce them are the
object studied by food biotechnology.
How to Improve Food Products
Modern food biotechnology has caused a direct influence on the creation of new food products, a reduction in their value and the development of the entire food industry. It has allowed an increase in the quality, safety and nutritional value of both products of cattle farming and agriculture. What’s more, food biotechnology gives numerous opportunities to improve methods that allow the creation of a final product out of raw materials. Such improvements are natural fragrances and colors, emulsifiers, starters and many others. Food additives are used to prolong storage time, change the structure of food products and increase their food value. All this proves that the importance of bacteria will
only grow more next year.
What Is Dangerous and What Is Not
At the same time, the very food biotechnology definition (adding new features to certain goods through gene transportation) scares people who have no idea how all this happens. There is no official source that can prove the danger that comes from genetically modified food. The term “potentially dangerous” is used more often. In order to prove the danger, researchers need to conduct long and very expensive experiments. There is an opinion that a transgene that is eaten by a person causes no visible harm to the body, but stays there and travels around, provoking protein synthesis. These proteins are not characteristic for the human body, and so they are thought to be “potentially dangerous”.
What Scientists Can Say
All experiments that were performed involving lab animals and genetically modified food have proved nothing. Animals developed different diseases eating both “natural” food and genetically modified items. However, the information about cardiovascular, liver, kidney and brain diseases that were found in lab rats that participated in the experiment spread with an incredible speed. It gave a start to numerous myths regarding genetically modified food products and their negative influence on the body. However, it is interesting that people who are against eating genetically modified food do not object to taking medications that are manufactured with the help of the same type of technology. It seems that the spreading of myths regarding modified food is rather situational.
How to Improve Food Products
Modern food biotechnology has caused a direct influence on the creation of new food products, a reduction in their value and the development of the entire food industry. It has allowed an increase in the quality, safety and nutritional value of both products of cattle farming and agriculture. What’s more, food biotechnology gives numerous opportunities to improve methods that allow the creation of a final product out of raw materials. Such improvements are natural fragrances and colors, emulsifiers, starters and many others. Food additives are used to prolong storage time, change the structure of food products and increase their food value. All this proves that the importance of bacteria will
only grow more next year.What Is Dangerous and What Is Not
At the same time, the very food biotechnology definition (adding new features to certain goods through gene transportation) scares people who have no idea how all this happens. There is no official source that can prove the danger that comes from genetically modified food. The term “potentially dangerous” is used more often. In order to prove the danger, researchers need to conduct long and very expensive experiments. There is an opinion that a transgene that is eaten by a person causes no visible harm to the body, but stays there and travels around, provoking protein synthesis. These proteins are not characteristic for the human body, and so they are thought to be “potentially dangerous”.
What Scientists Can Say
All experiments that were performed involving lab animals and genetically modified food have proved nothing. Animals developed different diseases eating both “natural” food and genetically modified items. However, the information about cardiovascular, liver, kidney and brain diseases that were found in lab rats that participated in the experiment spread with an incredible speed. It gave a start to numerous myths regarding genetically modified food products and their negative influence on the body. However, it is interesting that people who are against eating genetically modified food do not object to taking medications that are manufactured with the help of the same type of technology. It seems that the spreading of myths regarding modified food is rather situational.
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