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Genetically Modified Organism Or Gigantic Monetary Obligation?

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Genetically Modified Organism Or Gigantic Monetary Obligation?
Elijah A. Ruffin
Research Paper

Since the creation of Genetically Modified Foods in the 1950s, there has been increasing controversy over scientific, environmental, social, and the ethical issues surrounding them. The history of Genetically Modified foods shows that the initial purpose was to extend shelf life, improve flavor, and increase resiliency against degradation and rotting. According to Margaret McLean, a profound researcher of GMO’s, the first products to be genetically modified were tomatoes. These tomatoes were developed in 1994 and were given the name “Flavr Savr Tomatoes” because of the enhanced flavor and long lasting shelf life. Initially consumers reacted positively to the idea of genetically modified foods. (McLean). However the process of genetic modification was not very well perceived by UK consumers, as agreed upon by Bryan Endres, the author of “GMO: Genetically Modified Organism or Gigantic Monetary Obligation? The Liability Schemes for GMO Damage in the United States and the European Union.” This sparked the initial controversy about whether or not genetically …show more content…
Director of bioethics at Santa Clara University and author of “The Future of Food: An Introduction to the Ethical Issues in Genetically Modified Foods” Margaret McLean, acknowledges, “There is the potential that allergy-producing genes will be inserted into unrelated foodstuffs. Since GM foods are not labeled, a person could suffer a potentially fatal allergic reaction.” For example, genetically modified tomatoes are more likely to cause an allergic response than naturally grown tomatoes because they are engineered with external genes. Most tomatoes have been genetically altered to contain a gene from flounder fish that keeps them from freezing in cold temperatures. This exchange of genes has the potential to cause someone who is allergic to fish to have an allergic response to tomatoes as well.
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