GM food
What is GM food?
Genetically modified food (GM food, or biotech food) refers to any food or food ingredient that is, or is derived from, an organism in which the genetic material has been modified using modern biotechnology.
How does GM food be produced? Nowadays, scientists can identify and modify genes controlling specific characteristics using modern biotechnology. They use a variety of biotechnology, such as biochemical "scissors" to cut the DNA sequence at a specific place, and then select the desired gene to be addressed. With the help of biotechnology, genes can be inactivated more selectively and precisely, or transferred from one organism to another to produce genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This process is called genetic engineering, which is the general production of GM food.
What is the advantages and disadvantages of GM food?
→Advantages:
·Increase the production of food may solve the problem of hunger, in order to meet the growing world population;
·Increase crop yields may reduce the need to develop required arable land and protect the ecological environment indirectly;
·Provide resistance to crop pests and reduce the use of pesticides;
·Improve the nutrient composition, qualities and sensory attributes of food;
·World Health Organization(WHO) has pointed out that GM foods currently available on the international market.
→Disadvantages:
·Disrupt the ecological order, cause irreparable damage to the environment;
·Hunger is caused by injustice, not by the lack of food production, GM food may not help solve the problem of hunger;
·The large-scale cultivation of a single species would undermine biodiversity;
·Make small farmers give more dependent on multinational companies, may lead to a more uneven distribution of productive resources;
·GM food is lack of safety testing, eating GM food may have a hidden danger.
The legislation on GM food in Hong Kong.
In early 2001, the Government has conducted a public consultation
Genetically modified food (GM food, or biotech food) refers to any food or food ingredient that is, or is derived from, an organism in which the genetic material has been modified using modern biotechnology.
How does GM food be produced? Nowadays, scientists can identify and modify genes controlling specific characteristics using modern biotechnology. They use a variety of biotechnology, such as biochemical "scissors" to cut the DNA sequence at a specific place, and then select the desired gene to be addressed. With the help of biotechnology, genes can be inactivated more selectively and precisely, or transferred from one organism to another to produce genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This process is called genetic engineering, which is the general production of GM food.
What is the advantages and disadvantages of GM food?
→Advantages:
·Increase the production of food may solve the problem of hunger, in order to meet the growing world population;
·Increase crop yields may reduce the need to develop required arable land and protect the ecological environment indirectly;
·Provide resistance to crop pests and reduce the use of pesticides;
·Improve the nutrient composition, qualities and sensory attributes of food;
·World Health Organization(WHO) has pointed out that GM foods currently available on the international market.
→Disadvantages:
·Disrupt the ecological order, cause irreparable damage to the environment;
·Hunger is caused by injustice, not by the lack of food production, GM food may not help solve the problem of hunger;
·The large-scale cultivation of a single species would undermine biodiversity;
·Make small farmers give more dependent on multinational companies, may lead to a more uneven distribution of productive resources;
·GM food is lack of safety testing, eating GM food may have a hidden danger.
The legislation on GM food in Hong Kong.
In early 2001, the Government has conducted a public consultation