Monday, October 14, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Tuesday, March 25, 2014
The Cost of Regulating Biotechnology and Genetically-Engineered Food
By Selected News Articles @ 6:38 PM :: 4939 Views :: GMOs

The Cost of Regulating Biotechnology and Genetically-Engineered Food

By Gregory Conko, CEI, March 24, 2014

This spring, legislators in more than 20 U.S. states will consider proposals to mandate special labeling of genetically-engineered (GE) foods, but there is a deep misunderstanding about what genetic engineering means, and the safety and regulation of genetically-engineered food.

What does “genetically-engineered” mean?

From cornflakes to cupcakes, nearly every food on grocery store shelves has been genetically modified by human hands in ways that help farmers raise crop yields, protect plants from pests or disease, or increase a food’s nutritional value. Genetic engineering is one of the many tools used to do this. But whether we use GE or conventional methods, breeding may mean simply tweaking the genes already inside a plant or introducing entirely new genes. What makes GE unique is the precision it gives us to select individual genes, while conventional methods change thousands of genes at a time. That precision also makes it easier to test the safety of GE foods for consumers and the environment.

How do I know what is in a “genetically-engineered” food?

It is important for consumers to understand genetic engineering is not “in food”; it is just one of the many ways a food’s ingredients can be modified at the genetic level. On the other hand, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already requires labeling to inform consumers when an ingredient is changed in a way that could affect its safety, nutrition, and even taste or smell. These labels provide far better information about what is actually in your food than simply labeling a product as “genetically engineered.”

Is “genetically-engineered” food safe?

GE foods are among the most extensively tested products in history, and in 30 years of commercial use in countries around the globe, they have not caused a single sniffle, sneeze, or bellyache. Seed breeders spend an average of 5 to 10 years developing and testing GE products. Then, government regulators spend two to four more years reviewing the safety of those products before they make it to market.

Check out CEI’s latest infographic on the regulation and safety of biotechnology and genetically-engineered products.

Related Files: Infographic: Contemporary and Costly Biotechnology Regulation

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii