Genetically Engineered Food
Due to ever increasing population and scarcity of food stuff, the community of agriculturists continuously introducing new varieties of crops. Since 1994, they are produced in a way that is very similar to genetic engineering. The technique used in this type of crop management has been introduced to ensure farmers and merchants are able to improve crop or food quality in a more efficient way. A lot of food that we eat today contains genetically modified ingredients and usually without our knowledge. Supporters of this technology maintain that it ensures and sustains food security around the world as the population increases. Biotechnology could be the wave of the future and genetically modified foods could really provide alternatives to help increase food production. Beside improvement in production genetically modified crop also have following advantages-
- Insect Resistance
- Stronger Crops
- Decrease in Food Prices
- Environmental Protection
- More Nutritious Foods
- Decreased Use of Pesticides
While there are many benefits of genetically modified foods, there are also potential drawbacks that are present. Studies on genetically engineered food show several disadvantages such as- Allergic Reactions, Not 100% Environmentally Friendly, Unusual Taste, Not Totally Safe to Eat, Gene Spilling and Gene Transfer.
By:- HOD – Sandeep Dhyani
Department of Botany
Uttaranchal (P.G.) College of Biomedical Sciences and Hospital