Genetically modified food: good news or bad news

Introduction: when it comes to genetically modified food, maybe many people think it's still far away from us In fact, it has entered our life Today, however, people's curiosity about genetically modified food has changed from being curious at first to worrying about its safety Genetically modified food: it's a blessing or a curse Since human beings have mastered the technology of genetically modified organisms, a large number of genetically modified foods have emerged Some people applaud, some resist, and some people are worried about that - strictly speaking, genetically modified organisms are still "natural", just "nature" that has been transformed Human beings have always taken the transformation of nature as a sign of progress Human beings have found that transgenic tomatoes can be preserved for a longer time in winter, greatly extending the preservation period However, the progress of science and technology is often a double-edged sword: the revolutionary materials of the past, such as asbestos and animal meat and bone meal, are now "street mice" Once the transgenic crops that pests dare not eat become human food, do people digest those insect resistant genes? Will tomatoes, which are more and more resistant to storage, cause human body changes? At present, science can not answer the key question of whether genetically modified food has side effects, which is the reason for some public panic Attitude towards genetically modified crops: there is no consensus that the United States is the country with the fastest development of genetically modified technology, with the most commercialized varieties of genetically modified crops and the largest planting area Consumers are also accustomed to the continuous introduction of new foods At present, more than 60% of processed foods in the United States are made from genetically modified crops The United States also has the highest level of public acceptance of genetically modified food Consumers in Europe are the biggest protesters and suppressors of GM food According to the survey, most British consumers are skeptical about the safety of GM technology A member of the British royal family suspected that eating genetically modified food would cause unexpected poisoning or allergic reactions "Humans are trying to get involved in some kind of sacred field," he said I'm not going to let my family and friends eat genetically modified food "His remarks caused a stir in England In France, 66% of people think genetically modified food is harmful to health In France, there have been some farmers dumping fruits, vegetables and even cow dung in front of some fast food restaurants, protesting that the beef bread and potatoes they sell contain genetically modified ingredients Under various pressures, the French government said at the European Union environment ministers' committee in June 1999 that it would ban the sale of genetically modified products on the market Austria held a referendum a year and a half ago Most people voted against genetically modified food, and the government finally banned the import of genetically modified food It's hard to find genetically modified food in supermarkets in Germany Most consumers in Canada accept genetically modified food, but 27% still think that eating genetically modified food may be harmful to health Way out: the sword of monitoring now, countries around the world are actively developing transgenic technology, while strengthening the monitoring and management of transgenic products In January 2001, the United States introduced the "draft of genetically modified food management" The EU also passed a new law in 2001, which requires that all genetically modified food, seeds, feed and drugs must have obvious labels, and stipulates that food sold in restaurants, cafes and other places must be marked on the menu if it contains genetically modified ingredients Australia and New Zealand implement the standard of genetically modified engineering for food production, and implement mandatory safety assessment for imported genetically modified food Russia has stipulated a government registration system for genetically modified foods and foods containing genetically modified ingredients Since November 1996, China has officially promulgated and implemented the implementation measures for safety management of agricultural biological genetic engineering, which strictly evaluates the safety of genetically modified crops, and stipulates that long-term tests must be carried out before commercialization of genetically modified crops to ensure safety and reliability Recently, the measures for the management of agricultural genetically modified organisms (GMOs) identification has been promulgated, which stipulates that GMOs must be identified, otherwise they cannot be sold or imported In a word, the perfect monitoring system will effectively avoid the possible risks of genetically modified food The history of science also tells us that the key to how to use the double-edged sword of science and technology is how to promote its advantages and eliminate its disadvantages Whether genetically modified food will bring good or bad news to human beings is up to human beings However, because the safety of genetically modified organisms involves various aspects of human society, such as science, health, society, economy and ethics, it is difficult to reconcile the disputes between different countries and different interest groups for a while, so it will still be a long-term and arduous task to finally reach a global consensus on this issue.