Scientific Debate on Genetically Modified Organisms in the Food Chain

Abstract

The issue of genetically modified organisms generated a wide range of views, more or less extreme: on the one hand are those who say that we are dealing with what is undoubtedly the most important and promising agricultural technology of the moment, on the other hand are those who argue that genetic modification has been released into the environment and handled with almost no risk assessments.

Without a doubt, the usage of GMOs has been in the center of political, economic and social debates both in Europe and around the globe, because GMO products have entered all the parts of the public food supply.

The introduction of new, modified, transformed products on the market involved legislative changes designed to ensure product safety and coding of correct information for consumers, toxicological studies on the potential risks to public health, nutritional assessments.

Another point of disagreement is consumer information and the effects of GMOs on human health. In theory, gene transfer is done either to increase resistance to various harmful factors or to increase productivity, but there was no scientific consensus on health issues.

The European Union regulates the traceability and labeling of GM products so the choice to consume such products belongs to the consumer. But the regulations do not apply to products derived from animals fed with genetically modified feed or treated with genetically modified medicinal products, as these are exempted from the requirements for approval and labeling. Therefore, there are such products of animal origin (milk, eggs, meat) that enter the food chain without public knowledge.