Bioengineered Foods

What are gmo's ?

GMO's,or "genetically modified organisms," are plants or animals created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology.

some examples of GMo's

• Soy (approx. 94% of U.S. crop in 2011)
• Sugar Beets (approx. 95% of U.S. crops in 2010)
• Canola (approx. 90% of U.S. crops)
• Corn (approx. 88% of U.S. crops in 2011)
• Cotton (approx. 90% of U.S. crops in 2011)

Percentage in U.S. Crops

What are "bioengineered Foods"?

Bioengineered foods are foods that have had a gene from a different species of plant or other organism introduced to produce desired characteristics or traits

how are they made?

• Find a new trait- identify the trait you want for the organism 
• Grabbing genes- retrieve the gene(s) from specified organism
• "Trait insertion"- inserting that gene(s) into the original organism  

are they in our groceries?

Most foods in the grocery stores that we buy are genetically modified. About 90 percent of the country's soy and corn crops are genetically modified. Since almost all processed foods contain their by-products—and corn, the nation's largest crop, is a staple for animal feed—chances are high that you are eating genetically modified foods. How can you tell? For now, there are no labels required as there are in countries like Britain. Look for ingredients like maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup , dextrose, soy lecithin, and corn starch. And unless your meat is grass-fed and specifically GMO-free, it's likely to have been affected, too.

Percentage of GM groceries compared to non GM groceries

Pros of gmo's

• Creating plants better resistant to weeds, pest and other diseases.
• GM foods can create an essential sustainable way to feed the world.
• Foods with a longer shelf life for easier shipping.
• Foods with better texture, flavor and nutritional value.
• Spend less money producing more food.

cons of gmo's

• Unexpected side effects
• Reduced species diversity
• GMOs have not been tested thoroughly.
• GMO foods can present significant allergy risks to people.
• Environmental risks

What should we do now?

In the U.S. GM foods labeling is optional. Meaning that we don't know what ingredients are put into these foods. Therefore in my opinion there should be a law mandating the labeling of GMO's. Everyone should do something so this law can come to be.

Current Events

May 14 2014.
Andrea Donsky Shifted her family to an all non-GMO diet. She's here to show WCL (Windy City Live) viewers how to understand labels and finding non-GMO products.

Work cited

• http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/what-is-gmo/
• http://www.diet.com/g/bioengineered-foods
• http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-01/life-cycle-genetically-modifi...
• http://www.rd.com/slideshows/genetically-modified-food-things-every-shopper...
• http://classes.soe.ucsc.edu/cmpe080e/Spring05/projects/gmo/benefits.htm

work cited (continued)

• http://www.wisegeek.org/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-genetically-engineere...
• http://pollynoble.com/2013/11/pros-and-cons-gmos/
• http://www.livestrong.com/article/213053-pros-cons-of-gmo-foods/
• http://classes.soe.ucsc.edu/cmpe080e/Spring05/projects/gmo/laws.htm
• http://windycitylive.com/episodes/Finding-non-GMO-products/9537344

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