Do People have the right to know what is in their food?

Shannon Hanley
Mr. Bursch
Honors Biology Period 4
20 November 2012

                                 Do people have the right to know what is in their food?

Beginning in 1996 viral, bacteria, and other genes have been inserted into the DNA of soy, corn, cottonseed, and canola plants artificially(organicconsumers.org). Many people do not know what they are really eating, or what the ingredients in their food are. Countless Americans do not know that most foods that are bad for them are really genetically engineered foods. However the government does not have to mention all the ingredients or whether it is Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s). “ 92% of Americans want the FDA to label GMO’s foods” and other ingredients (justlabelit.org). People should have the right to know what is in their food because people can be allergic to ingredients inside the foods, and people can get certain diseases.

People could be allergic to ingredients inside the genetically modified foods. It is proven that GM crops cause allergic reactions, but there is currently no way to test new crops (organicconsumers.org). This could be very dangerous to consumers. “In the last twenty years, there has been an epidemic increase in allergies, asthma, autoimmune disorders, ADHD, and autism” (hubpages.com). “Today it is estimated that 20% of American children have allergies, and that there has been a 400% increase in food allergies” (hubpages.com). Studies have shown that there are higher rates of allergies because of GMO’s.

There is a possibility that people can get certain diseases from eating genetically modified foods. Between 1995 and 2005 47,976 men and 23,276 women died from eating GMO foods (naturalnews.com). “GMO grains possess two substances that distort your body’s ability to process the amino acids proline and glutamine” (infowars.com). One common disease caused by GMOs is celiac disease. Gluten intolerance, commonly referred to as celiac disease, inhibits the body’s ability to break down fat in the digestive system (infowars.com). Another serious disease caused by GMOs is cancer.

Although many people may think that they should know what is in their food,we are told to trust our government to make the right decisions. We are told that the studies suggesting that GMOs may be linked to health problems may not be valid or accurate. Even the campaigns to add warning labels to products containing GMOs are criticized by those who say that such labels will frighten consumers unnecessarily. But until more is known about these genetically modified foods, we should alert consumers to the risks. We trust our government to guarantee that nothing dangerous is put on the market, and we must make sure that the lure of a profit does not cause corporations to place money before human life.

The progress of genetically modified foods is frightening when the various health issues are considered. “The land used from cultivating GMOs has increased from 4.2 million acres to 395 million acres” (infowars.com). Clearly GMOs are becoming more common, so it is very important that testing continue until we are sure we know everything about the risks of eating genetically modified foods.