Top 10 Genetically Modified Food In the US
All organisms, like humans, have genetic material. When scientists change the genetic material, or DNA, it is considered as genetic modification (GM). Foods or food crops which are genetically modified can improve in taste and quality, enhance nutrients or increase resistance to pests and disease. But, we do not know for sure whether genetically modified foods are good for us. It’s become so popular that we can actually find the top 10 genetically modified food in the US. While you read our article, we suggest taking a look at our story on Examples of Genetically Modified Organisms.
Rapeseed Field
10. Cotton
Cotton may not be a direct food, but it is used to produce cottonseed oil which is consumed as a vegetable oil. Almost half of cottons cultivated in the world right now have been genetically modified to resist pests and pesticides. Genetically modified Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) Cotton was first introduced in China. Though it reduces bollworm invasion and increases the overall yield, it may cause soil aridity by destroying useful microorganisms in the soil. It is concerned as one of the top 10 genetically modified food in the US.
9. Tomatoes
Since 1994, the genetically modified Flavr Savr tomato has been produced to last longer and to not get rotten quickly. Currently there are no genetically modified tomatoes available commercially, as it was banned by scientists after the inventor of the GM tomato expressed his concern over whether the tomatoes could be carcinogenic. But, scientists still are developing tomatoes with new traits, like the improved resistance to pests or ecological stresses.
8. Papaya
Papaya cultivation was being threatened by the Papaya Ringspot-Virus for Hawaiian papaya industry. In the late 1980s, they began to develop a genetically modified version as a resistance to the virus by transferring the viral capsid proteins into papaya genome to create the effect of an immune response. After a long term research project in 1999, the first virus resistant papayas were grown commercially and approved for consumption both in the US and Canada.
7. Rice
Rice is genetically modified for several purposes, such as to make it resistant to herbicides, pests and diseases, increasing yield, producing human blood protein, as well as increasing nutritional value. The first two GM rices, named LLRice60 and LLRice62, were approved in the United States in 2000. But it also causes serious environmental and health hazards such as an increase in allergies related to GM rice.
6. Potatoes
While potatoes are losing significance as a food crop, they are becoming more vital as renewable raw materials for the alcohol and starch industries. Scientists are beginning to grow starch-modified GM potatoes. Nowadays about 10% of the potatoes that are available in the grocery stores could be genetically modified, making it one of the top 10 genetically modified food in the US.
5. Corn
The US is the largest producer and consumer of corn in the world. Twenty-five percent of corn growing in the US are genetically modified to have the desirable qualities, including pesticide and herbicide resistance. In recent days, a huge number of food products such as salad dressing, bread, cereal, veggie burgers, hamburgers, crackers, cookies, fried food, chocolate, candy, baking powder, powdered sugar, mayonnaise, alcohol, vanilla, peanut butter, ice cream and pasta have high levels of GMO corn.
4. Soy
Soy is a heavily modified crop and one of the top 10 genetically modified food in the US. About 90 percent of soy grown in the US is genetically modified to increase its resistance to insects and fungus, along with enriching its vitamins, fat and protein content. However, GMO Soy can block normal estrogen, cause vitamin B12 deficiencies, disrupt endocrine function, and cause aridity- raising the chances of allergies and breast cancer.
3. Milk
In present years, 22 percent of cows in the US are injected with rBGH (recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone), the hormone which is combined from genetically modified bacteria, creates higher milk yields by keeping milk-producing cells active in cows for longer than regular. After scientists articulated concerns that it can cause colon and breast cancer in the human body, it was banned in the European Union and Australia. But rBGH is still legal in the United States and GM milk is one of the top 10 genetically modified food in the US.
2. Canola Oil
Canola oil, also known as Rapeseed oil, is another heavily used genetically modified crop in the US. It’s been modified to be more resistant to pesticides, to control weeds and to yield larger crops. However, scientists have also voiced concerns that GM Canola oil may transfer its resistance to the pests around it, which would result in useful pesticides being useless.
1. Aspartame
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener, which is one of the top 10 genetically modified food in the US. It is synthesized by combining two natural amino acids. Among the two different bacteria species required to produce these acids, one of the bacteria is modified in order to increase the yield. Scientists have expressed concerns that female lab rats fed aspartame had higher rates of leukemia and lymphoma than those in the control group, thus raising concerns that it may not be safe for humans as well.
