Genetically modified foods are those that have parts of DNA from other living organisms mixed with their own DNA. For example, some plants contain DNA from bacteria or fungi that produce natural herbicides, making them automatically protected from crop pests.
Foods that are genetically modified usually go through this process to have one or more of the following advantages:
- Better quality of the final product, with more nutrients, for example;
- Greater resistance to pests;
- Greater resistance to pesticides used;
- Higher production and longer shelf life.
To produce this type of food, growers need to buy seeds from companies that are genetically engineered to produce GMOs, which ultimately increases the price of the product.
What are transgenic foods
The main transgenic foods sold in Brazil are soybeans, corn and cotton, which give rise to products such as cooking oils, soy extract, textured soy protein, soy milk, sausage, margarine, pasta, crackers and cereals . Any food that contains ingredients like corn starch, corn syrup and soy in the composition will probably have transgenics in its composition.
According to Brazilian legislation, the label of foods with at least 1% of transgenic components must contain the transgenic identification symbol, represented with a yellow triangle with the letter T in black in the middle.
Health risks
The consumption of transgenic foods may pose the following health risks:
- Increased allergies due to new proteins that can be produced by transgenics;
- Increased resistance to antibiotics, which contributes to reducing the efficacy of these drugs in the treatment of bacterial infections;
- Increase of toxic substances, which can end up doing harm to man, insects and plants;
- Greater amount of agrochemicals in the products, because the transgenics are more resistant to pesticides, allowing the producers to use larger quantities to protect the planting of pests and weeds.
To avoid these risks, the best way out is to consume organic food, which also stimulates the supply of this product line and supports small producers who do not use GMOs and pesticides in plantations. Learn the benefits of organic foods.
Risks to the Environment
The production of transgenic foods allows a greater use of agrochemicals and pesticides in the plantations, which increases the risk of soil and water contamination with these chemicals, which will be consumed in greater proportions by the population and will leave the soil poorer.
In addition, the exaggerated use of pesticides and pesticides can stimulate the appearance of herbs and pests more resistant to them, and it is increasingly difficult to control the quality of the plantation.
Lastly, small farmers are also at a disadvantage because if they buy the seeds of transgenic foods, they will be paying fees to the big seed-producing companies, and will always be obliged to buy new seeds annually, according to contracts that are established. See which foods contain the most pesticides.
Transgenic rice can fight HIV
Transgenic rice is a type of genetically modified food, that is, that has had its DNA modified to have a specific characteristic, like to produce proteins that help in the fight against HIV.
The seeds of transgenic rice produce 3 proteins, the monoclonal antibody 2G12 and lectins griffithsin and cyanovirin-N, which bind to the virus and neutralize its ability to infect the body's cells.
These seeds can be grown at very low costs, which makes the treatment of the disease much cheaper. In addition, these seeds can be milled and used in skin creams and ointments, fighting the virus that is normally present in the secretions of the sex organs.
Other types of Transgenic Rice
Another type of transgenic rice is called Golden Rice, which has been modified to be richer in beta-carotene, a type of vitamin A. This rice was created specifically to combat vitamin deficiency in places of extreme poverty, such as in parts of Asia. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to problems such as blindness, weak immune system, diarrhea, and respiratory infections. See which foods are richer in vitamin A.
There is also Liberty Link 62 rice, which is another type of transgenic rice produced by the Bayer brand. However, this rice does not bring health benefits because it was developed only to resist glufosinate ammonium, a substance present in Bayer's pesticide. However, ANVISA claims that this pesticide substance presents health risks for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
