Is GM safe?

The second argument about safety is mostly sensationalism based on ignorance. As yet, not scientifically reputable study has shown that any GM product currently on the shelves is toxic to consumers. (The scientific community has largely discredited a much-publicised report on the toxicity of GM potatoes.) Of course, consumers are right to be worried since accidents do happen (a brazil-nut gene transferred to soybeans made some nut-allergic people display allergic reactions during trials). However, the point to note is that there are extensive testing procedures in place to check on the safety of GM food products long before they reach the consumer. Also, food companies have no interest in promoting products that would harm consumers and devastate their corporate image.

A good dose of scepticism is healthy though, when sorting out the claims of scientists and GM food companies. Despite what they might say about the "safety" and "accuracy" of genetically modifying organisms, and how the insertion of a "single gene" could not conceivably harm people, the fact is that the technology is very much in its infancy and remarkably inaccurate. Scientists often use what's known as the "shotgun" method to hopefully insert the desired gene into the host cell (which does not always happen). And even if the gene is inserted, the location is largely random, often disrupting existing genes and sometimes interacting with other nearby genes to produce weird results. Also valid is the possibility that GM food will turn out to be harmful in the long term. Scientific trials seldom last longer than 10 years (or even 5), and the effects of many other well-known scientific disasters (DDT, CFCs) did not reveal themselves for several decades. And since certain modifications include having crop plants produce their own internal insecticide (which cannot be washed off), consumers cannot be blamed for being wary.

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