We Are What We Eat

You Are What You Eat

In recent decades researches have learned to manipulate genetic code, or DNA, of plants and animals in order to create an ideal crop. This ideal crop has been a goal for scientists around the world and could be solution for world hunger. Creating crops that are pest resistant, drought resistant, higher nutritional value, making the crop grow faster, better, and stronger has been the light at the end of the tunnel for these researchers. However, many argue that this is unnatural and demand more research before releasing GMO containing crops to the public. What was a goal for ending world hunger has progressed to a commercial level of production trying to find the most efficient way to produce crops, not the best way to produce healthy nutritional crops. Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMO’s, has become incorporated into our everyday lives as consumers. The average American eats 193 pounds of GMO’s a year (Garber). It would be great if you could tell a non GMO containing food from a food containing GMO just as easy as telling an orange from an apple, but we cannot. When a lactose and tolerant man or women goes grocery shopping he or she examines the back for contents that can contain lactose they choose to consciously avoid these items for the betterment of their health. On the other hand people that would like to choose to avoid foods containing GMO’s are not so lucky. It would take quite the number of phone calls and diligence in order to find out if there is any GMO’s in your Cheezits for example. I am not the first one to think of this need for labeling of food. Over 40% of our world 64 countries already demand labeling of genetically modified organisms on food (What). Yet the United States chooses to ignore this much needed information on food packaging. Companies that provide products that contain genetically modified organisms should be required to provide a label on the product being offered. Providing products in which the consumer cannot easily distinguish what they are consuming is morally wrong, furthermore, the negative consequences from GMO’s have yet to be discovered and more studies are needed to prove pros vs. cons of GMO produced foods.

As a consumer you have a right to see and understand what you are buying. This idea has been a moral and legal obligation of food producers for quite some time. However, in recent years with the increased popularity of the producer mindset that, “bigger is better and faster is more ideal” has become the norm. This mindset has worked for many industries however when it comes to food, this thought should be the last on the list of things to accomplish. It is morally wrong as a producer to know what s and/ or is not in your product and be ashamed to identify it to the consumer so that they can make their own decision about buying the product for themselves and their family.

For example, let’s say you