Modified Food Product

With the advent of introducing recombinant DNA technology in agricultural sciences and food production, food safety became a major issue. The first plant to be successfully transformed was tobacco in 1988, which opened an arenas in the field of plant breeding. The organization for economic cooperation and development observes a genetically modified organism under following categories: 1) Substantially equivalent to traditional variety- it is almost same as traditional variety; for eg; derivation of starch from potatoes, 2) Substantially equivalent except for inserted trait; for eg; Bt. Cotton 3)not equivalent at all- this would be a novel crop that has been created solely through the use to various RDT techniques and thus the assessment of such a new commodity becomes necessary.[1]

Genetically modified organism (plants/animals) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using techniques of RDT. There is a vast variety of organism that have been transformed including bacteria and yeast, animals like fish, insects and mammals etc. GMO's are used to produce GM food. These products cater to the need of ever expanding human population as GM crops are resisitant to herbicides and insects along with enhanced nutritional value and increased shelf life to name a few [2]. With the dawn of GM crops scientist had high hopes from them as they offered pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, disease resistance, cold tolerance, drought resistance/salinity tolerance, improved nutrition and also helping in development cheap vaccine( research are undergoing to make edible vaccine using bananas and potatoes etc) and also in phytoremediation.

However what remains of main concern is the debate over safety and ethical issues concerning such a crop plants. The safety assessment of GM food generally investigates: 1) direct health effects 2)tendency to provoke allergic reactions 3)specific component thought to have nutritionals/toxic properties 4) stability of inserted genes 5)nutritional affects associated with genetic modifications 6) Unintentional effect caused due to gene insertion. [3]

Another major concern that befalls upon us is that the new GM crops may have an allergic substance that can induce reactions. Also, the antibiotic resistant selectable marker used in genetic engineering could lead to production of antibiotic resistant bacterial strain that will be resistant to the antibiotics currently available [4]. Adding further more threat the American academy of environmental medicine adviced the doctors to enlighten their patients, medical fraternity and general public about the adverse effect of GM crops and health risks.

Risk of GM crops on pregnant women

Studies have shown that pregnant rats fes with GM crops shows when GM soy was fed to babies they could not survive beyong 3 week.[5] Also the babies were smaller in size compared to others. [6]

These studies shows that babies are being affected adversely on administration of GM crops. Several studies have been conducted that highlighted that fact that cows and buffalos that are taking GM cottonseed as their staple diet are having problems during conceiving, premature/stillbirth , infertility to name a few. The calves that were born in such a manner also showed similar problems. Pigs have also reportedly gone sterile after being on GM Crops.

Toxin Producing Plants

With the hope to protect the plants from pest Bt.Cotton was introduced which produces built in pestiside which works by cutting the stomach of pest upon ingestion.

Bt or Bacillus thurengensis which is the organism from which it extracted ,though have a safe history but the levels of toxin produced in the plants is predicted to have many side effects on human population. Before the advent was being used of Bt cotton/Bt. Corn, Bt spary was being used which in itself was considered to have toxin levels beyond the scope ; which for record was less toxic than the varieties now available with built in qualities.[7]

Studies in the past have confirmed that Bt toxin was sprayed over an area to kill gypsy moth, the people in the vicinity had severe allergic reaction induced and few had to take medical aid in order to overcome it. [8]

Several cases of allergies are also being reported in India prevalent amongst the farmers handling the