A Companion to the Philosophy of Technology

Genetically Modified Food

Genetically modified (GM) foods are plants and animals that have been altered using recombinant DNA technology which combines DNA molecules from different sources into a single molecule. The purpose of genetic modification is to produce new and useful traits otherwise unattainable through conventional techniques. The most common (98 percent) GM foods are corn, soy, canola, and cotton seed oil. Most often foods are genetically modified to contain their own pesticides or to be herbicide-resistant. Occasionally they are engineered to be nutritionally enhanced, for example, Vitamin-A-enriched rice that reduces blindness in malnourished children, milk and peanuts that are allergen-free, tomatoes with added lycopene, carrots and potatoes with vaccines for hepatitis-B and cholera respectively. Controversy has surrounded GM foods since their introduction in the late 1990s. Critics warn of unknown health risks from allergens, and unknown environmental consequences, such as genetic transfer and new forms of pesticide- and herbicide-resistant weeds. Critics also worry about the abuse of intellectual property rights laws to privatize and patent life forms.