What’s the Bottom Line on GM Crops and GM Foods?

1. SAFETY: To the best of our knowledge, GM foods and crops are as safe as conventional ones. Nutritionists and other scientists do not know of any unresolved safety issues.

2. REGULATION: GM crops and foods are highly regulated by the United States and other governments. The approval process requires many tests and takes many years. Scientists and agricultural biotech
companies support such regulations.

3. ENVIRONMENT: There is no evidence that GM crops harm the environment or have the potential to harm the environment any more than traditional agriculture.

4. ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS: Certain GM crops have environmental benefits because they require less pesticide to be used and less tilling of the land (and therefore less danger of erosion). GM crops can play an important role in making agriculture more sustainable and more productive.

5. BETTER NUTRITION: In the near future, GM crops and foods derived from them will have higher levels of vitamins, minerals, biologically active phytochemicals, and other nutrients.Many allergens will be eliminated.

6. FARMERS:Most farmers want GM crops because they make crop production cheaper. For their own safety, they especially like crops that require less pesticide.

7. OPPONENTS OF GM CROPS: Groups that oppose GM crops on ideological, philosophical, or economic grounds (such as Greenpeace and the Sierra Club) have not brought forth scientific evidence to back up their claims of negative health consequences or environmental impact.

8. DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: Plant breeders and farmers want access to GM technology to improve their crops. Everyone knows that this will not solve world hunger. It is simply another tool to increase productivity and reach that goal.


extracted from: http://www.sdcma.org/GMFoodsBrochure.pdf

The National Seed List

Committee	Department	Responsibility
Advisory Committee on Genetic modification	Health and Safety Executive	Advises on all aspects of human and environmental safety of contained use (eg in the laboratory) of GMOs
Advisory Committee on Releases into the environent	DEFRA	Advises on the environmental safety of proposed releases, marketing of GMOs, and related issues
Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes	Food Standards Agency	Advises on the safety of novel foods such as those derived from GMOs
Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs	Food Standards Agency	Advises on the safety and use of animal feeds
Advisory Committee on Pesticides	DEFRA	Advises the Government on the use of pesticides and herbicides
Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission	Department of Trade and Industry	Advises the Government on strategic developments in agricultural biotechnology and environmental implications

The information is finally in table- form!! =))

PS: DEFRA stands for Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Toxins in GM food

Examples of toxins present in GM Food:

• glycoalkaloids found in green potatoes
• fungal toxins that sometimes contaminate food
• glucosinolates in cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts and canola
• erucic acid in canola
• psoralens in celery
• cyanogenic glycosides in bitter almonds
• substances in poisonous species of fish and mushrooms.

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/GM%20Foods_text_pp_final.pdf

The National Seed List

Committee

1. Advisory Committee on Genetic Modification
2. Advisory Committee on Releases into the Environment
3. Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes
4. Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs Food
5. Advisory Committee on Pesticides
6. Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission

Department

1. Health and Safety Executive
2. DEFRA
3. Food standards agency
4. Food standards agency
5. DEFRA
6. Department of trade and industry

Responsiblity

1. Advises on all aspects of human and environmental safety of contained use (e.g. in the laboratory) of GMOs
2. Advises on the environmental safety of proposed releases, marketing of GMOs, and related issues
3. Advises on the safety of novel foods such as those derived from GMOs
4. Advises on the safety and use of animal feeds
5. Advises the Government on the use of pesticides and herbicides
6. Advises the Government on strategic developments in agricultural biotechnology and environmental implications
   
   
   

extracted from: http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/gm_regulatory_process.pdf

* the numbering is according.. Number One for the committee is the same for the rest (department and responsibilty)

sorry for the inconvenience because i'm still trying out to put tables in here... i'll go ask around and i will post the table up asap for easy use.. =))

Regulatory

GM legislation originates in Europe and is implemented in the UK under domestic laws.
European Union (EU) is there to introduce traceability for GM foods and increased labeling requirements.

For example, a company decides that a GMO is ready for commercial use, an request can be made for the GM food to be sold on the market across the EU. It also covers permission for imports of GMOs from non-EU countries for use in food processing or animal feed. As for the GM food being herbicide tolerance, the herbicide used must also agree with the legislation controlling the use of pesticides. Consent is given by the Pesticides Safety Directorate of DEFRA. So far approvals have only been given for experimental use.

The FSA is in charge for the labelling of GM foods. Foods with over 1% of detectable GM DNA or protein present need to be labelled.



http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/gm_regulatory_process.pdf

DNA probes

What is DNA probes?

It is short single stranded DNA molecules of specific base sequence, labeled either radioactively or immunologically, that are used to sense and recognise the corresponding base sequence in a gene or genome by hybridizing specifically to that gene or sequence.


lomiweb.med.auth.gr/xml_output/bioglossary/D_glossary.htm

ELISA

What is an ELISA test?

An ELISA test uses components of the immune system and chemicals to sense the immune responses in the body (for example, presence of foreign invaders). The ELISA test involves an enzyme (a protein that catalyzes a biochemical reaction). It also involves an antibody or antigen (immunologic molecules).

What is the use of an ELISA test?

ELISA tests are widely used to detect substances that have antigenic properties, primarily proteins. The substances that can be detected by ELISA tests include hormones, bacterial antigens and antibodies. It can also be an analytical tool in medicine and plant pathology, as well as a quality control check in various industries.

What are the advantages of ELISA?

- Accurate tests

-highly sensitive

-specific and compare favorably with other methods used to detect substances in the body, such as radioimmune assay (RIA) tests.

- Not needing radioisotopes (radioactive substances) or a costly radiation counter (a radiation-counting apparatus).

Examples of ELISA test

o screening donated blood for evidence of viral contamination by
-- HIV-1 and HIV-2 (presence of anti-HIV antibodies)

o measuring hormone levels
-- LH (determining the time of ovulation)

o detecting infections
-- sexually-transmitted agents like HIV, syphilis, and Chlamydia

o measuring toxins in contaminated food



www.medicinenet.com/elisa_tests/article.htm
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/E/Elisa.html

GM food- its advantages and disadvantages

What is GM food?

Genetically Modified (GM) foods are produced from genetically modified organisms (GMO) which have had their genome altered through genetic engineering techniques. The genes of plants can be modified to make them more resistant to unfavourable growing conditions and also to produce higher yields with the use of lesser fertilizers and water. Involving genetically modified organisms (GMO) which are potential environmental hazards. Examples of this GM food are; soybean, corn, canola and cotton seed oil.


Advantages:
1. Modified to make them more resistant to unfavourable conditions
2. Produce higher yields
3. Use less fertilizers
4. Use lesser water
5. Pest resistance
6. Herbicide tolerance
7. Increasing food supplies in co-relation with an increasing world population.




Disadvantages:
1. Harmful to environment
2. Harmful to humans
3. Give rise to 'super weeds'
4. 'Super weeds' dominate the fields and affect main crops
5. Genes from the genetically modified food could be transferred to the pests which can make them become resistant to the pesticides and the pesticides become useless.