Update: October 2018

To date, in many countries (including Russia), the concept of GMOs has been turned into practically equivalent to the concepts of "products that cause mutations and tumors." GMOs are being slandered from all sides and for a variety of reasons: unsafe, tasteless, threatening the country's food independence. Are these same GMOs so terrible, and what is it really, let's try to figure it out.

GMO - deciphering the concept

Genetically modified organisms are living organisms modified by genetic engineering. In a narrow sense, the concept applies to plants. Previously, breeders like Michurin had to achieve certain useful (from a human point of view) properties in plants using various tricks: grafting cuttings of some trees onto others or selecting plants with certain qualities for sowing seeds, and then long and hard to wait for results that persisted only after a couple of generations of plants. Today you can move the right gene to the right place and get what you want.

Thus, GMOs are the acceleration of evolution and its direction in the right direction.

How are GMOs created?

Several techniques can be used to create a GMO plant. Today, the most popular method is transgenes. To do this, the desired gene (for example, drought resistance) is isolated from the DNA chain in its pure form, and then it is introduced into the DNA of the modified plant.

Genes can be taken from related species, and then the process is called cisgenesis. When a gene is taken from species that are far from the given organism, they speak of transgenesis.

There are horror stories about transgenesis. Having learned that now there is wheat with the scorpion gene, many begin to fantasize about whether those who eat it will now grow a tail and claws and whether poison will appear in saliva. Numerous illiterate publications on websites and forums, where the topic of GMOs is actively discussed, add fuel to the fire.

This is not the only thing that scares potential consumers of GMO products by “specialists” who are little familiar with biology and biochemistry.

Products containing GMOs

GMO products today have agreed to call everything that is genetically modified organisms or all products that contain components of such organisms. That is, not only genetically modified corn or potatoes will be GMO food, but also sausages, in which, in addition to sodium nitrate, toilet paper and liver, GMO soy will be added. But the meat of a cow fed with GMO wheat will not be a GMO product. And that's why.

Do GMOs fit into our cells?

Journalists who did not read any normal physiology and biochemistry, understanding the relevance and relevance of the GMO topic, but too lazy to seriously study the issue, launched a “duck” to the masses that the cells of GMO products, getting into our stomach and intestines, are absorbed into the bloodstream and spread throughout organs and tissues, where they cause mutations and cancerous tumors.

It is with great regret that this fantasy plot is untenable. Any food in the stomach and intestines breaks down into its constituent parts under the action of gastric juice, pancreatic secretion and intestinal enzymes. And these constituent parts are by no means genes and not even proteins, but:

Then, in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract, all this beauty is absorbed into the bloodstream and consumed either for:

• getting energy (sugar)
• either for its reserves (fats)
• or as a building material of human own proteins (amino acids)

And if, for example, we take a certain genetically modified organism (say, an ugly apple that looks more like a cucumber), then it will be calmly chewed, swallowed and decomposed into its component parts just like any other that has not undergone genetic modification. Let's give another somewhat strange / creepy example, but which will explain in a more popular way that genes are not integrated anywhere when digested in the gastrointestinal tract: if a crocodile (or cannibal) eats a child with Down syndrome and eats a healthy child, both of them will be digested equally and by no one way will not affect the crocodile or cannibal.

Other GMO horror stories

The second, no less chilling, tale concerns the fact that transgenes are integrated into the human genome and lead to, God knows what, terrible consequences, such as the same cancers and infertility.

Risk of cancer: The French first wrote about cancer in mice fed with genetically modified grain in 2012. In fact, the leader of the experiment, Gilles-Eric Séralini (Institute of Biology, University of Caen, France), made a sample of 200 Sprague-Dawley rats, a third of which were fed genetically modified corn grain, a third - genetically modified herbicide-treated corn, and a third - conventional corn grains. As a result, those female rats that ate GMO within two years in 80% gave the growth of tumors. Males, on such a diet, developed liver and kidney pathologies. Characteristically, a third of the rats on a normal diet also died from tumors of various organs, and in general this line of rats is prone to the spontaneous appearance of tumors, regardless of the nature of the diet. So the purity of the experiment is doubtful, and it was declared unscientific and untenable.

Previously, similar surveys were carried out in 2005 by the biologist Ermakova (Russia). At a conference in Germany, she made a report on the high mortality of mice receiving genetically modified soybeans. After that, this statement, as confirmed in a scientific experiment, went for a walk around the cities and villages, bringing young mothers to hysteria, forced to feed their children with artificial mixtures, in which this GMO soybeans are simply heaps. Subsequently, five Nature Biotechnology experts agreed on the ambiguity of the Russian experiment and did not recognize its reliability.

In conclusion of this section, I would like to write that even if some piece of foreign DNA (as some sources write about) gets into the human bloodstream, then this genetic information will not be integrated anywhere and will not lead to anything. Yes, in nature there are cases of embedding pieces of the genome into a foreign one. For example, some bacteria spoil the genetics of flies in this way. But in higher animals such phenomena are not described. In addition, there is more than enough different genetic information in all other products without any GMOs. And if until now they are not built into our genetic material, then you can continue to safely eat everything that the body can digest and assimilate.

GMOs: harm or benefit

The American company Monsanto introduced genetically modified cotton and soybeans to the market already in 1982. They also own the authorship of the herbicide Roundup, which kills all vegetation, except GMO-modified.

In 1996, when Monssanto's GMO products were thrown onto the market, competing corporations, saving their income, launched a large-scale campaign to limit the circulation of products containing GMOs. The first in the persecution of GMOs was the British scientist Arpad Pusztai, who fed rats with GMO potatoes. True, later experts smashed all the calculations of the scientist to smithereens.

Potential harm from GMO products for Russians

• No one hides the fact that on the lands sown with GMO grains, nothing will ever grow again, except for themselves. This is due to the fact that herbicide-resistant varieties of soybean or cotton are not washed with herbicide, which can be sprayed in any quantity, achieving the total extinction of other vegetation.
• The most commonly used herbicide is glyphosate.. In fact, it is sprayed even before the ripeness of what gets into food, quickly decomposes in plants and does not persist in the soil. But resistant GMO plants allow you to spray it very, very much, which increases the risks of its accumulation in GMO vegetation. Glyphosate is also known to cause obesity and bone growth. And in the US and Latin America, there are too many overweight people.
• Many GMO seeds are designed for only one sowing. That is, what grows out of them will no longer give offspring. This is more of a commercial ploy, as it increases the sales of GMO seeds. There are excellent GMO plants that produce excellent next generations.
• Allergization. Since some artificial genetic mutations (for example, in potatoes or soybeans) can increase its allergenic properties, they say that all GMOs are powerful allergens. But some varieties of peanuts, devoid of their usual proteins, do not cause allergies even in those who previously suffered from it on this particular product.
• GMO plants can outcompete other varieties of their own species. Due to the characteristics of pollination, they can reduce the number of other varieties of their species. That is, if two plots are planted side by side with GMO wheat and ordinary wheat, there is a risk that the GMO will displace the usual one, pollinating it. Who would let her grow up next to her.
• Dependence on firms-holders of the seed fund. Having abandoned its own seed funds and switching only to GMO seeds, especially disposable ones, the state will sooner or later become food dependent on the holders of the seed fund of GMO plants.

The answer to the aspirations of the people

After repeated replication in all the media of tales and horror stories about GMO products, the vector of wide public outcry turned against the intrigues of imperialism, completely denying the possibility of expensive Russians eating harmful and unsafe products containing GMOs or their traces.

Rospotrebnadzor, meeting the wishes of compatriots, participated in numerous conferences on this issue. In March 2014, at a conference in Italy, a Rospotrebnadzor delegation took part in technical consultations on the low content of GMOs in food products and the low content of GMO products themselves in Russia's trade turnover. Thus, today a course has been adopted to almost completely exclude GMO products from the Russian food market and the use of GMO plants in agriculture has been delayed, although in 2013 it was planned to start using GMO seeds (Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of September 23, 2013).

The Ministry of Education and Science went even further and, taking into account popular aspirations, proposed instead of the “non-GMO” mark to use a barcode that would contain all the information about the genetic modification of this product or its absence. The beginning is good, but it will be impossible to read the barcode without a special device.

CONCLUSION: the problem of GMOs is clearly inflated, the real consequences of the long-term consumption of GMO foods are unknown, authoritative scientific experiments on this issue have not been conducted to date.

For those who are still afraid of eating GMO foods, here is a partial list of foods containing GMOs.

List of GMO food manufacturers

The same product manufacturing company can produce three categories of the same product:

• the first - for domestic consumption (in industrialized countries)
• the second - for export to other developed countries
• the third - for export to developing countries

The third category includes about 80% of food, beverages, tobacco products exported from the US and Western Europe. According to the UN Food Commission, some Western firms are expanding the export of goods not only environmentally hazardous, but also prohibited in developed countries.

Meanwhile, more than two hundred types of food additives are not allowed for use in Russia due to the incompleteness of the testing complex. Listing them would take too much space.

Let's name only preservatives and emulsifiers that are completely prohibited and definitely harmful to humans:

And in conclusion, I would like to name some dangerous preservatives and emulsifiers that can negatively affect your health. As a rule, labeling with their name is given on product packaging.

• E121 - citrus red dye
• E123 - red amaranth
• E240 - formaldehyde preservative
• suspicious: E-104, E-122, E-141, E-150, E-171, E-173, E-180, E-241, E-477
• prohibited: E-103, E-105, E-111, E-125, E-126, E-130, E-152
• dangerous: E-102, E-110, E-120, E-124, E-127
• contribute to the development of oncology: E-131, E-142, E-210, E-211, E-212, E-213, E-215, E-216, G: 217, E-240, E-330
• harmful to the skin: E-230, E-231, E-232, E-238
• contribute to the occurrence of a rash: E-311, E-312 and E-313
• cause intestinal disorders: E-221, E-222, E-223, E-224 and E-226
• indigestion: E-322, E-338, E-339, E-340, E-311, E-407, E-450, E-461, E-462, E-463, E-465, E-466
• increase pressure: E-250 and E-251
• increase cholesterol: E-320 and E-321

Irina Kamshilina

Cooking for someone is much more pleasant than for yourself))

Content

In an effort to find a life-saving remedy for hunger, mankind has invented genetically modified foods. The increasing population of the planet is no longer a threat thanks to a unique discovery. Man for the first time took control of the most important function of nature - the process of evolution with the help of GMOs, providing an increasing need for food. But the phenomenon, which at times increases the volume of products produced, has a downside. The creators of the technology prefer to keep silent about it, and the producers of such food calculate fabulous profits.

What are genetically modified foods and how are they obtained?

Foods with genetically modified ingredients are spreading rapidly around the world. Growing analogues costs three to four times cheaper than natural products, while there is no risk of complete or partial loss of the crop. From the US and Canada to China, this is the geographic distribution of transgenic crops that are sown on an area equal to 170 million acres. What lies at the basis of the fantastic development of genetic engineering?

Genetically modified foods are the result of technology that helps change the genetic traits in animals or plants. The resulting new species contains altered DNA, combining the biological memory code of several organisms. Nature has no such mechanisms, and humanity has found a way to add DNA fragments from one organism to another.

The benefits of genetically modified foods

The discovery of a unique technology (GMO) carried incredible prospects. The bright hopes of man to overcome hunger came true, and few thought about the risk. GMO-labeled products were not a concern at first because the unique technology helped to significantly increase yields. New properties grafted onto animal organisms and plant cultures provided genetically modified products with resistance to diseases, low temperatures, and insecticides.

New products with GMOs divided the scientific community into two camps, and then the whole world. The debate about the benefits or harms of transgenes does not stop, studies are being carried out one after another. But no one is able to prove with complete certainty what impact and what consequences the cultivation and use of genetically modified products brings with it. Caution in the amount of consumed GMO-labeled goods is what remains for the average consumer who monitors the quality of food and strives for health.

List of foods containing GM ingredients

The research path in search of the truth about the dangers or benefits of genetically modified food is still limited in time. Only two decades have passed since the emergence of the unique technology, and this is not enough to formulate conclusions with accuracy. The emergence of the development of genetic engineering (GMO) is able to solve the global problem of mankind, covering the needs for food, but at the same time raising doubts about safety for health.

Among the most common concerns are the risk of cancer, food allergies, reduced immunity, and mutations from eating foods. Therefore, while there are no official studies confirming or refuting these statements, you should carefully consider the choice of products marked GMO. There are not so few of them on store shelves, since many contain soy, and half of it is a genetically modified crop.

More often than others, the following products appear in the list of food industry products containing GM ingredients:

• peas,
• potato,
• corn,
• meat,
• milk products,
• tomatoes,
• rape,
• vegetable oil,
• chicory.

Kit-Kat chocolates, Mars, Milky Way, Twix, Snickers, M&Ms, Corn Flakes, Nesquik, Beseda and Lipton teas, Lace and Pringles chips, 7-up soda, Coca-Cola are all common commercial products with genetically modified ingredients, which must be labeled with the abbreviation GMO. An extensive list includes Calve and Delmi mayonnaise, Heintz ketchup, Knorr, Maggi seasonings, Delmi margarines, Pyshka - products oversaturated with harmful GMOs.

It is not easy for an ordinary consumer to recognize the origin of products on store shelves. In appearance, genetically modified food (GMO products) is almost no different from natural food, but there is a secret: if vegetables or cereals look perfect, without a single flaw, then with a high degree of probability you have the same GMO products. It is not necessary that manufacturers or sellers mark them with the appropriate label, but odorless vegetables and fruits are a reason to be wary.

Dyes, sweeteners, structurants (soybean, corn) are found in the composition of various food groups, including confectionery products with GMOs. Therefore, delicacies - cakes, cookies, rolls - should be prepared at home, reduce the purchase or completely abandon semi-finished products. Try not to buy cheap products, as they may contain genetically modified ingredients, limit the number of visits to fast food restaurants.

Video: why are GMOs dangerous for human health?

While some scientists claim that GMO products do not pose a danger to human health, others are conducting research in an attempt to prove the opposite. There is an opinion that mankind will learn about the first results of eating transgenic products in two generations. The terms are considerable, as is the level of fear, because the technology, which is a unique development of genetic engineering, threatens humanity with complete extinction. You will learn about the dangers of GMO products and how they affect people's health in the video below:

Ecology

The question of the benefits or harms of genetically modified products began to rise as soon as such products appeared in nature. Some defenders of such production began to say: "This is the only way to feed the poor! GM crops benefit farmers! GMO foods are safe!" and so on ... However, opponents of the use of such products find many rebuttals.

We invite you to learn about 10 reasons why you should avoid genetically modified foods, which he told Jeffrey Smith from Institute of Responsible Technologies. An expert in the field of GMOs will talk about the dangers that lie behind products produced using genetically modified organisms.

1) GMOs are very unhealthy food

American Academy of Environmentally Friendly Medicine urges doctors to protect patients from the use of products with GMOs. They cite studies that such foods harm organs, the digestive and immune systems, accelerate the aging process and lead to infertility. Human studies show that such foods can leave a special material in the body that causes many health problems over a long period. For example, genes that are introduced into soybeans can be transferred to the DNA of bacteria that live inside us. Toxic insecticides produced by genetically modified corn enter the bloodstream of pregnant women and fetuses.

A large number of diseases appeared after the production of genetically modified foods began in 1996. In America, the number of people with three or more chronic conditions has increased from 7 percent to 13 percent in just 9 years. The number of food allergies and problems such as autism, reproductive disorders, digestive problems, and others has skyrocketed. Although there have not yet been detailed studies that have confirmed that GMOs are to blame, the Academy experts warn that you should not wait for these problems to come and you should protect your health now, especially the health of children, who are at the greatest risk.

American Public Health Association and American Association Nurses are also warned that modified ruminant growth hormones increase levels of the hormone IGF-1 (insulin growth factor 1) in cow's milk, which has been linked to cancer.

2) GMOs are on the rise

Genetically modified seeds are constantly spreading naturally around the world. It is impossible to completely clean up our gene pool. Self-propagating GMOs can survive the problems of global warming and the effects of nuclear waste. The potential impact of these organisms is very high, as they threaten future generations. The spread of GMOs can cause economic losses, leaving organic farmers vulnerable as they constantly struggle to protect their crops.

3) GMOs require more herbicide use

Most GM crops are designed to be tolerant of weed killers. From 1996 to 2008, US farmers used approximately 174,000 tons of herbicides for GMOs. The result was "superweeds" that were resistant to the chemicals used to kill them. Farmers are forced to use more and more herbicides every year. Not only is this harmful to the environment, but such products end up accumulating a high percentage of toxic chemicals that can lead to infertility, hormonal disorders, malformations, and cancer.

4) Genetic engineering has dangerous side effects

By mixing the genes of completely unrelated species, genetic engineering entails a lot of unpleasant and unexpected consequences. Moreover, regardless of the types of genes that are introduced, the very process of creating a genetically modified plant can lead to serious negative consequences, including toxins, carcinogens, allergies, and nutrient deficiencies.

5) The government turns a blind eye to dangerous consequences

Many of the health and environmental implications of GMOs are ignored by government regulations and safety analysis. The reasons for this may be political motives. US Food and Drug Administration, for example, did not require a single study confirming the safety of GMOs, does not require appropriate labeling of products, and allows companies to send genetically modified products to the markets without informing management.

They justify themselves by saying that they do not have information that GM products are significantly different from conventional ones. However, this is a lie. Secret memos that the FDA receives from the public who go to court show that most scientists working for the FDA agree that GMOs can cause unpredictable effects that are difficult to detect. The White House has instructed the Office to continue to work with biotechnology.

6) The biotech industry hides the facts about the dangers of GMOs

Some biotech companies are trying to prove that GMO products are completely harmless using superficial and falsified research data. Independent scientists have long since refuted these claims, finding evidence that this is not the case. It is beneficial for such companies to distort and deny information about the dangers of GMOs in order to avoid problems and stay afloat.

7) Independent research and reports are criticized and suppressed

Scientists who uncover the truth about GMOs are criticized, silenced, set on fire, threatened and denied funding. Attempts by the media to bring the truth about the problem to the public are censored.

8) GMOs are bad for the environment

Genetically modified crops and their associated herbicides harm birds, insects, amphibians, marine life and organisms living underground. They reduce species diversity, pollute water and are not environmentally friendly. For example, GM crops have supplanted monarch butterflies, whose numbers have fallen by 50 percent in the US.

Herbicides have been shown to cause birth defects in amphibians, embryonic death, endocrine disruption, and organ damage in animals, even at very low doses. Genetically engineered canola (a type of rapeseed) has spread into the wild in North Dakota and California, threatening to transfer herbicide resistance genes to other plants and weeds.

9) GMOs do not increase yields and cannot help fight hunger.

While sustainable, non-GMO agricultural practices used in developing countries have increased crop yields by 79 percent, GMO practices, on average, do not increase yields at all.

International Organization for the Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology Development, citing the opinion of 400 scientists and the support of 58 countries, reported that the yield of genetically modified crops is "highly variable" and in some cases even starting to decline. She also confirmed that with the help of GMOs it is currently impossible to fight hunger and poverty, improve nutrition, health and livelihoods in rural areas, protect the environment, and help social development.

GMOs use the same tools and resources that could be used to develop and use other safer methods and more reliable technologies.

10) By avoiding GMO foods, you can do your part to help get rid of negative effects.

Since GMOs do not provide the consumer with any benefit, many may refuse them, therefore, it will become unprofitable to produce such products and companies will stop offering them. In Europe, for example, back in 1999 they announced the danger of GMOs, warning about the potential harm of these products.

In this article we will understand - what is GMO?

Wikipedia answers us with the following: A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genotype has been artificially altered using genetic engineering methods. This definition can be applied to plants, animals and microorganisms. Genetic changes are usually made for scientific or economic purposes. Genetic modification is characterized by a purposeful change in the genotype of an organism, in contrast to the random, characteristic of natural and artificial mutagenesis.

In fact, these are organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) was artificially changed (added from any other animal organisms) to obtain supposedly useful characteristics of the original donor organism, such as calorie content, resistance to pests, diseases, weather, such products ripen faster and are stored longer, their fertility increases, which ultimately affects the cost of products.

A drought-tolerant wheat that has been implanted with the scorpion gene. A potato containing the genes of an earthen bacterium, from which even the Colorado beetles die (but are they the only ones?). Tomatoes with the genes of the sea flounder. Soy and strawberries with bacterial genes. Perhaps this is a real panacea, in the face of an ever-growing population and other economic problems. You can, for example, help the starving population of Africa, but for some reason African countries do not allow the import of GM products into their territories...

The cost of GM agricultural products is 3-5 times cheaper than regular ones! This means that in pursuit of profit, entrepreneurs will actively use them. But it does not mean that by excluding all plant foods with altered DNA from your diet, you have secured yourself. For example, if cows on a dairy farm are fed with GM feed, then this will undoubtedly affect both milk and meat (if this is relevant to someone). And bees pollinating fields with GM corn will make the wrong kind of honey. I will not write about experiments on rats with a lethal outcome.

Whether similar researches on people of the information have been carried out, I have not found. I want to note right away that almost all such studies are paid for by GMO manufacturers. To any objections about mandatory certification, honesty of manufacturers, laboratory assistants and other things, I can say that not a single “independent” laboratory wants to lose a tender at the next examination or study, and not a single businessman wants to lose hard-earned money spent on non-production.

It is already known that regular consumption of GM foods can lead to serious problems! Scientists identify the following main risks of eating genetically modified foods:

1. Allergic reactions and metabolic disorders, as a result of the direct action of transgenic proteins.

The influence of new proteins that are produced by genes built into GMOs is not yet fully known. they are used by humans relatively recently and therefore it is not clear whether they are allergens.

An illustrative example is the attempt to cross the genes of the Brazil nut with the genes of soybeans - in order to increase the nutritional value of the latter, their protein content was increased. However, as it turned out later, the combination turned out to be a strong allergen, and it had to be withdrawn from further production.

For example, in the USA, where DNA-altered products are very popular, 70.5% of the population suffers from allergies, and in Sweden, where such products are banned, only 7%.<

2. Another consequence of the action of transgenic proteins can be a decrease in the immunity of the whole organism (70% of human immunity is in the intestine), as well as metabolic disorders.

Our natural microflora is simply not able to process products that are unusual for the ecosystem in which we exist as a species. It is not for nothing that now so many drugs have appeared on the market to improve digestion, relieve discomfort in the intestines, fight and heartburn, and so on, which means there is a demand.

Also, one of the versions, the meningitis epidemic among English children was caused by a weakened immune system as a result of the use of GM-containing milk chocolate and waffle biscuits.

3. Appearance of resistance of human pathogenic microflora to antibiotics.

When obtaining GMOs, marker genes of resistance to antibiotics are still used, which can pass into the intestinal microflora, which has been shown in relevant experiments, and this, in turn, can lead to medical problems - the inability to cure many diseases.

Since December 2004, the EU has banned the sale of GMOs using antibiotic resistance genes. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that manufacturers refrain from using these genes, but corporations have not completely abandoned them. The risk of such GMOs, as noted in the Oxford Great Encyclopedic Reference, is quite large and "we have to admit that genetic engineering is not as harmless as it might seem at first glance"

4. Various health disorders as a result of the appearance in GMOs of new, unplanned proteins or metabolic products toxic to humans.

There is already convincing evidence of a violation of the stability of the plant genome when a foreign gene is inserted into it. All this can cause a change in the chemical composition of GMOs and the emergence of unexpected properties, including toxic ones.

For example, for the production of the food additive tryptophan in the United States in the late 80s. In the 20th century, the GMH bacterium was created. However, along with the usual tryptophan, for an unknown reason, she began to produce ethylene-bis-tryptophan. As a result of its use, 5 thousand people fell ill, of which 37 people died, 1,500 became disabled.

Independent experts claim that genetically modified crops emit 1020 times more toxins than conventional organisms.

5. Health disorders associated with the accumulation of herbicides in the human body.

Most of the known transgenic plants are not killed by the massive use of agricultural chemicals and can accumulate them. There is evidence that sugar beets resistant to the herbicide glyphosate accumulate its toxic metabolites.

6. Reducing the intake of essential substances into the body.

According to independent experts, it is still impossible to say for sure, for example, whether the composition of conventional soybeans and GM analogues is equivalent or not. When comparing various published scientific data, it turns out that some indicators, in particular, the content of phytoestrogens, vary significantly. That is, we eat not only what can harm us, but also not be useful.

7. Remote carcinogenic and mutagenic effects.

Each insertion of a foreign gene into the body is a mutation, it can cause undesirable consequences in the genome, and no one knows what this will lead to, and no one can know today. But, as you know, it is cell mutations that lead to the development of cancer cells. In addition, the fact of enhancing the growth of cancer cells with the use of genetically modified thermophilic yeast has already been proven.

According to research by British scientists within the framework of the state project "Assessment of the risk associated with the use of GMOs in human food" published in 2002, transgenes tend to linger in the human body and, as a result of the so-called "horizontal transfer", integrate into the genetic apparatus of microorganisms human intestines. Previously, this possibility was denied.

In addition to the danger to human health, scientists are actively discussing the question of what potential threat biotechnology poses to the environment.

Acquired resistance to herbicides by GMO plants can do a disservice if transgenic crops start to spread uncontrollably. For example, alfalfa, rice, sunflowers are very similar in characteristics to weeds, and their arbitrary growth will not be easy to manage.

In Canada, one of the main countries producing GMO products, such cases have already been recorded. According to The Ottawa Citizen, Canadian farms have been invaded by genetically engineered "superweeds" that are the result of a random cross between three herbicide-resistant GM rapeseeds. The result is a plant that the newspaper claims is resistant to virtually all agricultural chemicals.

A similar problem will arise in the case of the transfer of herbicide resistance genes from cultivated plants to other wild species. For example, it has been observed that the cultivation of transgenic soybeans leads to genetic mutations of associated plants (weeds), which become immune to the effects of herbicides.

The possibility of transferring genes that code for the production of proteins that are toxic to insect pests is not excluded. Weeds that produce their own insecticides have a huge advantage in controlling insects, which are often a natural growth limiter.

In addition, not only pests, but also other insects are at risk. An article appeared in the authoritative journal Nature, the authors of which announced that crops of transgenic corn threaten populations of a protected species of monarch butterflies, its pollen was toxic to their caterpillars. Such an effect, of course, was not intended by the creators of corn - it was supposed to scare away only insect pests.

In addition, living organisms that feed on transgenic plants can mutate - according to studies conducted by the German zoologist Hans Kaaz, the pollen of the modified Shrovetide turnip caused mutations in the bacteria living in the stomach of bees.

There is a fear that all these effects in the long term can cause the disruption of entire food chains and, as a result, the balance within individual ecological systems and even the extinction of some species.

Here is a list of products where GMOs can be:

1. Soy and its forms (beans, sprouts, concentrate, flour, milk, etc.).
2. Corn and its forms (flour, grits, popcorn, butter, chips, starch, syrups, etc.).
3. Potatoes and their forms (semi-finished products, dry mashed potatoes, chips, crackers, flour, etc.).
4. Tomatoes and its forms (paste, mashed potatoes, sauces, ketchups, etc.).
5. Zucchini and products made using them.
6. Sugar beet, table beet, sugar produced from sugar beet.
7. Wheat and products made with it, including bread and bakery products.
8. Sunflower oil.
9. Rice and products containing it (flour, granules, flakes, chips).
10. Carrots and products containing them.
11. Onions, shallots, leeks and other bulbous vegetables.

Accordingly, there is a high probability of meeting GMOs in products that are produced using these plants.

Most often, modifications lend themselves to: soybeans, rapeseed, corn, sunflowers, potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, zucchini, paprika, lettuce.

GM soy can be found in breads, biscuits, baby food, margarine, soups, pizzas, fast food, meat products (e.g. boiled sausages, sausages, pies), flour, candy, ice cream, chips, chocolate, sauces, soy milk etc.

GM corn (maize) can be found in foods such as fast food, soups, sauces, condiments, chips, chewing gum, cake mixes.

GM starch can be found in a very wide range of foods, including those that children love, such as yogurt.

70% of popular brands of baby food contain GMOs!

About 30% of tea and coffee on the market is genetically modified.

Foods made in the USA that contain soy, corn, canola, or potatoes are very likely to contain GM ingredients.

Most products based on soy not produced in the US, but outside of Russia, can also be transgenic.

Products that contain vegetable proteins are more likely to contain modified soy.

Human insulin preparations, vitamins, antiviral vaccines, may also contain GMOs.

Here are the names of some companies that, according to the state register, supply GM raw materials to their customers in Russia or are producers themselves:

• Central Soya Protein Group, Denmark;
• OOO "BIOSTAR TRADE", St. Petersburg;
• CJSC "Universal", Nizhny Novgorod;
• "Monsanto Co", USA;
• "Protein Technologies International Moscow", Moscow;
• LLC "Agenda", Moscow
• CJSC "ADM-Food Products", Moscow
• JSC "GALA", Moscow;
• CJSC "Belok", Moscow;
• Dera Food Technology N.V., Moscow;
• "Herbalife International of America", USA;
• "OY FINNSOYPRO LTD", Finland;
• LLC "Salon Sport-Service", Moscow;
• "Intersoy", Moscow.

But those who, according to the same state register, actively use GMOs in their products:

• Kelloggs (Kelloggs) - manufactures breakfast cereals, including corn flakes
• Nestle (Nestlé) - produces chocolate, coffee, coffee drinks, baby food
• Heinz Foods (Hayents Fuds) - produces ketchups, sauces
• Hersheys (Hershis) - produces chocolate, soft drinks
• Coca-Cola (Coca-Cola) - Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Kinley tonic
• McDonalds (McDonald's) - a network of "restaurants" of fast food
• Danon (Danone) - produces yogurts, kefir, cottage cheese, baby food
• Similac (Similak) - produces baby food
• Cadbury (Kadbury) - produces chocolate, cocoa
• Mars (Mars) - produces chocolate Mars, Snickers, Twix
• PepsiCo (Pepsi-Cola) - Pepsi, Mirinda, Seven-Up.

Often GMOs can be hidden behind E indices. However, this does not mean that all E supplements contain GMOs or are transgenic. You just need to know which E can, in principle, contain GMOs or their derivatives.

It is primarily soy lecithin or E 322 lecithin: binds water and fat together and is used as a fat element in formula milks, biscuits, chocolate, riboflavin (B2) otherwise known as E 101 and E 101A, can be produced from GM microorganisms. It is added to cereals, soft drinks, baby food and weight loss products. Caramel (E 150) and xanthan (E 415) can also be produced from GM grain.

• E101 and E101A (B2, riboflavin)
• E150 (caramel);
• E153 (carbonate);
• E160a (beta-carotene, provitamin A, retinol);
• E160b (annatto);
• E160d (lycopene);
• E234 (lowlands);
• E235 (natamycin);
• E270 (lactic acid);
• E300 (vitamin C - ascorbic acid);
• E301 - E304 (ascorbates);
• E306 - E309 (tocopherol / vitamin E);
• E320 (VHA);
• E321 (VNT);
• E322 (lecithin);
• E325 - E327 (lactates);
• E330 (citric acid);
• E415 (xanthine);
• E459 (beta-cyclodextrin);
• E460 -E469 (cellulose);
• E470 and E570 (salts and fatty acids);
• fatty acid esters (E471, E472a&b, E473, E475, E476, E479b);
• E481 (sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate);
• E620 - E633 (glutamic acid and glutomates);
• E626 - E629 (guanilic acid and guanilates);
• E630 - E633 (inosinic acid and inosinates);
• E951 (aspartame);
• E953 (isomaltite);
• E957 (thaumatin);
• E965 (maltinol).

Sometimes on the labels the names of additives are indicated only in words, they also need to be able to navigate.

It is impossible to determine the taste and smell of GM products. However, products that do not spoil, are not consumed by pests (that's where their use :)) and look too good can arouse suspicion. Of course, I do not urge you to buy bitten rotten vegetables :)

When buying vegetables on the market from local gardeners, you also cannot be 100% sure of their safety. After all, this also applies to seeds.

Conclusion: GMO products are beneficial to those who make money selling them. All! Products with altered DNA do not have obvious benefits for humans (I do not consider the economic side), as well as to fully prove (in the current state of the world order) harm is not possible.

I hope I didn’t cause panic fear in anyone and no one will run to gnaw stones. :) This information is not propaganda, but is intended for reflection. Everyone decides for himself what and for what purpose he eats.

One of the characteristic features of the XXI century. is the active development of such a scientific field as biotechnology. The history of the existence of this science has 20-25 years, however, despite its young age, biotechnology has now moved from the category of projects or theoretical developments into our objective reality not only in the industrial and commercial sphere, but also in everyday life, and has become as commonplace as, for example, computerization or mobile telephony. This science studies the possibilities of using living organisms, their systems or products of their vital activity to solve technological problems, as well as the possibilities and ways of creating living organisms with the necessary properties by the method genetic engineering. One of the tasks of genetic engineering is the creation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

genetically modified organism it is a living organism of any level of complexity, containing the genetically engineered material of other organisms, capable of reproducing and transferring hereditary genetic material. In simpler words, it looks like this: GMO is an organism that contains the genes of other organisms in its chromosomes and is able to pass them on by inheritance.

How are GMOs obtained? Genetically modified organisms are obtained using special molecular biological technologies that allow the transfer of selected individual genes from an organism of one species or genus to another organism, and this transfer can be carried out between phylogenetically quite distant organisms. Such transfers of hereditary material are almost never possible to obtain naturally.

When creating genetically modified organisms, several different methods are used:

• recombinant methods, in which new combinations of genetic material are formed by introducing nucleic acid molecules (produced by any method outside the body) into any virus, bacterial plasmid or other vector system. Then this system with new genetic material (donor) is introduced into the host organism (recipient);
• a set of methods, providing for the direct introduction into the body of hereditary material prepared outside the body, including microinjections, macroinjections and microencapsulations;
• cell fusion, or methods cell hybridization, when living cells with new combinations of genetic material are formed by the fusion of two or more cells in a way that does not occur naturally.

Obtaining genetically modified organisms has never been "art for art's sake", but pursued very specific goals. Embedding "foreign" genes into the host genome aims to obtain a new trait that is unusual for the recipient organism, for example:

• resistance to certain diseases;
• resistance to chemicals that have a detrimental effect on the body;
• increased synthesis of certain chemical compounds;
• new consumer properties, etc.

Since GMOs are methodically created by transferring genetic material from one organism to another, they are called transgenic organisms(from Latin trans - “through, through, behind”; a prefix meaning transfer).

The pioneer in the creation of transgenic organisms is the United States of America. A brief history of the appearance of genetically modified organisms is as follows: the first transgenic bacteria were obtained in 1972, the first transgenic mammal (mouse) was obtained in 1974, the first transgenic plant (tobacco) - in 1983. In 1985, in the same place, in the USA , the first genetically modified farm animals were obtained - a rabbit, a sheep and a pig.

Currently, transgenic plants and microorganisms are already being grown on an industrial basis, however, with the current pace of development of biotechnology, representatives of the animal world can also be expected to appear in this series in the future. In world science, more than a hundred different types of transgenic plants have been created, which are grown in many countries of the world, some of them on an industrial scale, and some for research purposes.

The increased interest in transgenic plants from a social point of view is due to the fact that traditional agricultural crops do not provide food for the entire population of the Earth. Approximately 13% of the world's population suffers from malnutrition and hunger, and in the light of international experts' forecasts, the population on Earth is growing steadily, and mainly due to developing countries, where agriculture is at a low level and is not able to provide the population of their countries with food even in present time.

It is possible that the cultivation of transgenic plants will solve the problem of hunger, however, no group of expert scientists can answer how safe it is for humanity, since together with the new genetic material, the recipient organism acquires not only the desired trait, but a whole set of new ones. qualities that are determined both by the properties of the inserted gene itself and by its mediated action. All negative phenomena and events that occur during the cultivation and consumption of GMOs are potential risks that can be grouped into three groups: food, environmental and agrotechnical.

There are four main areas in the classification of food risks.

• 1. Risks associated with the direct action of toxic and allergenic transgenic GMO proteins. Humanity has already faced such a risk: genetically modified corn of the Starlink line caused severe allergic reactions in humans and is currently prohibited for use worldwide.
• 2. Risks associated with the indirect effect of transgenic proteins on plant metabolism.
• 3. Risks associated with the accumulation of herbicides and their metabolites in modified plants.
• 4. Risks associated with the possibility of transferring transgenic constructs to microorganisms that are in symbiosis with humans or are widely used in food production, for example, Escherichia coli, bifidobacteria, acidophilus bacillus, Bulgarian bacillus, thermophilic streptococcus, lactic acid streptococcus, etc.

Studies to assess the safety of genetically modified raw materials and products in the world science, of course, are being carried out, but, unfortunately, it should be recognized that they lack a system, regularity and globality. They do not follow programs developed jointly by the entire scientific world community.

The results of the study of the safety of GM food raw materials and products obtained to date cannot be called unambiguous. A number of scientists believe that these raw materials and products do not pose any danger to human health, and in some cases are even useful. However, most of the scientific world, based on their scientific research, adhere to a different point of view and, publishing year after year the results of their research, do not confirm such rosy conclusions, but prove the existence of a real threat of GMOs to living organisms.

Here are just a few examples of works that testify to the real biological danger of GMOs and GM foods.

It has been reliably established that transgenic soybean containing the 2S protein gene of Brazil nut albumin has an increased allergic potential. Significant shifts in blood parameters (the level of erythrocytes, hemoglobin, hematocrit, reticulocytes, lymphocytes, basophils; the average concentration of hemoglobin in an erythrocyte; the value of prothrombin time) were found in rats fed a diet with a 33% content of GM corn. A transgenic bacterium that produces the amino acid tryptophan, along with ordinary tryptophan, synthesizes small amounts of 1-G-ethylene-bis-tryptophan, which is ingested as a dietary supplement along with ordinary tryptophan. An altered form of tryptophan causes a serious illness in humans - eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. Starlink GM corn is banned from consumption because it causes severe allergies in humans. When rats were fed with soybean meal derived from GM soybean (line 40.3.2. roundup herbicide resistant, CP4 EPSPS transgene), mortality of first generation offspring (/ () exceeded 50%, and surviving individuals who reached reproductive age suffered from infertility. - peas provoke inflammation of the lungs and cause a change in the functioning of the immune system in mice; GM potatoes cause suppression of the immune system, weight loss and pathological changes in internal organs in rats: destruction of the mucous membrane of the digestive organs, changes in the spleen, heart mass, prostate gland; morphological changes in the liver, kidneys, colon, decrease in hemoglobin, increased diuresis Thus, in scientific experiments it was shown that GM raw materials and products:

• have an increased allergic potential;
• depress the immune system;
• cause morphological changes in many organs and tissues;
• change blood counts;
• reduce the viability and reproductive qualities of animals, etc.

Proceeding from the foregoing, the phrase of the Canadian microbiologist, Professor D. Feygap, which has already become a catchphrase, is very relevant: “Today, using transgenic products for food is the same as playing Russian roulette with the whole world.

Potential and real risks associated with GMOs force governments of states to regulate the production, import and use of food raw materials and products using DNA technologies. In the Russian Federation, issues related to the use of GMOs are regulated by more than 100 legislative acts, the fundamental of which are: Law of the Russian Federation of 07.02.1992 No. 2300-1 “On Protection of Consumer Rights”, Federal Law of 05.07.1996 No. 86-FZ “ On State Regulation in the Field of Genetic Engineering Activities” and the Federal Laws on Amendments to the above Laws (No. 234-FZ of October 25, 2007 and No. 96-FZ of July 12, 2000, respectively). The threshold level of GMO content in food products in Russia, as in the EU countries, is 0.9%, and the content of GMOs in quantities exceeding this value must be reflected on the product label. At the same time, it should be noted that in different countries there is no consensus on the safe concentration of GMOs in food products, for example, in the EU countries, the threshold value to be labeled is 0.9%, in Australia and Japan - 5% (as it was in our country until 2007), in the USA, Canada, Argentina - products containing EMO are not labeled.

How are things going with the cultivation of crops on an industrial scale on our planet? The sown area occupied by these crops has been constantly increasing since the 90s of the last century until 2010 (Fig. 9.1). The annual increase in land occupied by tragenic plants averaged 11.5%. The expansion of the area over the past four years has not been officially registered. But despite this, the numbers speak for themselves. The real world reserve of arable land on our planet is approximately 1 billion hectares. And given that in 2010-2013. about 13% of the land was occupied by genetically modified plants, it turns out that at present, approximately one in eight hectares of agricultural land is sown with transgenic crops.

The crop harvested from these areas, one way or another, either ends up on our table or for animal feed, which are the raw materials for our food products. Such a spread of EM plants in the world will certainly entail an increase in the influx of raw materials and products containing EMO into our country. 90% of genetically modified plants are grown in five countries: USA (40%), Brazil (23%), Argentina (14%), Canada (6%), India (6%). However, the number of countries that account for the remaining 11% is already over 20.

Rice. 9.1.

Until recently, the cultivation of genetically modified plants was prohibited in our country, but on July 1, 2014, Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated September 23, 2013 No. 839g came into force. “On the state registration of genetically modified organisms intended for release into the environment, as well as products obtained using such organisms or containing such organisms”, which specifies the rules for registering transgenic plants for targeted cultivation. The types of intended use of modified organisms are:

• a) production of medicines for medical use;
• b) production of medical devices;
• c) production of food raw materials and foodstuffs;
• d) production of feed and feed additives for animals;
• e) production of medicinal products for veterinary use;
• f) breeding and (or) cultivation on the territory of the Russian Federation of modified plants and animals, as well as microorganisms for agricultural purposes.

In general, food raw materials and products containing GMOs can be divided into the following categories.

• 1. Transgenic plants (vegetables and fruits in their natural form).
• 2. Products of processing of transgenic raw materials.
• 3. Products containing GM ingredients (usually food additives).

All of them to some extent contain genetically modified components and must be subjected to examination. The analysis of raw materials and food products in our country is entrusted to the Centers for Hygiene and Epidemiology, which should include laboratories for qualitative and quantitative testing of food products for the presence of GMOs. A systematic study of food raw materials and products has been carried out in our country since 2003 (Fig. 9.2). The maximum number of samples was examined in 2008 (almost 50 thousand), then the number of tested samples decreased and in the last three years, it fluctuates between 27,000-28,000. The share of products containing GMOs has decreased from 11.9% in 2003 to 0.05% in 2013

Rice. 9.2.

The largest share of food products containing GMO components falls on the Central, Ural and Volga Federal Districts. At the same time, it should be noted that in a number of districts only single analyzes are carried out to examine food raw materials and products for the presence of GMOs - in the Republics of Altai, Sakha, Vladimir, Sverdlovsk, Tomsk, Sakhalin and other regions, Khanty-Mansiysk, Taimyr, Evenki, Ust- Ordynsky, Buryatsky, Chukotsky and other autonomous regions.

In conclusion of this chapter, it must be said that despite the fact that, according to official data, the number of products on our market containing genetically modified components is decreasing year by year, you should know that, firstly, even 50,000 samples examined for content GMOs is too low a figure for our country, and secondly, the harvest of genetically modified plants harvested from 130 million hectares somehow ends up in the human food chain. Therefore, there is no absolute confidence in the adequacy of the assessment of this situation in the food market at the present time. In addition, the emergence of transgenic plants in domestic fields in the near future will increase the flow of these raw materials into domestic food production. Therefore, a modern consumer can only count on the fact that the state will take real control over the flow of products containing GMOs, and manufacturers and distributors of food products will strictly comply with the laws and regulations of the state. The author of this textbook, a biochemist and geneticist by education, treats the problem of genetically modified food raw materials and products with great caution.

Control questions and tasks

• 1. How are genetically modified organisms obtained?
• 2. Why get genetically modified organisms?
• 3. List the potential risks associated with the use of transgenic plants and microorganisms.
• 4. What are the results of the study of the safety of genetically modified food raw materials and products?
• 5. What regulatory documents regulate the use of transgenic organisms in the food industry?
• 6. In which countries are genetically modified plants grown?