Food Biotechnology Ethics
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Transcript of Food Biotechnology Ethics
What is Food Biotechnology?
• Food technology based on biology– Ancient food biotechnology:
• Fermentation by microbes– Cheese– Beer– Wine– Bread
– Modern food biotechnology• Tissue culture• Genetic engineering
– Different from plant and animal breeding
Genetic Engineering
• Genetic Engineering involves manipulating DNA molecules
• DNA from one species is spliced into the DNA of another species– Called: Recombinant DNA
• Genetically Engineered organisms are called:– Genetically Modified
– Transgenic
Milestones in Food Biotechnology
• 1953: Structure of DNA discovered
• 1973: First gene cloned
– in microbes
• 1977: Asilomar Conference in USA
– Recombinant DNA safety
– Regulation
– Risk assessment
– Containment
Milestones in Food Biotechnology
• 1990: Recombinant Chymosin Approved by FDA– Enzyme for cheese making
– Originally from calf stomach
– Bovine gene expressed in GRAS microbes
– In 80% of U.S. cheese
– “Vegetarian” cheese in England
Other Products from Genetically Engineered Microbes
• Food enzymes– Bread– HFCS Sweeteners
• Amino acids• Peptides
– Nutrasweet
• Flavors• Organic acids• Polysaccharides• Vitamins
Milestones in Food Biotechnology
• 1994: FDA approves
“Flavr Savr” Tomato– Prolonged shelf life
– Improved quality
– Voluntarily labeled
Other Genetically Engineered Plants
• Agronomic traits– BT Corn– Roundup Ready Soy– Disease Resistance
• Food quality • Nutrition• Metabolic products• Vaccines
Bt Corn
• Natural insecticide from Bacillus thuringiensis
• Non-toxic to humans• Target insect: corn borer• Potential to:
– reduce insecticide use– reduce mycotoxins
• 40% U.S. Corn crop Bt (2006)
Bt Concerns
• Bt pollen harms non-target species?• Bt crops select for resistant insects• Bt pollen can drift to organic fields• Food system failed to keep BT
Starlink corn out of human food products
Herbicide Resistance
• Roundup Ready Soy, Corn, Canola
• Allows post-emergence herbicide spraying
• Increases yield
• Facilitates no-till farming
• 89% U.S. Soy crop (2006)
Herbicide Resistance Concerns
• Encourages herbicide use– Groundwater contamination– Kills beneficial soil microbes
• Cross-pollinates weeds• Fosters dependence on
Agrochemcial companies
Disease Resistance• Canola
• Cantaloupes
• Cucumbers
• Corn
• Rice
• Papaya
• Potatoes
• Soybeans
• Squash
• Tomatoes
• Wheat
Genetically engineered papaya resistant papaya ringspot virus
Health and Nutrition
• Golden Rice– Vitamin A and Iron
enhanced
– Seeds given to the poor for free
• Improved Amino Acid Balance for Soy, Maize
• Banana Vaccines
Milestones in Food Biotechnology
• 1999: GM corn and soybean products are present in 80% of processed foods in USA– Corn:
• starch, high fructose corn syrup, oil
– Soy:
• oil, Lecithin, protein
Milestones in Food Biotechnology
• 1999: European Union requires GM labels, blocks import of GM corn, beans– Ban lifted 2004 but no
change in anti-gm sentiment in Europe
Milestones in Food Biotechnology
• 1999: Gerber and Heinz baby foods GM-free
• 2000: Mc Donalds and Frito-Lay products GM-free
Milestones in Food Biotechnology
• 2005: 222 million acres worldwide– Planted in Genetically
modified crops• 55% in USA
– Soy
– Corn
– Cotton • India, China
– Canola
http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/archive/2483/24833301.jpg
http://www.isaaa.org/kc/bin/briefs34/es/index.htm
Controversy over Biotech Foods
• Debate pits consumer and ecology groups against Multinational Corporations
• Many farmers, scientists, government agencies caught in the middle
Arguments for Genetically Engineered Food
• Potential to:– Increase productivity– Increase purity– Increase safety– Improve nutrition– Improve food quality– Improve sustainability– Benefit ecosystem
• Process not inherently harmful
• Similar to traditional Plant and Animal breeding
• Unless misused, outcome expected to be beneficial– Is a powerful technology
that could help humanity
• Bad ideas weeded out by the market, regulation, lawsuit
--Paul Thompson
Arguments against Genetically Engineered Foods
• Potential safety risk for humans– Unintended Consequences
• Genetic Engineering is playing God– Not Natural to move genes between species
• Potential safety risk for environment– Could spread
• Genetically Engineered label not required in U.S.• Benefits multinational corporations
– not consumers or developing nations
Frankenstein Foods: Unintended Consequences?
• Random gene insertion
• Toxicity – New gene products?– Allergies
• Eating DNA!
Arguments for Labeling
• Not Substantially equivalent to non-GM
• Must use Precautionary principle• Is uncertainty in risk assessment• Labeling indicates process used• Consumer’s right to know and choose• Country’s right to know and choose
Arguments against labeling
• Suggests non-existent hazard• Expensive to segregate crops
and change labels• FDA labels required if change
in:• Allergenicity• Nutrition• Food Quality
Will it Feed the World?
• Disease resistance will benefit developing nations
• Technology requiring increased inputs benefits wealthy, multinationals, plantations
• Small, subsistence farmers can’t compete, lose land
• Inequity, poverty increase• Thus more food and more hunger
• Green Revolution unsustainable