01/06/2024

Breaking Down the Science of Science-ified Foods

Understanding their pros and cons

Thirty years after tomatoes became the first genetically modified produce sold in the U.S., lots of people remain skeptical of science-ified foods. In a 2020 Pew Research Center survey, just 27 percent of Americans said they felt genetically modified foods are safe to eat, while 38 percent said they’re unsafe and 33 percent weren't sure.

That’s not only a U.S. phenomenon. In the Philippines, for example, activists have been protesting the production of Golden Rice, a type of genetically modified rice harvested at scale for the first time last year. Unlike regular rice, Golden Rice is engineered to contain beta carotene, an addition meant to counter vitamin A deficiency and resulting vision loss. But opponents argue the rice has not been through adequate testing and that there are safer and healthier ways for people to consume vitamin A.

"Golden Rice is simply not the solution to the wide, gaping wound of hunger and poverty," a representative from MASIPAG, a Philippines-based, farmer-led group that opposes Golden Rice, told TIME in a statement.

Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.