Critics say genetically modified foods might be unsafe, but even if they are not, consumers have a right to know what is in what they eat. So why not tell people if the ingredients in their cupcakes and cereal have been engineered, and let them decide what to buy?
This may sound reasonable and seem to reflect how our choice-driven marketplace works. But it reflects a deep misunderstanding about what genetic engineering actually is and how it compares to the changes we have been making to crop plants for thousands of years.
If consumers want to know what is “in their food,” simply labeling a product as “genetically modified” tells consumers nothing useful, because genetic engineering is not “in food.” It is simply one of many tools we can use to raise crop yields, increase their nutritional value or protect them from pests or disease. To really know what’s in your food, you need to know what change was made, not how, and that’s exactly what the FDA already requires.
Read the full, original article: Genetically modified foods are as safe as conventional ones
