A Review on Impacts of Genetically Modified Food on Human Health

摘要

Biotechnology offers a variety of potential benefits and risks. It has enhanced food production by makingplants less vulnerable to drought, frost, insects, and viruses and by enabling plants to compete more effectively againstweeds for soil nutrients. In a few cases, it has also improved the quality and nutrition of foods by altering theircomposition. However, the use of biotechnology has also raised concerns about its potential risks to the environmentand people. For example, some people fear that common plant pests could develop resistance to the introduced pesticidesin GM crops that were supposed to combat them. Genetic engineering provides a means to introduce genes into plants viamechanisms that are different in some respects from classical breeding. A number of commercialized, geneticallyengineered (GE) varieties, most notably canola, cotton, maize and soybean, were created using this technology, andat present the traits introduced are herbicide and/or pest tolerance. Gene technology enables the increase of productionin plants, as well as the rise of resistance to pests, viruses, frost, etc. Gene transfer is used to modify the physicaland chemical composition and nutritional value of food. Gene transfer in animals will play a part in boundless possibilitiesof improving qualitative and quantitative traits. The yield, carcass composition and meat characteristics the useof nutritive substances ? not sure what is being said here?, and resistance to diseases can be improved. On the otherhand, negative effects of gene technology on animals, human, and environment should be considered. The present reviewarticle is the compilation of various studies that present both positive and negative impacts of genetically modified food onhuman health.