Every year, hundreds of children tragically succumb to food allergies, raising alarm bells over the lack of labeling of genetically modified foods (GMOs). These products contain proteins from other plants, and as a result, allergy sufferers are unknowingly exposed to substances that can trigger reactions. Studies have shown that the prevalence of peanut allergies has more than doubled since 1997, prompting fears that scientists may be introducing new proteins into food, leading to the development of allergies in individuals who had previously not been affected.
Over 30,000 Americans are hospitalised each year because of food allergies, according to a 2007 research by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network.
Food allergies, caused by an immune system reaction to a protein in food, can range from mild stomach ache to anaphylactic shock. Genetically modified (GM) plants, animals and processed foodstuffs have been available since the 1990s, with North American production of corn, soybeans and canola now over 50% containing transgenic traits. US milk is produced with recombinant bovine somatatrophin (rBST) and meat with biotechnologically-based growth hormones. Canada, the US, Mexico, Japan and the European Union (EU) all regulate the introduction of GM products, with the EU requiring labels to specify the presence of GMOs. This “technical barrier to trade” poses challenges to producers, consumers and governments.
The number of children with autism has increased by 1500% in the last 20 years.
Consumers are increasingly concerned about the lack of transparency when it comes to the labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Without proper labeling, consumers are unable to make informed decisions when it comes to their purchasing decisions. This phenomenon is known as “credence goods” – goods where the consumer is unable to factor in the full impact of their consumption until a long period of time has passed. Examples of this include transfused blood tainted by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or beef infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
A recent study conducted by the University of Saskatchewan, Canada found that labels such as “natural” or “naturally derived” do not necessarily mean that the food does not contain GMOs. This lack of clarity when it comes to labeling of GMOs has caused consumer sovereignty to be undermined, and has left many consumers feeling powerless when it comes to making rational purchasing decisions.
Just after GM soy was introduced, soy allergies increased by 50% in the United Kingdom.
According to the report, “if GM soy was the cause, it may be related to a number of things. There is no history of safe human use for the GM protein that makes Roundup Ready Soy resistant to the herbicide, and it could be an allergy. In actuality, parts of its amino acid sequence resemble well-known allergies.
Asthma affects 6 million kids worldwide today. The number of deaths from asthma has climbed by 56% during the last two decades.
Asthma and other breathing difficulties, swollen faces, flu-like symptoms, fever, and sneezing have been reported by people who inhaled Bt-corn pollen, with some individuals experiencing long-term effects. Evidence of toxicity and reproductive effects associated with GM foods is abundant. For example, in India, sheep that grazed on Bt-cotton plants displayed nasal discharge, reddish and erosive mouth lesions, cough, bloat, diarrhea, and red-colored urine, with shepherds reporting that 25% of their herds died within 5–7 days. Rats fed Bt corn showed toxicity in their livers and kidneys, and farmers have linked Bt corn with deaths among cows, water buffalo, horses, and chickens, as well as sterility in thousands of pigs and cows. Animal feeding studies with Roundup Ready soy indicated toxic livers, altered sperm cells, significant changes in embryo development, and a fivefold increase in infant mortality. Given the lack of proper research and safeguards, the US government should not risk the health of the entire population by releasing GMO frankenfoods into the ecosystem, where they may self-propagate for generations.
The immediate outlawing of GM crops and foods is not only necessary, but also urgent.
Clearly, mandatory labelling poses a risk to the development of biotechnology goods and procedures. In order to ensure that corporations like Monsanto are held accountable for the product-specific credibility uncertainties, governments must be pressured to adopt mandatory labelling in the absence of industry effort to positively label and, ideally, ban GMOs.
