Are GMOs in your food dangerous? Expert weighs in
Are GMO products harmful (photo: Freepik)
GMO products have long been common on store shelves, but they are still the subject of many debates. Do they really pose risks to the human body?
This was explained in an interview with RBC-Ukraine by Oleksiy Kovalenko, PhD in biology and a research associate at the National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
What are GMOs
GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are living organisms (plants, animals, or microorganisms) whose genetic material (DNA) has been altered using genetic engineering methods.
Why GMOs are created:
- Resistance to pests
- Resistance to herbicides (makes weed control easier)
- Higher crop yields
- Improved composition (for example, more vitamins)
Many GMO products are labeled (for example, "contains GMO" or "non-GMO").
Are GMOs really harmful
According to the expert, this technology allows for the creation of highly productive plants that suffer less from predators and pests. In theory, it is possible to "create a dangerous plant" with GMOs.
Therefore, all varieties created through genetic modification undergo much stricter testing than those developed through conventional breeding.
"Dangerous GMO varieties will never be released to the market, but unsafe conventionally bred varieties have appeared multiple times. For example, the 'Lenape' potato was grown for making chips, but later was found to contain elevated levels of toxic compounds solanine and chaconine. And this was a non-GMO variety. So even conventional breeding requires caution," Kovalenko explained.
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