Genetically modified (GM) foods are strains of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) obtained using GMO technology, and foods produced using GMOs as direct food or raw materials are known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs). What are the common genetically modified foods in our life? Let's take a look.
What are the common genetically modified foods?
1. Papaya
As a matter of fact, 80% of the common papayas in the market are genetically modified foods. This is because without the use of GMO technology, papayas can be easily killed by something called the ringspot virus and basically can't be harvested. So without GMOs, we probably wouldn't have papayas to eat.
2. Corn
The use of genetic modification technology increases corn yields and reduces the harm caused by pesticide spraying. Most genetically modified corn is sweet, crunchy, plump, beautiful, and similar in head and tail.
3. Soybeans
Taiwan Province imports more than 2.3 million tons of soybeans from abroad each year, 90 percent of which are genetically modified. From a simple look, GMO soybeans are round, while natural soybeans are oval and a bit flat. Of course, if you don't trust your eyesight, you can test it with water. Natural soybeans sprout after three days in water, while GMO soybeans don't sprout, they just swell.
Food Stock Mistaken for GMO
1. Beauty means grapes.
Don't think people are genetically modified just because you see a scary looking one. This grape variety is called Beauty Finger, a hybrid native to Japan, and it's all natural.
2. Sacred tomatoes
There was a time when there were rumors on the Internet that saints are actually genetically modified foods, eating them can cause cancer. In fact, small tomatoes (saint tomatoes) are tomato varieties that have been around since ancient times. The small size is an inherent genetic difference, not the result of genetic modification.
3. Colorful corn
Colorful corn is usually white, yellow, red, purple and black, of which white, yellow and purple corn are the basic colors. When purple and white are crossed, if the purple gene "beats" the white gene, it will naturally be purple, and vice versa. If the two are side by side, then we see white and purple corn. Purple can also evolve into red and black corn. Of these colored sticky corn, the most common yellow sticky corn is the most nutritious because it is rich in carotenoids.
Genetically Modified Species
I. Plant Genetically Modified Foods
There are many genetically modified foods from plants. For example, tomato is a nutritious and economically valuable fruit and vegetable, but it does not tolerate storage. In order to solve the storage problem of tomatoes, many scientists in the United States, China and other countries have bred new varieties of tomatoes that can inhibit the biosynthesis of the senescent hormone ethylene by means of genetic engineering.
Two, animal genetically modified food
Animal genetically modified food has not yet been commercialized, but there are many kinds being studied. For example, by transferring some human genes with specific functions to cows, we can use milk to produce genetically engineered drugs to treat human diseases.
Three. Genetically engineered microbial food
It is the most commonly used transformation material for microorganisms, so genetically engineered microorganisms are easy to cultivate and widely used. For example, in the past, rennet for cheese production could only be removed from the stomachs of killed calves. Now, the use of transgenic microorganisms enables the production of rennet in large quantities in vitro, thus avoiding the innocent death of calves and reducing production costs.
Four. Genetically Modified Special Foods
Whether genetically modified foods can provide humans with special nutrition or aid in the treatment of human diseases is an important area of concern for the scientific community, and many scientists are conducting research in this area. For example, scientists use bio-genetic engineering, ordinary vegetables, fruits, grains and other crops into a miraculous disease prevention "vaccine food", so that people can taste the delicious fresh fruits, to achieve the purpose of disease prevention.