History of Genetically Modified Food

Since 1997, the total surface area of land used for cultivation of genetically modified food has increased by a staggering 80 times - and that highlights the popularity of these food products very well. On the flip-side, there have been some controversies which have marred this practice. Whilst going through the history, you can't help but notice that the practice of producing genetically engineered foods has been more in news for numerous controversies surrounding it - instead of its benefits.

Genetically Modified Foods (GM Foods) History

The history of producing genetically modified food can be traced back to mid 19th century, when Gregor Mendel - an Austrian monk and botanist, carried out an experiment wherein he crossbred tall pea species with short pea species to show that certain traits in one species were inherited by other in this process. Even though Mendel is considered to be the founder of science of genetics today, his efforts were not acknowledged until 20th century. Mendel's observations paved way for the development of first genetically modified plant - an antibiotic resistant tobacco plant, in 1983.

Genetically Modified Foods

Going by a proper definition, genetically modified foods are food products which are obtained from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) - both plants as well as animals. In this process, the said organisms are subjected to modification by making specific changes to their DNA by means of genetic engineering. This involves either insertion or deletion of genes. Genetic engineering has been one of the major achievements in the field of biology, and the use of same for production of food is no doubt tempting.

After the 1983 breakthrough, it took the scientists another ten years to grow the first genetically modified food product for commercial use. This transgenic crop was a tomato created by a California based company - Calegne. The new species of tomato - which was named FlavrSavr by the company, was made available commercially in 1994. It was genetically modified in such a manner that its shelf-life increased i.e. it took longer for this variety of tomato to decompose after being picked as compared to a normal tomato. Even though consumers showed keen interest in the same, the company stopped its production in 1997 owing to the fact that its characteristic longer shelf-life made it less profitable for the company.

Some sources also cite that the actual reason for stopping the production of this crop was the competition it had to face from its conventional counterpart as well as some production problems that the company was subjected to. In the meanwhile, another European company manufactured a tomato paste from a genetically modified tomato species and made it available in the market in 1996. The controversies surrounding this practice began with some scientists claiming that these genetically modified products were harmful for animals and humans alike. One such scientist was Arpad Pusztai - a Hungarian-born biochemist and nutritionist, who revealed that he had observed some harmful effects of these food on the stomach lining and immune system of rats whom he fed genetically modified potatoes in 1998.

What followed was a series of controversies associated with consumption of genetically engineered food products, which made the masses believe that humans were reduced to mere guinea pigs for this new technology. Even though that did affect the production of genetically engineered foods in certain regions of the world, it didn't bring the same to a complete halt. Genetic research continued, and eventually many other food crops were genetically modified to suit human requirements. The total surface area of land cultivated to grow genetically modified crops increased from 4.2 million acres in 1997 to 331 million acres in 2009. As of today, the United States has a major share of GM foods production which amounts to 45 percent of the world production, followed by Brazil and Argentina with 16 and 15 percent of the world share respectively.

The controversial history of this practice has kept it in spotlight over the last fifteen years. If genetically modified foods are as controversial as ever even today, it is mainly because of the conflicting research on their benefits and dangers. At the end of the day, there is no concrete evidence to say whether these transgenic foods are harmful for us or not. In such circumstances, it is wise to evaluate the pros and cons of these food products and opt for a safe way out - even if it means abstaining from their consumption.