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S.6B Mak Ka Yee, Karen (19)
Composition – Food Labelling and GM Food
GM Food as a danger
The world population has swelled to 5 billion and adequate food supply becomes a
heated topic for countries. The food supply will be far from enough if countries adopt
traditional farming method only, therefore, genetically modified (GM) food appears as a
solution to the problem. This is food that has been altered by taking the genes from other
species and adding them to a food to give it extra attributes. Nutrients such as vitamins
and minerals may be added to the food to solve nutrient deficiency. On the other hand,
assorted viruses, bacteria and other toxins may be part of the GM food! However, the
food labelling system is unable to regulate the companies to list components of GM food.
Consumers are kept in the dark about what is really on their plate, and they are eating GM
food all the time without their knowledge.
In my opinion, GM food is morally
unjustified and should not be imposed too early. Even if they are sold in the market,
tightening food labelling laws is a must to protect consumers’ health and safety.
First, GM food has unknown effects on human health. Introducing foreign genes
into food may have an unexpected and negative impact on human health. Even though
scientists use animals for testing, we still don’t know the impact of GM food on human body.
The harm may not be discovered immediately, but may be found after a period of time.
Opportunities of causing cancer or virus infection may occur. Therefore, without adequate
testing and experiment on GM food, we cannot guarantee those products have no harm!
Secondly, many people have developed life threatening allergies to peanuts
and other food. There is a chance that introducing a gene into the food may create a new
allergen or cause an allergic reaction in individuals. Despite having extensive testing on GM
foods to avoid the possibility of food allergies in human, mandatory labelling is another
means to protect consumers.
By listing out the ingredients, nutrients and most
importantly, chemicals and genes on the GM food label, consumers get a whole picture of
the product they bought. They can make decision more easily and wisely.
Thirdly, mandatory food labelling can ensure the company has responsibility to bear
once accidents happen. Consumers cannot ask for compensation if they cannot find out the
source of infection. However, with clear labels on elements of GM food, consumers and the
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government can easily trace back the targeted infection source. Companies will not be able
to shirk their duty and be responsible for the incident.
Some may argue that labelling should be voluntary and influenced by the demands
of the free market. The industry will have the incentive to regulate itself or risk alienating
the customers if they show preference for labelled foods over non-labelled foods. However,
people have the right to know what they are eating and historically industry has proven
itself to be unreliable at self-compliance with existing safety regulations.
To conclude, food labelling is a must for the government to carry out and be
thoughtful when you consume GM food, after you know the potential danger of it!
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