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Food Biotechnology Ethics Clark Ford, Ph.D. Food Science and Human Nutrition Iowa State University What is Food Biotechnology? • Food technology based on biology – Ancient food biotechnology: • Fermentation by microbes – – – – Cheese Beer Wine Bread – Modern food biotechnology • Tissue culture • Genetic engineering – Different from plant and animal breeding http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2006/10/06101709 1752.jpg Milestones in Food Biotechnology • 1953: Structure of DNA discovered • 1973: First gene cloned – in microbes • 1977: Asilomar Conference in USA – Recombinant DNA safety – Regulation – Risk assessment – Containment http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/milenaid/Blog%20Support/TheDoubleHelix.jpg Who Regulates Food Biotechnology? • • • • http://healthcare.zdnet.com/images/fda-logo.jpg FDA – Food and Drug Administration • Determines safety for human consumption USDA – U.S. Department of Agriculture • Determines safety of GMO agriculture EPA – Environmental Protection Agency • Determines environmental safety NIH – National Institutes of Health • Sets guidelines for Recombinant DNA experiments Milestones in Food Biotechnology • 1990: Recombinant Chymosin Approved by FDA – First biotech product for human consumption – Enzyme for cheese making – Originally from calf stomach – Bovine gene expressed in GRAS microbes • Generally Recognized As Safe – In 80% of U.S. cheese http://homepages.ius.edu/SRICKARD/cheese2.jpg Other Products from Genetically Engineered Microbes • Food enzymes – Bread – HFCS Sweeteners • Amino acids • Peptides – Nutrasweet • • • • Flavors Organic acids Polysaccharides Vitamins Milestones in Food Biotechnology • 1994: FDA approves “Flavr Savr” Tomato – Prolonged shelf life – Improved quality – Voluntarily labeled http://www.lhup.edu/smarvel/Seminar/FALL_2003/Malawskey/tomaten.jpg Other Genetically Engineered Plants • Agronomic traits – BT Corn – Roundup Ready Soy – Disease Resistance • • • • http://whyfiles.org/241GM_2/images/soybean_field.jpg Food quality Nutrition Metabolic products Vaccines GMO crops in the USA HT = Herbicide Tolerant; Bt = Bt insecticide Bt Corn • Natural insecticide protein from Bacillus thuringiensis • Non-toxic to humans • Target insect: – Corn borer, root worm, ear worm – Boll worm • reduces insecticide use – reduces mycotoxins in corn http://pfisterhybrid.com/images/sections/5.jpg • 80% U.S. Corn crop Bt (2014) • 84% U.S. Cotton crop (2014) Bt Concerns Monarch butterfly: endangered? http://members.tripod.com/c_rader0/greg040.gif • Bt pollen harms nontarget species? • Bt crops select for resistant insects • Bt pollen can drift to organic fields • Food system failed to keep BT Starlink corn out of human food products Herbicide Resistance http://cropwatch.unl.edu/photos/cwphoto/soy_harvest2002_2b.jpg • Roundup Ready soy, corn, canola, cotton • Allows post-emergence herbicide spraying • Increases yield • Facilitates no-till farming • 94% U.S. Soy (2014) • 91% U.S. Cotton (2014) • 89% U.S. Corn (2014) Herbicide Resistance Concerns • Encourages herbicide use – Groundwater contamination – Kills beneficial soil microbes • Cross-pollinates weeds • Fosters dependence on Agrochemcial companies Disease Resistance Genetically engineered papaya resistant papaya ringspot virus http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2008/04/080423131624.jpg • • • • • • • • • • • Canola Cantaloupes Cucumbers Corn Rice Papaya Potatoes Soybeans Squash Tomatoes Wheat Health and Nutrition • Golden Rice – Vitamin A and Iron enhanced – Seeds given to the poor for free • Improved Amino Acid Balance – Soy (needs Methionine) – Maize (needs Lysine) • Banana Vaccines http://wwwdata.forestry.oregonstate.edu/orb/images/Marketing/TIME.jpg Metabolic Products • Idea: use crops to produce inexpensive – Pharmaceuticals • AIDS vaccine in corn – Metabolic products • Problems: – Containment • Cross pollination • Accidental mixing into food supply http://foodhazard.com/genetically-modified-foods/ Genetically Engineered Animals - not approved for food • Transgenic Fish – Salmon • Grows 4-6 times faster • Environmental concerns • May escape, outcompete natural species • Transgenic Mammals – Cows, Sheep, Goats • Pharmaceutical production in milk http://www.gatewayva.com/biz/virginiabusiness/magazine/yr1997/aug97/cover.html Milestones in Food Biotechnology • 1999: GM corn and soybean products are present in 80% of processed foods in USA – Corn: • starch, high fructose corn syrup, oil – Soy: • oil, Lecithin, protein http://nadav.harel.org.il/cola/image/CokeClassic.jpg Milestones in Food Biotechnology • 1999: European Union requires GM labels – blocks import of GM corn, beans • Ban lifted 2004 – but no change in anti-GM sentiment in Europe – Affects African export crops • Paternalism Milestones in Food Biotechnology • 1999: Gerber and Heinz baby foods GM-free • 2000: Mc Donalds and Frito-Lay products GM-free http://www.corrupt.org/articles/big_mac/bigmac.jpg Milestones in Food Biotechnology • 2000: USDA Organic Foods Standards – Must be GM-free http://www.taquitos.net/im/sn/NaturalPlanet-YellowCorn.jpg Milestones in Food Biotechnology • 2002 Zambia refuses GM maize as food aid – To help 2.5 million in food shortage – Calls GM food “poison” – Heavily influenced by European attitudes about GM Zambian President Mwanawasa http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38232000/jpg/_38232577_levy150.jpg Milestones in Food Biotechnology Adoption of GMOs Worldwide • 174 Million hectares acres GM (2013) – Soy (79% of global soy) – Corn (32% of global corn) – Cotton (70% of global cotton) • India, China – Canola (24% of global canola) • 18 million farmers – 90% are small farmers in developing countries • Growing cotton in India, China http://www.feedstuffs.com/Media/PublicationsArticle/biotech_map_0.jpg GMO-Free Zones in Europe • GMOs Banned – 8 Countries – Many Regions, – Municipalities Milestones in Food Biotechnology • 2008: Cloned Animals approved by FDA – For human consumption • Goal: quality meat, milk • Best animals cloned • Not transgenic – Is that next? – Label not required • Considered same as normal meat, milk • Not in stores yet http://www.scq.ubc.ca/the-new-macdonald-pharm/ – Not certified organic (USDA) Controversy over Biotech Foods • Debate pits consumer and ecology groups – against Multinational Corporations • Many farmers, scientists, government agencies – caught in the middle Arguments for Genetically Engineered Food • Potential to: – – – – – – – Increase productivity Increase purity Increase safety Improve nutrition Improve food quality Improve sustainability Benefit ecosystem • Process not inherently harmful http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/images/thompson_paul.jpg • Similar to traditional Plant and Animal breeding • Unless misused, outcome expected to be beneficial – Is a powerful technology that could help humanity • Bad ideas weeded out by the market, regulation, lawsuit --Paul Thompson Arguments against Genetically Engineered Foods • Food safety risk? – unintended consequences • Safety risk for environment – could spread • Genetically Engineered label – not required in U.S.A. • Playing God – not natural GMO vs normal Salmon of same age http://www.primidi.com/images/aquabounty_salmon.jpg • Benefits multinational corporations – not consumers – not developing nations Frankenstein Foods: Unintended Consequences? • Potential GMO food safety problems: – – – – Random gene insertion Unknown toxins? New gene products? Unknown allergies? • No evidence of GMO food safety problems http://www.gasdetection.com/news2/bioengineered_food.jpg Food Allergies • 90% of Food allergies: – – – – – – – – Peanut proteins can cause severe food allergies! http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/articleimages/332/home.jpg Eggs Fish Shellfish Milk Peanuts Soybeans tree nuts wheat • GM foods avoid genes from these sources Arguments for Labeling • Not equivalent to non-GM • Must use Precautionary principle • Is uncertainty in risk assessment • Labeling indicates process used • Consumer right to know and choose • Country’s right to know and choose Arguments against labeling • Suggests non-existent hazard • Expensive to segregate crops and change labels • FDA labels required if change in: • Allergenicity • Nutrition • Food Quality Will GM crops feed the world? • Yes: – GM crops are size neutral • Small growers can benefit – Don’t need large combine – Reduced inputs • Herbicides, pesticides – Lower costs – Increased yields Insect resistant maize, Kenya http://img.radio.cz/pictures/networkeurope/080215-bt-corn-africa.jpg • Disease resistance • Reduced weeds – Increased profits Will GM crops feed the world? • No: – Biotech from companies targets the wealthy GMOs for developing countries • Intellectual property expensive • Public research in developing countries – must develop GMOs for the poor • Poor that cannot compete driven from land – undernutrtion – Poor really need • • • • • International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, India http://www.parasitologyindia.org/images/icgeb.jpg Land Water Roads Education Credit – Green revolution agriculture unsustainable • • • • Monoculture Erosion Fertilizer and pesticide runoff pollution Neocaloric (requires fossile fuels)
