Genetically Modified Organisms in Food focuses on scientific evaluation of published research relating to GMO food products to assert their safety as well as potential health risks. This book is a solid reference for researchers and professionals needing information on the safety of GMO and non-GMO food production, the economic benefits of both GMO and non-GMO foods, and includes in-depth coverage of the surrounding issues of genetic engineering in foods. This is a timely publication written by a team of scientific experts in the field who present research results to help further more evidence based research to educate scientists, academics, government professionals about the safety of the global food supply. - Provides the latest on research and development in the field of GMOs and non-GMO safety issues and possible risk factors incorporating evidence based reviews for a better understanding of these issues - Covers various aspects of GMO production, analysis and identification to better understand GMO development and use - Includes definitions, a brief overview and history of GM foods from a global perspective and concise summaries with recommendations for actions for each chapter

Genetically Engineered Foods, Volume 6 in the Handbook of Food Bioengineering series, is a solid reference for researchers and professionals needing information on genetically engineered foods in human and animal diets. The volume discusses awareness, benefits vs. disadvantages, regulations and techniques used to obtain, test and detect genetically modified plants and animals. An essential resource offering informed perspectives on the potential implications of genetically engineered foods for humans and society. Written by a team of scientific experts who share the latest advances to help further more evidence-based research and educate scientists, academics and government professionals about the safety of the global food supply. - Provides in-depth coverage of the issues surrounding genetic engineering in foods - Includes hot topic areas such as nutragenomics and therapeutics to show how genetically engineered foods can promote health and potentially cure disease - Presents case studies where genetically engineered foods can increase production in Third World countries to promote food security - Discusses environmental and economic impacts, benefits and risks to help inform decisions

Assists policymakers in evaluating the appropriate scientific methods for detecting unintended changes in food and assessing the potential for adverse health effects from genetically modified products. In this book, the committee recommended that greater scrutiny should be given to foods containing new compounds or unusual amounts of naturally occurring substances, regardless of the method used to create them. The book offers a framework to guide federal agencies in selecting the route of safety assessment. It identifies and recommends several pre- and post-market approaches to guide the assessment of unintended compositional changes that could result from genetically modified foods and research avenues to fill the knowledge gaps.

Genetically engineered (GE) crops were first introduced commercially in the 1990s. After two decades of production, some groups and individuals remain critical of the technology based on their concerns about possible adverse effects on human health, the environment, and ethical considerations. At the same time, others are concerned that the technology is not reaching its potential to improve human health and the environment because of stringent regulations and reduced public funding to develop products offering more benefits to society. While the debate about these and other questions related to the genetic engineering techniques of the first 20 years goes on, emerging genetic-engineering technologies are adding new complexities to the conversation. Genetically Engineered Crops builds on previous related Academies reports published between 1987 and 2010 by undertaking a retrospective examination of the purported positive and adverse effects of GE crops and to anticipate what emerging genetic-engineering technologies hold for the future. This report indicates where there are uncertainties about the economic, agronomic, health, safety, or other impacts of GE crops and food, and makes recommendations to fill gaps in safety assessments, increase regulatory clarity, and improve innovations in and access to GE technology.

The development of recombinant DNA methods has changed the face of the food industry over the last 50 years. Crops which have been genetically modified are being cultivated in more and more countries and this process is likely to accelerate as desirable traits are identified and transferred to appropriate organisms, and they are cleared by the regulatory authorities. However, the technique has its critics who claim that modification of the genome of the plant (or animal) in this way may pose unknown and unacceptable risks to the human consumer. Genetic Modification and Food Quality: A Down to Earth Analysis is the first comprehensive text on how GM production methods influence the quality of foods and feeds, based on a complete and unbiased assessment of the scientific findings. It presents a balanced analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of gene-modified food sources in the human diet. Chapters approach the topic with regard to different food types such as cereal grains, oilseed crops, vegetables, fish and animal products. Assessing the nutritive value as well as the health and safety of GMO foods, this book is a reference for anyone working in the food production industry and will also be of an interest to NGOs, trade associations and consumers who are looking for an objective, balanced study of this contentious issue.

Attitudes to GM crops continue to generate tension, even though they have been grown commercially for over 20 years. Negative sentiment towards their development limits their adoption in Western countries, despite there being no evidence of harm to human health. These unfounded concerns about genetically modified crops have also inhibited uptake in many countries throughout Africa and Asia, having a major impact on agricultural productivity and preventing the widespread cultivation of potentially life-saving crops. GM Crops and the Global Divide traces the historical importance that European attitudes to past colonial influences, aid, trade and educational involvement have had on African leaders and their people. The detrimental impact that these attitudes have on agricultural productivity and food security continues to be of growing importance, especially in light of climate change, drought and the potential rise in sea levels - the effects of which could be mitigated by the cultivation of GM and gene-edited crops. Following on from her previous books Genes for Africa, GM Crops: The Impact and the Potential, and Food for Africa:The Life and Work of a Scientist in GM Crops, Jennifer Thomson unravels the reasons behind these negative attitudes towards GM crop production. By addressing the detrimental effects that anti-GM opinions have on nutrition security in developing countries and providing a clear account of the science to counter these attitudes, she hopes to highlight and ultimately bridge this global divide.

Argues against the biotech industry's claim that genetically modified (GM) foods are safe, identifying sixty-five health risks of the foods that Americans eat every day, and showing how official safety assessments on GM crops are not competent to identify the health problems involved, and how industry research is rigged to avoid finding problems.

Advances in Biotechnology for Food Industry, Volume Fourteen in the Handbook of Food Bioengineering series, provides recent insight into how biotechnology impacts the global food industry and describes how food needs are diverse, requiring the development of innovative biotechnological processes to ensure efficient food production worldwide. Many approaches were developed over the last 10 years to allow faster, easier production of widely used foods, food components and therapeutic food ingredients. This volume shows how biotechnological processes increase production and quality of food products, including the development of anti-biofilm materials to decrease microbial colonization in bioreactors and food processing facilities. - Presents basic to advanced technological applications in food biotechnology - Includes various scientific techniques used to produce specific desired traits in plants, animals and microorganisms - Provides scientific advances in food processing and their impact on the environment, human health and food safety - Discusses the development of controlled co-cultivations for reproducible results in fermentation processes in food biotechnology

Genetic-based animal biotechnology has produced new food and pharmaceutical products and promises many more advances to benefit humankind. These exciting prospects are accompanied by considerable unease, however, about matters such as safety and ethics. This book identifies science-based and policy-related concerns about animal biotechnologyâ€"key issues that must be resolved before the new breakthroughs can reach their potential. The book includes a short history of the field and provides understandable definitions of terms like cloning. Looking at technologies on the near horizon, the authors discuss what we know and what we fear about their effectsâ€"the inadvertent release of dangerous microorganisms, the safety of products derived from biotechnology, the impact of genetically engineered animals on their environment. In addition to these concerns, the book explores animal welfare concerns, and our societal and institutional capacity to manage and regulate the technology and its products. This accessible volume will be important to everyone interested in the implications of the use of animal biotechnology.

While European restaurants race to footnote menus, reassuring concerned gourmands that no genetically modified ingredients were used in the preparation of their food, starving populations around the world eagerly await the next harvest of scientifically improved crops. Mendel in the Kitchen provides a clear and balanced picture of this tangled, tricky (and very timely) topic. Any farmer you talk to could tell you that we've been playing with the genetic makeup of our food for millennia, carefully coaxing nature to do our bidding. The practice officially dates back to Gregor Mendel-who was not a renowned scientist, but a 19th century Augustinian monk. Mendel spent many hours toiling in his garden, testing and cultivating more than 28,000 pea plants, selectively determining very specific characteristics of the peas that were produced, ultimately giving birth to the idea of heredity-and the now very common practice of artificially modifying our food. But as science takes the helm, steering common field practices into the laboratory, the world is now keenly aware of how adept we have become at tinkering with nature-which in turn has produced a variety of questions. Are genetically modified foods really safe? Will the foods ultimately make us sick, perhaps in ways we can't even imagine? Isn't it genuinely dangerous to change the nature of nature itself? Nina Fedoroff, a leading geneticist and recognized expert in biotechnology, answers these questions, and more. Addressing the fear and mistrust that is rapidly spreading, Federoff and her co-author, science writer Nancy Brown, weave a narrative rich in history, technology, and science to dispel myths and misunderstandings. In the end, Fedoroff arues, plant biotechnology can help us to become better stewards of the earth while permitting us to feed ourselves and generations of children to come. Indeed, this new approach to agriculture holds the promise of being the most environmentally conservative way to increase our food supply.