Labeling Of GMOs
William Pittman
COMP-Bryant
2/1/15
Label It! Honesty should be the first thing that comes to mind no matter what the situation is. In today’s world, trust has almost completely vanished from everyday life, and if people can’t trust the companies who are regulating our food, and those companies are regulated and controlled by the government, then it seems that no one is trustworthy. Americans have only but a small amount of trust for their government to begin with, and this amount will only get smaller if the US government continues to undermine their citizens. There are very few defenses one can develop that go along with not fully labeling foods that citizens spend their hard-earned money on. A story that was published on Scientific American presents the idea that it is unnecessary for GMOs to be labeled. Throughout their writing, claims are made that would stand against people who believe GMOs should be labeled. They do make some valid points though, especially when explaining how GMOs help plants survive in conditions that they previously would dwindle in. Maybe these points would suffice in a debate over whether GMOs are beneficial or not, but, are these points truly needed when discussing the labeling of GMOs
Imagine this, you are eating a bag of chips. No one ever stops to think what was used to make that bag of chips. Of course potatoes are the main ingredient, but there are so many more additives that are used before that bag of chips reaches the sales floor, and eventually, your hand. In fact, potato chips contain two cancer-causing materials; Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene BHT. They are used to keep oils in foods from oxidizing and becoming rancid. Oxidation affects the flavor, color, and odor of foods and also reduces some nutrients (Berkley Wellness). These chemicals are oxidants, when in the human body; they turn into cancer-causing reactive compounds. Potato chips aren’t the only foods that contain these
COMP-Bryant
2/1/15
Label It! Honesty should be the first thing that comes to mind no matter what the situation is. In today’s world, trust has almost completely vanished from everyday life, and if people can’t trust the companies who are regulating our food, and those companies are regulated and controlled by the government, then it seems that no one is trustworthy. Americans have only but a small amount of trust for their government to begin with, and this amount will only get smaller if the US government continues to undermine their citizens. There are very few defenses one can develop that go along with not fully labeling foods that citizens spend their hard-earned money on. A story that was published on Scientific American presents the idea that it is unnecessary for GMOs to be labeled. Throughout their writing, claims are made that would stand against people who believe GMOs should be labeled. They do make some valid points though, especially when explaining how GMOs help plants survive in conditions that they previously would dwindle in. Maybe these points would suffice in a debate over whether GMOs are beneficial or not, but, are these points truly needed when discussing the labeling of GMOs
Imagine this, you are eating a bag of chips. No one ever stops to think what was used to make that bag of chips. Of course potatoes are the main ingredient, but there are so many more additives that are used before that bag of chips reaches the sales floor, and eventually, your hand. In fact, potato chips contain two cancer-causing materials; Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene BHT. They are used to keep oils in foods from oxidizing and becoming rancid. Oxidation affects the flavor, color, and odor of foods and also reduces some nutrients (Berkley Wellness). These chemicals are oxidants, when in the human body; they turn into cancer-causing reactive compounds. Potato chips aren’t the only foods that contain these