GMO s
1. GMOs are bioengineered products in which the genetics are changed on purpose using DNA technology.
2. The only crops that have GMO versions are the following:
alfalfa
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apples (Arctic variety),
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canola
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corn
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cotton
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eggplant (one variety)
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papaya (one variety)
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pineapple (pink flesh variety)
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potatoes
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salmon (AquAdvantage variety)
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soybean
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squash
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sugar beets
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Any other products labeled as non-GMO are misleading because there are no GMO versions for those products. Effective January 1, 2022, all products made with GMO ingredients must state that they contain GMOs, but this statement may be difficult to find as it could simply be included as a phone number or a QR code (Federal Register, 2018). 3. Not all GMOs are produced by corporations. Those that are produced by corporations have the goal of allowing agricultural producers to grow more crops, therefore feeding a growing population. Other reasons that corporations develop GMO crops are to improve the environment by using fewer pesticides and addressing insect and disease issues that ruin crops. 4. Some GMOs are produced by universities to solve nutritional and environmental problems. An example is the papaya. The GMO version was developed by the University of Hawaii after the papaya ringspot virus began destroying all papaya crops (Alliance for Science, 2015).
5. Ninety-nine percent of scientists that study GMOs believe they are safe (Hassell & Stroud, 2020; GMO Answers, 2018; Pew Research Center, 2016; Plumer, 2015).
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