Genetically Modified Foods

GENERAL GOAL: I want to inform my audience.
SPECIFIC SPEECH GOAL: I would like to increase the audience’s knowledge of genetically modified foods, their history, and the controversy that it involves.
THESIS STATEMENT: I want to inform my audience by explaining exactly what genetically modified foods are, as well as, there intended purpose, history, advantages, disadvantages and controversy surrounding them.

Introduction
I. Before you eat a meal or snack do you ever actually think about where it comes from, what is in it, and how it will affect your body? Most people these days consider eating to be a mindless act, especially when they are so busy with school, work, and other things. They eat foods that
As a result, toxic herbicide use has increased 15 times since GMO’s were introduced. This means our interaction with these toxins has increased by the same amount.
D. While America and Canada stay in the dark about GMO’s, 60 countries around the world have significant restrictions or outright bans of the production and sales of GMOs.
E. Whatever side you choose to be on, the main thing that concerns me, and should concern you, is that these plants have never been tested for the safety of human consumption. This means we are all a part of one of the largest scientific experiments around without our consent and without any knowledge of what the outcome may be.
Transition Statement: I don’t know about you but that seems a little scary to me. This is why many Americans are taking matters into their own hands and choosing to opt out of the GMO experiment.

IV. Protection, labeling, and what to look for.
A. Many polls have been taken and about 60% of people would not eat genetically modified foods if they were labeled.
B. The labeling of GMOs is not required in the US. So finding out which foods have them requires a bit of work.
C. There are 8 crops currently being genetically modified: Corn, Cotton, Canola, Alfalfa, Hawaiian Papaya, Soy, Zucchini and Summer Squash. While this doesn’t seem like a lot, these crops show up in almost all of our foods in the form of oils or ingredients, like high fructose