Safety and Nutritional Value of Genetically Modified Food Substances

Safety assessment of genetically modified (“GM”) food has been a major concern to most individuals worldwide. The safety and nutritional values of GM foods are analyzed through basic principles and limitations of these food substances (Brown, 24). The GM foods has been criticized for having a potential impact on the environment, safety for humans and animals, as well as the nutritional quality it has on humans (Weirich 109). GM plants such as corn and soybeans are modified by the introduction of one or more gene coding in order to enhance characteristics such as insect resistant. Scientists have claimed that genetic modification enhances the health characteristics of an individual when consumed. The GM foods that have been enhanced such as rice with carotene and tomatoes with increased flavonoids are considered to improve the nutritional content of the food substance (European Food Safety S3). Whenever radical changes are made on how food is produced, the implication on nutritional value should be a key priority (Huyghebart 42). The GM foods are expected to play an important role in the diet of an individual (Brown 21). Special attention should be drawn to others. Safety assessment done on these food substances was highly focused on presence and characteristics of newly expressed proteins to consumers, the possibility of unexpected phenotypic and molecular effect (Weirich 48). In addition, clinical effects on organs or tissues of persons consuming the food substance are also assessed. In the recent past there have been reports of adverse effect of GM food products (European Food Safety s3). Persons consuming GM food experience increase in body weight, disorders of the blood as well as failure in body organs. The GM food substances have turned out to be genotoxic to some individuals while to others, it is the best form of survival in a world that organic food shortage if adverse (European Food Safety S3). Laboratory tests on GM food show that they are limited to diet because of the nutritional imbalance in the food substances. The qualitative and quantities intrinsic toxicity of GM food constituents proved that there is presence of toxicological