One of the key characteristics of organic food products is that they should be completely free from genetically modified organisms or GMOs. Genetic engineering (GE) is known as the process of altering the genetic makeup of living organisms by splicing or combining the genetic material of different plants and animals.

The idea behind genetic engineering is to make crops or animals raised for foods better in some ways. For example, scientists may try to rearrange the genetic blueprint of a food crop in order to make it more resilient against diseases or to yield larger harvests.

What’s wrong with genetically modified organisms?

One of the main concerns in the use of genetically modified organisms as food sources is allergenicity. GMOs have only been around for a few decades; since they are a novel introduction into our evolutionary history, they could induce potentially harmful effects on people like allergies. One way this thing happens is when you introduce an allergy-causing gene from one organism to another. For example, soybeans impregnated with genes from nuts can potentially harm a person if he is allergic to nuts. Take note that some allergies can be fatal. Other people are concerned that playing with nature can actually create new allergens that have never before existed on the face of our planet, or reduce the nutritional quality of food products.

Aside from effects on human health, the proliferation of genetically modified organisms may also negatively affect the environment. For instance, plants that have been genetically altered to produce toxins that are lethal to pest insects could exterminate not only the harmful pests but also the beneficial insects that are important to ecological balance. And by planting genetically modified variants of plants and animals, we run the risk of contaminating the “pure” species that occur in nature. The products of organic farmers are also at risk as these become exposed to rogue contaminants (like pollen grains) from GMO farms.

Additionally, people are concerned about ethical considerations on the use of GMOs. Critics of GMO proliferation believe that GMOs are being used as a means by big corporations to dominate world food production . Moreover, most nations in the world don’t require mandatory testing and labeling of GMO products. In the United States, many GMO foodstuff are approved and encouraged by the Food and Drug administration, including dairy products, soy, corn, canola oil, tomatoes, alfalfa, rice and papaya. This is in contrast to the regulations of many other developed countries which do not allow the production of GMOs or have banned them from their borders.

What can I do to avoid GMOs?

The best way that you can avoid GMOs is by choosing organically-grown food products, and by choosing food items that are clearly labeled “non-GMO.” While these methods are not a 100 percent foolproof solution, it is still the ticket if you want to give your family the best and healthiest food items they can consume.

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