![]() There is a national website that tracks late blight in the U.S. The same disease destroyed more than half of the tomato crop in the eastern United States in 1946. It’s estimated that about one million people died as a result of the famine. From 1845 to 1849, all of the potato crops were destroyed by a disease called late blight.Ī disease called late blight destroyed the leaves and edible roots of the potato plants in successive years from 1845 to 1849. It’s estimated that 80% of their calories came from potatoes. Potatoes were the main source of food for most people in Ireland in the early to mid-1800s, but especially for tenant farmers and poor people. You’ve probably heard of the great Irish potato famine. If you’ve come across one of the new bioengineered food labels, there’s a good chance it was a product that contained soybeans, canola, corn or potatoes. The United Nations has said that genetically modified crops could possibly relieve global food shortages. Many of the plants on the list have genes that make them resistant to insects or diseases. Plants are bioengineered to express desirable traits and make them easier to grow or sell. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that the first GMO or bioengineered vegetables became available for consumers.įact: Human insulin as a treatment for diabetes was the first GMO product approved by the FDA in 1982. ![]() Most of those crop varieties are NOT in commercial production. Since the 1980s, biologists have used genetic engineering in plants to express desirable traits, including longer shelf-life, higher vitamin content or disease resistance. The FDA says humans have been using selective breeding and cross-breeding of plants and animals for more desirable traits for thousands of years. The National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard defines bioengineered foods as “those that contain detectable genetic material that has been modified through certain lab techniques and cannot be created through conventional breeding or found in nature.”Ī bioengineered food or ingredient must contain some of the newly introduced DNA. The National Academies of Sciences commission said that “sweeping statements about GE crops are problematic because issues related to them are multidimensional.” There are also questions about how it affects the farming industry, soil, and the evolution of weeds and insect populations. The crops aren’t changed in any ways that would increase the risk for cancer, and they’re no more likely to cause allergies than non-bioengineered foods, the FDA says.īut that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the debate on bioengineered foods. The FDA also says that bioengineered foods are safe to eat and pose no risk to your health.īioengineered foods don’t contain any more antibiotics or steroids than non-bioengineered versions of foods. ![]() The committee found no substantiated evidence that foods from bioengineered crops were any less safe than foods from non-bioengineered crops. You may be more familiar with the terms “genetically modified,” or “GMO.” The new standard replaces those terms with “bioengineered,” or “BE.” Are bioengineered foods safe?Ī National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee examined in-depth the potential negative effects and benefits of genetically engineered crops. 1, 2022, was the date for mandatory compliance. In 2016, Congress passed the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard requiring food manufacturers, importers, and certain retailers to disclose foods that have been bioengineered, and Jan. So what is a bioengineered food ingredient and why are those labels suddenly showing up on food packaging? ![]() You may have noticed a new label on some foods from the grocery store with a word that some people are finding disconcerting or at the least confusing - “bioengineered.”
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