Today, GMO Food, or Genetically Modified Food, is an important and widely discussed topic in the fields of science and agriculture. Various claims about genetically modified foods are frequently made on social media and across the internet. Some people consider them a modern technology that can help increase agricultural production, while others raise concerns about their potential effects on human health and the environment. Therefore, it is important to understand what GMO food actually is, why it is developed, whether it is safe for human consumption, and what kind of regulatory framework exists for it in India.
The most important point to understand is that not all GMO foods are the same. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), different genetically modified organisms may contain different genes and characteristics. Therefore, their safety needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
What Is a GMO ?
GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. It refers to an organism whose DNA, or genetic material, has been altered using modern biotechnology in a way that would not occur in the same form through conventional mating or natural recombination.
Through this technology, scientists can introduce a particular gene or genetic characteristic into an organism. According to the WHO, modern biotechnology can be used to transfer selected genes between different organisms, including, in some cases, organisms belonging to different species.
When food or food ingredients are produced from such genetically modified organisms, they are generally referred to as GM Food or GMO Food.
Why Is GMO Food Developed ?
The purpose of developing GM food is not simply to "genetically change" food. Genetic modification is carried out to introduce or obtain specific useful characteristics.
According to the WHO, many GM crops available in the global market have been developed mainly for traits such as insect resistance, resistance to certain plant diseases, and tolerance to specific herbicides.
For example, some GM crops are developed with genetic traits that help protect them against certain harmful insects. Bt technology is one important example. It uses a gene derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, which can enable plants to defend themselves against certain insect pests.
Some GM crops have also been developed to provide resistance to viral diseases. In addition, certain crops have been developed to tolerate specific herbicides, which can make weed management easier under particular farming conditions.
Are GMO Foods and Conventional Hybrid Crops the Same ?
No. There is an important difference between them.
In conventional plant breeding, farmers and scientists cross different plants to try to obtain desirable characteristics. Genetic engineering, on the other hand, uses modern biotechnology to make more targeted changes to an organism's genetic material.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), humans have used different forms of biotechnology and selective breeding for thousands of years. However, modern genetic modification technologies have created new possibilities for making more controlled changes to genetic material.
Therefore, it is incorrect to classify every hybrid food as GMO food.
Is GMO Food Safe for Human Health ?
This is one of the most important questions surrounding GMO food.
The WHO states that different genetically modified organisms contain different genetic modifications. Therefore, it is scientifically inappropriate to classify all GM foods together and simply conclude that every GMO food is either safe or unsafe.
According to the WHO, GM foods currently available on the international market have undergone safety assessments, and based on the available evidence, no demonstrated harmful effects on human health have been identified from the consumption of those approved GM foods. The WHO also considers case-by-case safety assessment and, where appropriate, post-market monitoring to be important.
This does not mean that every new GMO should be considered safe without testing. The safety of a new GM food needs to be scientifically evaluated based on its specific genetic modification, potential toxicity, allergenicity, nutritional composition, and other relevant characteristics.
In India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) also has a framework related to GM foods and scientific assessment, including a Scientific Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms and Foods.
What Are the Concerns Associated with GMO Food ?
Along with the potential benefits of GMO technology, there are also important questions and concerns.
The first issue is allergenicity. If genetic modification results in the production of a new protein, it is important to assess whether it could increase the potential risk of an allergic reaction.
The second issue concerns toxicity and nutritional composition. It is necessary to determine whether the genetic modification has introduced any unintended harmful effects or significant changes in the nutritional characteristics of the food.
The third issue is environmental impact. Both the WHO and FAO emphasize the importance of environmental assessment. Potential concerns may include the movement of engineered genes into wild populations, effects on non-target organisms, changes in biodiversity, and possible changes in pesticide use.
Therefore, the safety of a GMO cannot be determined simply by asking whether it is genetically modified. It is necessary to consider which organism has been modified, which gene or genetic characteristic has been changed, what new trait has been introduced, and under what conditions the organism or food will be used.
Potential Benefits of GMO Food
Supporters of GMO technology point to several potential agricultural and food-related benefits.
Some GM crops are developed to protect plants against insect pests. Under certain conditions, this can reduce the need for insecticides. The WHO has also noted the possibility that certain Bt crops may reduce insecticide use in particular circumstances.
Genetic engineering can also be used to develop crops with traits such as drought tolerance, disease resistance, and other useful agricultural characteristics.
The FAO recognizes the potential of modern biotechnology in areas related to food security and agricultural productivity, while also emphasizing the need for science-based assessment of possible health, environmental, and socioeconomic concerns.
However, the actual benefits of a particular GMO depend on the crop, the genetic trait, the farming system, and local conditions. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to make the same claim about every GMO.
What Is the Status of GMO Food in India ?
In India, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) plays an important role in the environmental assessment of genetically engineered organisms.
GEAC functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and evaluates proposals related to the environmental release of genetically engineered organisms and products within its regulatory scope.
According to the official GEAC website, certain Bt cotton events have been approved in India. GEAC records also include biosafety information related to approved Bt cotton, including toxicity, allergenicity, and animal feeding studies.
An important distinction should be understood here: Bt cotton is a commercial crop, but cotton is not normally considered a human food crop. Therefore, it would not be accurate to directly use Bt cotton as an example of an edible GM food.
India has also been working on a regulatory framework for GM foods under FSSAI. FSSAI released a draft of the Food Safety and Standards (Genetically Modified Foods) Regulations, 2022. The draft included proposals relating to prior approval, safety assessment, and labelling requirements for certain GM foods.
However, caution is important here. The minutes of an FSSAI Food Authority meeting in 2024 mentioned that the final draft of the GM Foods Regulations was deferred because wider consultation was considered necessary. Therefore, provisions contained in the 2022 draft should not be presented as the current final law.
Does GMO Food Mean "Poisonous Food ?
No. It is not scientifically correct to say that all GMO food is poisonous.
Similarly, it would also be inappropriate to claim that every GMO food is completely safe without any assessment.
The scientific and regulatory approach is to assess each GM food based on its specific characteristics and intended use. The WHO also supports this case-by-case approach.
What Is the Difference Between GMO and Gene Editing ?
Modern genetic technology includes not only traditional genetic modification but also newer techniques such as gene editing.
Gene editing can be used to make targeted changes to specific parts of an organism's genome. According to the FAO, gene editing is a broad term that includes various molecular biology techniques capable of making targeted changes to the genome of living organisms.
Therefore, the terms GMO, genetic engineering, and gene editing should not automatically be treated as exactly the same thing without considering the specific technology and context involved.
GMO food is an important area of modern biotechnology in which scientific techniques are used to make specific changes to the genetic material of an organism. The objectives may include protection against insect pests and diseases, improvement of agricultural traits, and potentially addressing certain challenges related to food production.
At the same time, the health, environmental, biodiversity, and socioeconomic concerns associated with GMO technology should not be ignored. Both the WHO and FAO emphasize science-based risk assessment and case-by-case evaluation.
Therefore, the most factual conclusion about GMO food is that the safety of a food product cannot be determined simply by whether it is GMO or non-GMO. The more important questions are what genetic modification has been introduced, what new trait it produces, and what the relevant scientific and regulatory safety assessments have found.
In India, the regulatory framework relating to GM foods continues to be an important area of development. Organizations such as FSSAI and GEAC have roles within their respective areas of responsibility concerning food safety, biosafety, and environmental considerations.
Therefore, before accepting any viral claim about GMO food, it is more reliable to consult information from authoritative sources such as the WHO, FAO, FSSAI, GEAC, and other relevant Indian regulatory authorities rather than relying solely on social media posts or unverified online claims.
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