Consumer Acceptance of Genetically Modified Foods - Essay Example

The ever-growing world’s population and the problems of the food crisis have called for better and increased food supply. Land degradation, global warming, and resistant organisms have limited adequate food supply through traditional plant breeding (McKinney & Schoch, 322). These problems have called for the introduction and development of genetically modified food or transgenic crops, which are resistant to disease-causing micro-organisms and drought. However, this technology has met strong critics due to the health risks it has on the population.

This limitation has slowed down the rate of its adoption and implementation in several countries, especially in the third world countries (McKinney & Schoch, 322). Most people, including some biotechnology specialists, feel GM foods are potential inducers of new allergen in the human body. This is evident in some people and children who are highly resistant to GM foods and peanuts (Jensen & Malter 2). Genes can originate from different species, for example, when an animal gene is introduced into the plant genome.

With GM foods, the human body is at risk of developing resistant bacteria, which may become extremely difficult to control using normal antibiotics. This can lead to increased spread of diseases (Jensen & Malter 2). In conclusion, despite the health risks imposed by GM foods, it should be understood that it only has negative effects on a small percentage of the population. Most of the supermarkets are stocked with GM foods, and only a small percentage of shoppers complain about their side effects.

This, therefore, is an indication that GM foods are the future sources of food. Biotechnology advancements should be supported and adopted by all nations, so as to address the problems of drought and crop resistant organisms on the traditional plant breeding method. This will ensure adequate and better food is supplied to the ever-growing population (Evenson & Santaniello 143).