Wuxi also has genetically modified foods

From tomato, papaya, corn, soybean, and rapeseed oil to current rice, genetically modified products have caused widespread controversy from the date of birth, with outstanding disease resistance and unconfirmed ecological risks. What is the status of genetically modified foods in the Wuxi market? Yesterday, the reporter conducted an investigation on this issue.

Genetically modified foods are difficult to identify

Does Wuxi have genetically modified rice? The reporters visited some supermarkets and found that there is almost no rice labelled “genetically modified”. For more varieties of rice, the target is “natural high quality, green products”. The main producing areas are the three northeastern provinces and some parts of northern Jiangsu, where some foreign fragrant rice and other products are mixed.

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The sales staff of a large-scale seed company in Wuxi told reporters that at present the regular seed companies have not heard about the sale of genetically modified seeds, but in the whole market, some small seed companies have already sold genetically modified seeds, including genetically modified rice seeds. These are mostly seed "black markets."

In 2008, China imported 50% of the world's genetically modified soybeans. More than 70% of China's soybean oil on the table is a genetically modified food. The reporters visited some large supermarkets in the urban areas and found that for edible oil, only some products were marked with the words “transgenic”; many edible oils were marked with cover and it was difficult to see “transgenic”. Some soybean and other crop derivatives such as soybean milk, soybean meal, etc. are difficult to see the "transgenic" logo. For some vegetables, it is more difficult to see the logo.

It is reported that the State Council promulgated the "Regulations on the Administration of Agricultural Genetic Safety" in 2001 and mentioned the issue of genetically modified markers for the first time. In 2002, the Ministry of Agriculture issued the "Administrative Measures on the Labeling of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms," which was followed by the Ministry of Health and promulgated the "Measures for the Hygiene Management of Genetically Modified Foods."

According to these regulations, starting from March 2002, the genetically modified crops that appear in the Chinese market must be clearly marked, and the scope of genetically modified markers should be limited to 17 products of five categories: soybeans, corn, rapeseed, cotton, and tomatoes. Starting from July 1st of the same year, the “food and food additives produced by using genetically modified plants and animals, microorganisms or their directly processed products” must also be identified.

Yesterday, reporters found in the visiting market that these regulations are still almost useless in the past. Only a handful of foods labelled “genetically modified” are available.

Wuxi citizens are shocked and helpless

The vast majority of Wuxi citizens still do not know much about genetically modified foods, and they rarely pay attention to "genetically modified" products when they purchase products. Mr. Zhang told the reporter: “The soy oil I bought does indeed contain the genetically modified soybeans. I can't figure out whether there is any risk.”

When he learned that the papaya on the market might be a genetically modified product, Mr. Zhang immediately showed great concern. He said: “My wife goes to the supermarket to buy papaya every week, but these bought papayas have never been seen. If there is a genetically modified logo, we should at least tell it is a genetically modified product. This way we have a good idea."

There are no definitive scientific arguments for the safety of GM foods. Many people are shocked and show more helplessness. "Even if it is genetically modified foods, the public will have no way. Can we not eat oil and rice every day?" said Cheng, who lives in Cao Zhang Xincun.

Ms. Huang said that people, because rice and edible oil, pork and other food are usually eaten regularly, whether it is genetically modified foods is not important, the most critical is to go through a safety argument, so that we will not worry, eat will not appear problem.

What is genetically modified?

From the technical point of view, conventional breeding, such as rice breeding, crosses from different varieties and brings together some favorable traits (high yield, disease resistance, and high quality), that is, to gather together the excellent genes that control these traits. This process is actually a process of gene exchange and combination.

For example, in the traditional wheat breeding, a common wheat variety is sexually crossed with some weeds of the genus Avena. During the process of crossbreeding, some good genes of oats (such as anti-freezing and drought-resistant genes) can be assembled (these are excellent The gene itself is owned by the organism, so that a new breed is bred. This breeding method is used by everybody, so I think there is no problem.

However, genetically modified crops are actually only technically different from traditional breeding. For example, oatgrass has a disease-resistance gene. This gene is extracted by a certain method (not a method of hybridization). The gene is then introduced into a certain wheat through genetic transformation. Its ultimate purpose is the same as traditional breeding. The increase in wheat disease resistance is only a difference in one gene or gene composition.

Will new genes introduced into crops be transferred to humans? Before the entrance to the food, a cooking program had roughly damaged it; then, it was decomposed and digested by various corrosive body fluids. Therefore, most genes are damaged, eroded, and digested. Of course, there are some genetic fragments, but this does not mean that the fragments will be absorbed by the consumer's genome.

From a biological point of view, regardless of rice or other vegetables, organisms are genetic, and all things, whether they are proteins, chemical substances, or nutrients, are genetically controlled and synthesized. They only eat nutrients. .

Transgene is to add a gene to the gene strand of the original material, or to modify a gene. For example, rice, at least more than 30,000 genes, there are a lot of DNA, add a gene, this gene is just one of them. Not to say that genetically modified food is a certain gene, not to mention that the genetically modified food that humans eat is a transgene.