In a country where nearly 40,000 food items stock the shelves in the average grocery store, customers have a variety of choice when it comes to what products they choose to eat, depending on their specific food preferences (Poinski). If a certain family decides to be vegetarian or an individual has a food allergy, they have a choice of other means of protein or other produce that is healthier for their specific needs. However, what the customers do not have a say in is whether or not the product they eat contains genetically modified (GM) food. GM food contains DNA that has been altered using genetic engineering techniques in order to create pest-resistant plants and to ensure a stable supply of food (Farquhar). Currently, there are no specific guidelines that require food companies to label whether or not the food contains GMOs. Since the federal government does not hold major corporations responsible for conveying what is being put in their food to their customers, Americans suffer from being unable to choose whether or not they want to consume GM foods. …show more content…
According to Doug Farquhar, director of the Environmental Health Program at NCSL, since GM foods were introduced “much of the nation’s food has been genetically modified.” The products that contain GMOs range from fresh produce, to fast food, grains and even in the feed that animals used for meat eat (Farquhar). Scientists and farmers have worked hand and hand in order to create products that are easier to fanufactor in order to better create mass production of food. Many customers are under the impression that GMOs are harmful to be put in food, but there is no scientific evidence to back up this claim. Since GM food is relatively new, the long term effects of digesting food that contains GMOs in unknown, but current data shows that GMOs are safe to