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ТЕМА №13 GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS: CURSE, BLESSING OR OTHER 

    Genetically modified (GM) foods are food items that have had their DNA(ДНК)  -  deoxyribonucleic acid; биохим. дезоксирибонуклеиновая кислота -  changed through genetic engineering. GM foods were first put on the market in the early 1990s. The most common modified foods are derived from plants soybean, corn and cotton seed oil. For example, a typical GM Food could be a strawberry that has to survive in cold climates. Therefore, the farmer would get its DNA altered so it could survive in the frost. They would take DNA from a frost resistant cell, and transfer it into the strawberry cells genes. Therefore, the cells of the strawberry are now frost resistant and will survive the frost, so the farmer does not lose money.

    The attitude towards GM foods only got worse after outbreaks of Mad Cow Disease (коровье бешенство). GM crops have been widely adopted in the United States. They have also been extensively planted in several other countries (Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, India, and China) where the agriculture is a major part of the total economy.

    Currently, the use of genetically modified food is a subject of enormous global controversy. They were first developed in the late 1960s. However, since that time the science world has not yet proved if GM foods are safe for consumers. Intensive debates on this issue continue among scientists. There don't seem to be any facts proving that GM foods are unsafe. There is no specific laws in the EU on the Introduction of GM foods and accordingly there is no such legislation in Russia. We should protect ourselves not only from foreign suppliers but also from domestic ones.

    Disputes continue between scholars as well as between members of parliament. However, common citizen are also getting engaged in the discussion, which is a positive sign since the public should know what foods they consume. Some interest groups argue that producers should label their products to make it clear for consumers whether foods contain GM components. Consumers should decide themselves whether to buy or not to buy GM foods. Everyone should be responsible for his or her health.

    The opponents of GMF are confident that the production and use of GMF products is harmful for both the environment and for humans. Geneticists never talk about how the GM foods are developed. They are developed with the help of viruses. The more aggressive the virus or bacteria is, the better the gene will fit into the structure of the genome. These viruses are not controlled. These viruses often affect the reproductive system and the gastrointestinal tract (желудочно-кишечный тракт).

    Two years ago, a girl died in one of the Kyiv hospitals. She was diagnosed with symptoms of pneumonia. The disease progressed at a high speed. Eventually, the girl died. The examination showed that she had no lungs in the body. Her enzymatic system has destroyed this organ…