The genetic changes that have been made to these foods are completely different to those resulting from traditional breeding methods. Yet, the import and sale of these foods will be permitted without proper assessment of the risks and without adequately informing the public, even though many scientists say that genetically modified foods could cause serious damage to health and the environment.
Genes are the blueprints for every part of an organism.
Genetic engineering is the process of modifying this information, particularly by artificially transferring the genes specific to one type of organism into another. Thereby, scientists want to transfer desirable qualities from one organism to another, for example, to make a crop resistant to a herbicide or a pest. At first sight it may seem appealing. However, closer examination of the issues gives a different picture. We should by now be alert to the dangers of interfering with nature.