Breeders then selected and reproduced the offspring that had the desired traits. It often takes crop developers several years of analytical studies, continued breeding, and test planting to make sure the new plants have the desired characteristics and are safe. In today's debate about the merits or drawbacks of bioengineered foods it is important to keep in mind that this level of control actually decreases the likelihood that unidentified, and possibly detrimental, molecules will be introduced into the plant. In the event that something unexpected does occur, the testing that developers generally conduct should identify a problem long before the product goes on the market. While foods are complex combinations of many different kinds of chemicals, a great deal is known about their makeup and the possible problems that could arise from the genes and proteins introduced by either traditional or recombinant DNA techniques.
Most genetic modifications make it easier to grow the crop.
For example, about half of the American soybean crop planted in 1999 carried a gene that makes it resistant to an herbicide used to control weeds. About a quarter of U.S. corn planted last year carried a gene that produces a protein toxic to caterpillars, reducing the need for certain conventional pesticides. Crop plants, which contain large quantities of protein and deoxyribonucleic acid, are safely consumed. The small amounts of genetic material introduced through biotechnology, and the resulting proteins, are unlikely to dramatically change that safety profile. As you are well aware, foods normally contain many thousands of types of proteins.