Are genetically modified foods safe for humans?
Most experts agree that the various crops currently on the market are safe for animal and human consumption, being neither toxic nor allergenic. However, some transgenic maizes have an antibiotic-resistant marker gene. The possibility has been raised that when consuming large amounts of foods containing these marker genes begin to be consumed, the gene might move to disease-causing micro-organisms in the gut and so makes them resistant to antibiotics too. Most experts suggest that the chances of this happening are not great. Nevertheless, the existence of a finite risk has slowed down the regulatory approval of transgenic maize. The most likely solution is for companies to use other, less controversial markers, but this is less easy. Are genetically modified crops good or bad for the environment? Genetically modified crops may turn out to be good for the environment. The benefits to the environment: the herbicides to which crop tolerance is being developed generally break down faster t
