Transcript Food Biotechnology Ethics Clark Ford, Ph.D. Food Science and Human Nutrition Iowa State University.

Food Biotechnology Ethics
Clark Ford, Ph.D.
Food Science and Human Nutrition
Iowa State University
What is Food Biotechnology?
• Food technology based on
biology
– Ancient food biotechnology:
• Fermentation by microbes
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Cheese
Beer
Wine
Bread
– Modern food biotechnology
• Tissue culture
• Genetic engineering
– Different from plant and
animal breeding
http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2006/10/06101709
1752.jpg
Milestones in Food
Biotechnology
• 1953: Structure of DNA discovered
• 1973: First gene cloned
– in microbes
• 1977: Asilomar Conference in USA
– Recombinant DNA safety
– Regulation
– Risk assessment
– Containment
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/milenaid/Blog%20Support/TheDoubleHelix.jpg
Who Regulates Food Biotechnology?
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http://healthcare.zdnet.com/images/fda-logo.jpg
FDA
– Food and Drug Administration
• Determines safety for human
consumption
USDA
– U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Determines safety of GMO
agriculture
EPA
– Environmental Protection Agency
• Determines environmental
safety
NIH
– National Institutes of Health
• Sets guidelines for
Recombinant DNA
experiments
Milestones in Food
Biotechnology
• 1990: Recombinant
Chymosin Approved by FDA
– First biotech product for human
consumption
– Enzyme for cheese making
– Originally from calf stomach
– Bovine gene expressed in GRAS
microbes
• Generally Recognized As Safe
– In 80% of U.S. cheese
http://homepages.ius.edu/SRICKARD/cheese2.jpg
Other Products from Genetically
Engineered Microbes
• Food enzymes
– Bread
– HFCS Sweeteners
• Amino acids
• Peptides
– Nutrasweet
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Flavors
Organic acids
Polysaccharides
Vitamins
Milestones in Food
Biotechnology
• 1994: FDA approves
“Flavr Savr” Tomato
– Prolonged shelf life
– Improved quality
– Voluntarily labeled
http://www.lhup.edu/smarvel/Seminar/FALL_2003/Malawskey/tomaten.jpg
Other Genetically
Engineered Plants
• Agronomic traits
– BT Corn
– Roundup Ready Soy
– Disease Resistance
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http://whyfiles.org/241GM_2/images/soybean_field.jpg
Food quality
Nutrition
Metabolic products
Vaccines
GMO crops in the USA
HT = Herbicide Tolerant; Bt = Bt insecticide
Bt Corn
• Natural insecticide protein from
Bacillus thuringiensis
• Non-toxic to humans
• Target insect:
– Corn borer, root worm, ear worm
– Boll worm
• reduces insecticide use
– reduces mycotoxins in corn
http://pfisterhybrid.com/images/sections/5.jpg
• 80% U.S. Corn crop Bt (2014)
• 84% U.S. Cotton crop (2014)
Bt Concerns
Monarch butterfly:
endangered?
http://members.tripod.com/c_rader0/greg040.gif
• Bt pollen harms nontarget species?
• Bt crops select for
resistant insects
• Bt pollen can drift to
organic fields
• Food system failed to
keep BT Starlink corn
out of human food
products
Herbicide Resistance
http://cropwatch.unl.edu/photos/cwphoto/soy_harvest2002_2b.jpg
• Roundup Ready soy,
corn, canola, cotton
• Allows post-emergence
herbicide spraying
• Increases yield
• Facilitates no-till farming
• 94% U.S. Soy (2014)
• 91% U.S. Cotton (2014)
• 89% U.S. Corn (2014)
Herbicide Resistance Concerns
• Encourages herbicide use
– Groundwater contamination
– Kills beneficial soil microbes
• Cross-pollinates weeds
• Fosters dependence on
Agrochemcial companies
Disease Resistance
Genetically engineered papaya
resistant papaya ringspot virus
http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2008/04/080423131624.jpg
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Canola
Cantaloupes
Cucumbers
Corn
Rice
Papaya
Potatoes
Soybeans
Squash
Tomatoes
Wheat
Health and Nutrition
• Golden Rice
– Vitamin A and Iron enhanced
– Seeds given to the poor for free
• Improved Amino Acid
Balance
– Soy (needs Methionine)
– Maize (needs Lysine)
• Banana Vaccines
http://wwwdata.forestry.oregonstate.edu/orb/images/Marketing/TIME.jpg
Metabolic Products
• Idea: use crops to
produce inexpensive
– Pharmaceuticals
• AIDS vaccine in corn
– Metabolic products
• Problems:
– Containment
• Cross pollination
• Accidental mixing into
food supply
http://foodhazard.com/genetically-modified-foods/
Genetically Engineered Animals
- not approved for food • Transgenic Fish
– Salmon
• Grows 4-6 times faster
• Environmental concerns
• May escape, outcompete
natural species
• Transgenic Mammals
– Cows, Sheep, Goats
• Pharmaceutical production
in milk
http://www.gatewayva.com/biz/virginiabusiness/magazine/yr1997/aug97/cover.html
Milestones in Food
Biotechnology
• 1999: GM corn and
soybean products are
present in 80% of
processed foods in USA
– Corn:
• starch, high fructose
corn syrup, oil
– Soy:
• oil, Lecithin, protein
http://nadav.harel.org.il/cola/image/CokeClassic.jpg
Milestones in Food Biotechnology
• 1999: European Union
requires GM labels
– blocks import of GM corn, beans
• Ban lifted 2004
– but no change in anti-GM
sentiment in Europe
– Affects African export crops
• Paternalism
Milestones in Food
Biotechnology
• 1999: Gerber and
Heinz baby foods
GM-free
• 2000: Mc Donalds
and Frito-Lay
products GM-free
http://www.corrupt.org/articles/big_mac/bigmac.jpg
Milestones in Food
Biotechnology
• 2000: USDA Organic
Foods Standards
– Must be GM-free
http://www.taquitos.net/im/sn/NaturalPlanet-YellowCorn.jpg
Milestones in Food Biotechnology
• 2002 Zambia refuses
GM maize as food aid
– To help 2.5 million in
food shortage
– Calls GM food
“poison”
– Heavily influenced by
European attitudes
about GM
Zambian President Mwanawasa
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38232000/jpg/_38232577_levy150.jpg
Milestones in Food Biotechnology
Adoption of GMOs Worldwide
• 174 Million hectares acres
GM (2013)
– Soy (79% of global soy)
– Corn (32% of global corn)
– Cotton (70% of global cotton)
• India, China
– Canola (24% of global canola)
• 18 million farmers
– 90% are small farmers in
developing countries
• Growing cotton in India, China
http://www.feedstuffs.com/Media/PublicationsArticle/biotech_map_0.jpg
GMO-Free Zones in Europe
• GMOs Banned
– 8 Countries
– Many Regions,
– Municipalities
Milestones in Food Biotechnology
• 2008: Cloned Animals
approved by FDA
– For human consumption
• Goal: quality meat, milk
• Best animals cloned
• Not transgenic
– Is that next?
– Label not required
• Considered same as
normal meat, milk
• Not in stores yet
http://www.scq.ubc.ca/the-new-macdonald-pharm/
– Not certified organic (USDA)
Controversy over Biotech Foods
• Debate pits consumer and ecology groups
– against Multinational Corporations
• Many farmers, scientists, government agencies
– caught in the middle
Arguments for Genetically
Engineered Food
• Potential to:
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Increase productivity
Increase purity
Increase safety
Improve nutrition
Improve food quality
Improve sustainability
Benefit ecosystem
• Process not inherently
harmful
http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/images/thompson_paul.jpg
• Similar to traditional Plant
and Animal breeding
• Unless misused, outcome
expected to be beneficial
– Is a powerful technology
that could help humanity
• Bad ideas weeded out by
the market, regulation,
lawsuit
--Paul Thompson
Arguments against Genetically
Engineered Foods
• Food safety risk?
– unintended consequences
• Safety risk for environment
– could spread
• Genetically Engineered label
– not required in U.S.A.
• Playing God
– not natural
GMO vs normal Salmon of
same age
http://www.primidi.com/images/aquabounty_salmon.jpg
• Benefits multinational
corporations
– not consumers
– not developing nations
Frankenstein Foods:
Unintended Consequences?
• Potential GMO food safety
problems:
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Random gene insertion
Unknown toxins?
New gene products?
Unknown allergies?
• No evidence of GMO food
safety problems
http://www.gasdetection.com/news2/bioengineered_food.jpg
Food Allergies
• 90% of Food allergies:
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Peanut proteins can cause
severe food allergies!
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/articleimages/332/home.jpg
Eggs
Fish
Shellfish
Milk
Peanuts
Soybeans
tree nuts
wheat
• GM foods avoid genes from
these sources
Arguments for Labeling
• Not equivalent to non-GM
• Must use Precautionary principle
• Is uncertainty in risk assessment
• Labeling indicates process used
• Consumer right to know and choose
• Country’s right to know and choose
Arguments against labeling
• Suggests non-existent hazard
• Expensive to segregate crops
and change labels
• FDA labels required if change
in:
• Allergenicity
• Nutrition
• Food Quality
Will GM crops feed the world?
• Yes:
– GM crops are size neutral
• Small growers can benefit
– Don’t need large combine
– Reduced inputs
• Herbicides, pesticides
– Lower costs
– Increased yields
Insect resistant maize, Kenya
http://img.radio.cz/pictures/networkeurope/080215-bt-corn-africa.jpg
• Disease resistance
• Reduced weeds
– Increased profits
Will GM crops feed the world?
• No:
– Biotech from companies targets the wealthy
GMOs for developing countries
• Intellectual property expensive
• Public research in developing countries
– must develop GMOs for the poor
• Poor that cannot compete driven from land
– undernutrtion
– Poor really need
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International Center for Genetic
Engineering and Biotechnology, India
http://www.parasitologyindia.org/images/icgeb.jpg
Land
Water
Roads
Education
Credit
– Green revolution agriculture unsustainable
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Monoculture
Erosion
Fertilizer and pesticide runoff pollution
Neocaloric (requires fossile fuels)