Myths and attitudes towards GMOs
According to data, more than 80% of Ukrainians are against GMOs. Similar surveys were also conducted in the USA, France and Germany. In these countries, about 90% of the population also has a negative attitude towards artificial genome modification. One of the main arguments of opponents of GMOs is that any interference with DNA is unnatural. This means that eating GMO plants and products can cause dangerous mutations in humans and, as a result, diseases.

At the same time, according to a study by British scientists, ardent opponents of GMOs have a much worse understanding of basic biological concepts, not to mention genetics, than their opponents. For this reason, most respondents have a misconception of what genome interference is. In fact, science has been doing this for quite a long time. Back in the 16th century, the first test agronomists, not knowing the laws of genetics, created hybrid plants, selecting for sowing those varieties that were resistant to pests and brought more yield. This is called selection. With the development of science, more advanced methods were invented - in particular, genetic engineering. It allowed scientists to speed up the process of developing new varieties, or new beneficial properties of plants, three times. However, even using such modern and precise genetic methods as, for example, CRISPR/Cas9, it is impossible to create a genetically modified product that could be integrated into its DNA through the human intestines. Moreover, there is simply no mechanism that would allow gene transfer to occur in this way.


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The situation is aggravated by pseudoscientific publications that contain incorrect data about GMOs or interpret them incorrectly. For example, in February 2019, the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology published a review of how genetically modified foods are absorbed by the human body. In the summary, the authors write: “Compelling evidence shows the presence of DNA from food (also genetically modified food) in the blood and tissues of humans and animals.”

However, if you read the text of the review, it becomes clear that in fact the researchers did not find any alarming signs: there was no increased concentration of transgenic DNA in the blood of the subjects.

Finally, myths about GMOs are successfully spreading at the state level. For example, the authors of the website of the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology write about the dangers of GM products, without supporting these statements with anything.

One of the obvious explanations for such prejudices is the banal scientific illiteracy of opponents of GMOs or working with incorrect sources of information.

Is it true that GMOs are harmful?
There are many studies that prove that GM foods are safe. For example, a 2016 report by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine shows that such products are not only not harmful, but even beneficial for humans. The authors studied more than 900 scientific papers, interviewed 80 experts from various fields, and recruited another 26 to review the report. Basically, all the studies analyzed concerned two types of GM plants: insect-resistant and chemical fertilizer-resistant. Data over the past 20 years have shown that these crops had no effect on the people and animals that ate them.

Before bringing a GM product to market, scientists conduct many years of testing. They observe how transgenes and gene expression products behave and whether they cause allergies or poisoning. International legislation requires that each such product undergo rigorous testing to ensure safety for people, animals and the environment. In addition, in the EU such products are also monitored years later in order to identify possible delayed risks.

I hope this blog topic will be interesting to you...thank you for your attention, your Albina.