Education More school surveys - Genetically Modified food

Hey there,
I have a survey from a friend on GM Foods. If you could please take 5 minutes to fill it out, then that would be awesome, as there are many people from all over here with lots of different opinions.
The survey is really easy, just basic questions to see how aware people are of GM Foods and if they can harm you.
Survey to be found here
Thanks

 

Done

 

Who's GM Foods? I never heard of them..

 

Thanks

Not sure if serious or sarcastic :? But it's just short for Genetically Modified foods.

And thank you to all the others who have taken the survey!

 

I don't think this is a particularly good survey....

Are GM foods potentiall harmful? Of course, my collaborators grow Arsenic hyperaccumulators. I don't think you would want to eat one of those.... but is that really what you're trying to find with this question? I think you're trying to find out if the public opinion has been swayed to react negatively to mentions of GM by the actions of ignorant journalists with left wing agendas. That's not what the question asks though is it? It asks if they could potentially be harmful, and given that in theory is possible to splice the genes responsible for the synthesis of deadly neurotoxins into wheat the answer can only be yes.

 

Done

 

Thanks for the opinion and clarification on the question. My friend said: He altered the question to make it a bit clearer/more understandable, i.e. Do you think GM Food which is currently sold on the market/being sold in supermarkets is potentially harmful.

 

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However I am not sure that everyone actually knows what GM foods are, we are not just talking lab food but your common beef, the orange carrot, the yellow banana and much more. Actually you would be hard pressed to find something that has not been genetically modified.

 

strawberries are my favourite example of genetically engineered foods.

Your friend really needs to work on the survey questions.

Not sure what he wants to find out with "would you prefer to buy GM food"
If GM food is just as non-lethal as normal food (which it is from a scientific standpoint) then there should be no preference either way.

 

It would possibly have less environmental impact.

And that's all I can think of

 

I'm serious, Sarakon... I never even heard of them...

 

Mate I think you might be the one who isn't quite sure what genetically modified means. We're not talking about selective breeding, it's bio-engineered using specific gene splicing / knock outs to produce transgenic plants.

Just because it's genetically modified doesn't mean it's grown in a lab either. If my research is successful we hope to be able to distribute genetically modified rice to Bangladesh and East India that has superior resistance to straighthead disease and arsenic accumulation.

 

Don't worry, I know what they are. And I know of the rice you speak of.
This is all done on behalf of a friend (he compiled the survey), as you all are an awesome community, I thought you might help out, which has been successful. I made the mistake of not checking the survey properly.

woof82 posted the wikipedia link to it, but in short genetically modified food, is when the genes of other species are cut out using enzymes and then added to the genes of food. Some tomatoes for instance have the genes from fish scales to make them more crispy. I know it sounds odd, but for an exact explanation please read through the link woof82 posted.

 

I can't fill it in. There is no option on some questions for no preference. Would I buy GM foods over non-GM? No preference. But my options are yes or no. More "No Preference" options needed.

 

Sounds like we're doing your mate's homework for him
Of course, we're glad to help out.

Do you work in genetics, Sarakon? Would be interesting to hear if you're working on similar problems as me.

 

Now I had a long answer written out explaining the difference between Genetically modified foods and biotech foods together with genetically modified organisms and genetically engineered organisms. Then however I found that the definitions of these are different in English and Danish, so regrettably I have to give you right here.

Just a single question though if Genetically modification can only be achieved through "the group of applied techniques of genetics and biotechnology used to cut and join together genetic material and esp. DNA from one or more spices of organism and introduce the result into an organism in order to change one or more of its characteristics"* and that Genetic engineering is the same as genetic modification, and that Genetically modified foods and biotech foods are the same.

As we can properly agree on is that selective breeding is and intentional change in genetics, and while it is not natural evolution it is by this definition neither Genetic modification nor genetic engineering.

What then do you call the intentional change in genetics brought forth through selective breeding, cross breeding and domestication ?

And why do you insist on having two terms for the same if Genetically modified foods and biotech foods are the same? same question as for Genetic engineering and genetic modification?



*Merriam Webster's Eleventh Edition

 

Done.

Some 'No preference' options might be nice, especially on 'Would you prefer to buy GM foods?'. I do not really care if my food is GM or organic - will it taste the same and nourish me?