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– Cheese– Beer– Wine– Bread

– Modern food biotechnology• Tissue culture• Genetic engineering

– Different from plant and animal breeding

http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2006/10/061017091752.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?

• 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 experimentshttp://healthcare.zdnet.com/images/fda-logo.jpg

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

• 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

• Food quality • Nutrition• Metabolic products• Vaccines

http://whyfiles.org/241GM_2/images/soybean_field.jpg

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

• 80% U.S. Corn crop Bt (2014)• 84% U.S. Cotton crop (2014)http://pfisterhybrid.com/images/sections/5.jpg

Bt Concerns

• Bt pollen harms non-target 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

Monarch butterfly: endangered?

http://members.tripod.com/c_rader0/greg040.gif

Herbicide Resistance

• 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)http://cropwatch.unl.edu/photos/cwphoto/soy_harvest2002_2b.jpg

Herbicide Resistance Concerns

• Encourages herbicide use– Groundwater contamination– Kills beneficial soil microbes

• Cross-pollinates weeds• Fosters dependence on

Agrochemcial companies

Disease Resistance

• Canola • Cantaloupes• Cucumbers• Corn• Rice• Papaya• Potatoes• Soybeans• Squash• Tomatoes• Wheat

Genetically engineered papaya resistant papaya ringspot virus

http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2008/04/080423131624.jpg

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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38232000/jpg/_38232577_levy150.jpg

Zambian President Mwanawasa

Milestones in Food Biotechnology

• 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

Adoption of GMOs Worldwide

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

– Not certified organic (USDA)http://www.scq.ubc.ca/the-new-macdonald-pharm/

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:– Increase productivity– Increase purity– Increase safety– Improve nutrition– Improve food quality– Improve sustainability– Benefit ecosystem

• Process not inherently harmful

• 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 Thompsonhttp://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/images/thompson_paul.jpg

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

• Benefits multinational corporations– not consumers– not developing nations

GMO vs normal Salmon of same age

http://www.primidi.com/images/aquabounty_salmon.jpg

Frankenstein Foods: Unintended Consequences?

• Potential GMO food safety problems:– 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:– Eggs

– Fish

– Shellfish

– Milk

– Peanuts

– Soybeans

– tree nuts

– wheat

• GM foods avoid genes from these sources

Peanut proteins can cause severe food allergies!

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/articleimages/332/home.jpg

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• Disease resistance

• Reduced weeds

– Increased profitsInsect resistant maize, Kenya

http://img.radio.cz/pictures/networkeurope/080215-bt-corn-africa.jpg

Will GM crops feed the world?• No:

– Biotech from companies targets the wealthy• 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• Land• Water• Roads• Education• Credit

– Green revolution agriculture unsustainable• Monoculture• Erosion• Fertilizer and pesticide runoff pollution• Neocaloric (requires fossile fuels)

International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, India

http://www.parasitologyindia.org/images/icgeb.jpg

GMOs for developing countries