Abstract
The wide public has been concerned about the issue of whether food products with genetically modified organisms (GMO) should be labeled since the beginning of arguments on GMO implications for human health. Analysis of current scientific findings regarding the impact of food containing GMO suggests that there are strong grounds to believe that products with GMO have long-lasting consequences for people consuming them and for their offspring. Therefore, people should have a chance to make their own customer choices of whether they would like to buy such dangerous products. To make it possible, the food producers and distributors should place specific stickers and marks on the products with GMO.
The issue of whether food producers and distributors should be required to identify products made from GMO plants or livestock has long been a matter of heated debates. The proponents of GMO state that there are no health risks associated with GMO and thus, labeling products is not necessary, and it would make the wide public believe that a measure of danger is associated with consuming GMO foods. The following paper will observe the issue of whether food producers and distributors should be required to label food products with GMO.
First, speaking about the necessity to label products with GMO, it is important to make conclusions about whether scientific facts are proving the harm caused by foods containing GMO to the human body. According to Bawa and Anilakumar (2013), food with GMO has long-lasting implications for the human reproductive system. The research studies investigating the ability of animals to consume GMO products to produce offspring suggested that the adverse effects of GMO begin to emerge as early as the second generation. Consequently, one should question him- or herself whether it is a good idea to consume such products if they have such negative implications.
Next, since the scientific research demonstrates the negative endpoints of consuming products with GMO, it is ethically and morally just to inform the wide public about these facts and provide people with a chance to make their decision of whether they agree to buy the economically advantageous food with GMO at the cost of knowing about the negative consequences for their health (Coles, Frewer, & Goddard, 2015). It is up to every single individual to decide about the choices that have such far-reaching implications for their future.
Moreover, the U.S. Constitution guarantees the citizens the right to freedom to make choices for their well-being as far as it is not in contradiction with other people’s rights. Thus, people should be guaranteed the right to make their own choices. For this reason, food manufacturers and distribution chains have to label products with GMO.
In conclusion, the opponents of GMO entrance the daily menu of a common person motivated their position by appealing to the adverse health endpoints associated with such products. These activists continue to argue that all products with GMO must be marked by both producers and distributors. Judging from the opinions expressed by researchers based on scientific facts, GMO products have negative consequences for human health. Taking this rationale into consideration, common people should be provided with an opportunity to realize the right to make their own health choices using the identification of products made from GMO plants or livestock.
References
Bawa, A. S., & Anilakumar, K. R. (2013). Genetically modified foods: safety, risks and public concerns—a review. Journal of Food Science And Technology, 50(6), 1035-1046.
Coles, D., Frewer, L. J., & Goddard, E. (2015). Ethical issues and potential stakeholder priorities associated with the application of genomic technologies applied to animal production systems. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 28(2), 231-253.