Health Controversy: Genetically Modified Foods

Health Controversy: Genetically Modified Foods
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Health Controversy: Genetically modified foods
Interventions in public health have tendency to be enmeshed in controversies. There have been numerous public health controversies with no particular solution. One such health controversy is genetically modified foods (Smith, 2009). The use of genetic technology in laboratory techniques and instrumentation to explore the genetics of cells has been rising over the recent past. This paper seeks to address genetically modified foods as a health controversy. Genetically modified foods are very enthralling and intrinsic to issues of public health. This is because such health controversies can hardly be settled to satisfaction of everyone once and for all (Gould, 2004).
Consumers are known to reject genetically modified foods generally rather than carry out an evaluation of the product on the basis of individual cases. However, the current situation may be altered by the growing availability of genetically modified foods in the consumer market. This makes genetically modified foods a health controversy (Gould, 2004). Different authors have studied and documented opposing views on genetically modified foods. The opponents asserted that the long term health effects and health risks are still uncovered and therefore are not fit for use until full implications are decided (Counihan, 2013).
On the other hand, those who supported genetically modified foods argued that it is safe like any other organic food, and that such food helps in replenishing the declining food supply (Kumarasamy et al., 2010). In spite of the dwindling food supply due to the growing world's population, the view of Biotechnology Industry Organization on genetically modified foods has been termed a controversy among different scholars (Smith, 2009). Researchers have argued that consumers are less negative towards genetically modified foods compared to producers. General attitudes towards genetically modified foods influence the risks and benefits perceived about the technology. The decision to purchase genetically modified foods is exclusively determined by attitu...