# Genetically Modified Food:  Safe or Not (and why)?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genetically-modified-food-safe-or-not-and-why/7801>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 28, 2000, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genetically-modified-food-safe-or-not-and-why/7801 "2000-02-28T13:35:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![H8\_2\_W8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c77e96/32.png) [@H8\_2\_W8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/H8_2_W8)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genetically-modified-food-safe-or-not-and-why/7801/1 "2000-02-28T13:35:00Z")

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Corn & beans genetically modified to resist insects, no need for insecticide. Cows genetically modified to produce more milk, no need for growth chemicals. Think about grain that could grow with very little water and the famines caused by drought in Africa.

I don’t think it is possible, but is there any potential harm that could come to humans by eating genetically modified or engineered foods? Can our systems (DNA, genes) somehow be altered because the food we eat has been altered? Or, is this a case of people that don’t understand the facts and are quick to jump to irrational fears? (Like the move to irradiate food a few years ago).

In a way, I wouldn’t mind eating genetically modified corn if I would then become immune to attacks from mosquitoes!

BTW, I tried to do a search but the engine just locked up and never returned any results.

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**Author:** ![Nickrz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nickrz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nickrz)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genetically-modified-food-safe-or-not-and-why/7801/2 "2000-02-28T15:15:00Z")

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This topic has been discussed at length in _Comments on Cecil’s Columns_:

[http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000021.html](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000021.html)

The Master himself took part in this thread, going head to head with a prominent Greenpeace activist. The thread itself has been closed for some time, but I’ll transfer this topic to _Great Debates_ in case anyone else wishes to argue it further.

```auto
Nickrz
GQ Mod
```