Overview of genetically modified foods

作者：admin  点击次数：131  发布时间：2025-06-28

(I) Concept of genetically modified foods
To clarify the concept of genetically modified foods, we must first clarify the concepts of genetically modified technology and genetically modified organisms. Genetically modified technology (genetically modified technique) refers to the use of genetic engineering or molecular biology technology (excluding traditional breeding, cell and protoplast fusion, hybridization, mutagenesis, in vitro fertilization, somatic cell variation and polyploid induction) to introduce genetic material into living cells or organisms, produce gene recombination, and make it expressed and inherited.
Genetically modified organisms (genetically modified organisms, GMOs) refer to organisms whose genetic material is changed by genetic modification technology rather than produced by natural proliferation or natural recombination, including three categories: genetically modified plants, genetically modified animals and genetically modified microorganisms.
Genetically modified food (genetically modified food, GMF), also known as genetically modified food, refers to food, food raw materials and food additives made or produced by genetically modified organisms. It is to transfer beneficial genes into other microorganisms, plants or animal cells through certain genetic techniques to make them acquire beneficial characteristics, such as enhancing the ability of animals and plants to resist diseases and pests, improving nutritional content, etc., thereby increasing the variety of food, increasing production, improving the composition of nutritional components and extending shelf life, etc. In layman's terms, it is to take the genes of plants, animals or microorganisms out of cells and insert them into other biological cells to obtain new organisms with certain beneficial characteristics. Foods or food additives made from these organisms are genetically modified foods.
(II) Types of genetically modified foods
The 21st century is the century of biotechnology, and genetic modification technology is the focus of biotechnology. Statistics show that in terms of genetically modified crops, since the first genetically modified tobacco came out in 1983, at least 120 genetically modified crops have been cultivated internationally, focusing on genetically modified cotton, soybeans, corn, rapeseed and potatoes that are resistant to insects, diseases and herbicides. From the perspective of different genetically modified crops, genetically modified soybeans have developed the fastest. By 2002, the global genetically modified soybean area exceeded 51% of the total soybean planting area for the first time, reaching 36.5 million hectares, accounting for 30% of the world's total genetically modified soybean production. A large proportion of them are used as raw materials for soybean oil production. The second is genetically modified cotton. In 2002, 6.8 million hectares of the world's 34 million hectares of cotton were genetically modified. In 2005 alone, the planting area of ​​transgenic insect-resistant cotton (i.e., transgenic Bt cotton) in my country reached 5 million hectares, accounting for 80% of all cotton fields in the country. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that the Chinese people now eat transgenic oil and wear transgenic cotton. China has become a major producer of commercial insect-resistant cotton. The United States, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and other countries are major producers of transgenic corn. The global transgenic corn area accounts for 9% of the total corn planting area of ​​14 million hectares. Experts predict that by 2010, more than 90% of the world's crops may be transgenic crops improved by genetic engineering.
Currently, more than 90% of the commercially produced transgenic foods are transgenic plants and their derivatives. Therefore, the transgenic foods mentioned at this stage actually mainly refer to transgenic plant foods. The main varieties are shown in Table 6-1.