10 GMO Myths We Busted in 2019
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If you’re a parent, it might be hard to find all the GMO facts you need to confidently feed your family in 2020. Fortunately, we’ve got your back. As we ring in the new year, take a look at these top 10 GMO facts we uncovered in 2019, and learn how you can use that knowledge to make informed choices about what your children — and you — are eating.
- "GMO" doesn’t mean unsafe. The term "GMO" simply stands for "genetically modified organism," which means agriculture scientists have given the plant different, beneficial properties.
- GMOs are precisely bred. To create GMOs, scientists take helpful qualities from one organism and add it to another. Scientists know exactly what changes occur, so the technique is precise.
- GMOs are thoroughly tested. GMO crops undergo rigorous testing before being introduced into the market.
- GMOs pose no more threat to humans or the environment than conventional crops do. According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, GMOs and conventional crops are equally nonharmful.
- GMOs are no more likely to cause allergic or toxic reactions than conventional crops.
- GMOs can actually be used to remove allergens from food. Scientists in the United States and Britain are already working on GMO products such as safer peanuts and gluten-free wheat.
- GMOs are used to produce more crops on less land. Compared with organic crops, GMOs can increase crop yield and nutritional value, reducing the land and resources needed to grow our food.
- GMOs protect crops from pests, resulting in higher yield and smaller uses of crop protection chemicals.
- GMOs are among the most-studied items in agricultural science. A study conducted on GMOs in 2016 used over 900 sources to determine they do not pose any additional health risk than conventional alternatives.
- GMOs give us greater control. From corn that can protect itself from worms to crops that need less pesticides to prosper, GMOs are used to help us control the safety and nutritional value of our food.
We were happy to bring these GMO facts to light in 2019. Stick with us this year as we learn even more about how to make the best food decisions possible for our families.