Is it still organic? Perceptions on GMO's by The General Public.

In an article recently published in The Smithsonian, journalist David Newland hope to conquer some of the preconceived notions about what is and isn't healthy.

To start with a bang, Newland immediately writes off one of the fad-ish "super foods" that's currently in fashion to eat. That organic kale you're eating? It's genetically modified. But what is the true definition of genetically modified?

All the foods in the article were bred to become the "super food" they've become today. Kale, Broccoli, and Cauliflower all descend from the same species Brassica oleracea, or wild cabbage. Almonds originally contained cyanide in them until a mutant tree that grew without it was discovered and used by early humans. Grapefruits have easily the strangest story of those on the list. Having only existed since the 18th century, they were created using a bombardment of gamma rays, x-rays, and other forms of radiation to cause mutations with the genes. This helped to develop not only the original grapefruit, but all further species that have arisen since (i.e. Star Ruby).

But what about corn? It's lack of diversity could spell trouble for any epidemic that might occur. What about tomatoes? 

In a recent poll done by ABC news, analyst Gary Langer discovered that 52% of people in America believe that genetically modified foods are unsafe to eat, and a whopping 93% of Americans surveyed believed that foods with GMO's should be labeled as such.

Does that mean that grapefruits should be labeled?

Arguments are made against this train of thought by Ottoline Leyser. In his article published by PLOS Biology, titled Moving beyond the GM Debate, he points out the intrinsic difference between plant breeding and genetically modifying: the origins of the genes. Plant breeding is the use of mutations already within the gene pool to change a plant, whilst genetically modifying can pull genes from anything.

The jury is still out on the safety of genetically modified foods, both for the environment and human consumption, but at the end of the day, aren't we all looking for the same thing? A sustainable, reliable food source?

Until then, rest assured that your grapefruit and kale are still safe to eat, modified or not.

Sources: 

http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1001887

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=97567

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science/sorry-hipsters-organic-kale-genetically-modified-food-180952656/?no-ist