As the FDA gets ready to vote on an application to bring the first genetically modified (GM) food animal — a salmon — to market, Healthland pauses to consider the social contribution of genetically modified crops throughout history.
Genetic modification occurs when scientists isolate a gene from one plant or animal and successfully introduce that gene to another plant or animal, thus changing its genetic code and function.
From vitamin-enriched rice, thanks to an assist from a carrot gene, to pest-proof corn that boasts a bacterium’s genetic material, GM crops are a part of our everyday lives.