GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS IN NIGERIA?

The New Directive

On October, 2016, the Nigerian National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) issued a seven-day ultimatum to department stores in the Federal Capital Territory to withdraw all Genetically Modified (GM) food items from their shelves. Some of these stores stock foods from countries that are already consuming genetically modified foods like the US and Canada. Four countries - the US, Canada, Brazil and Argentina - are at the forefront of the GM agenda and grow about 90% of the World's GM crops. Two important points to note is that most of the developed countries of the world except the four countries mentioned above, do not accept GM foods as entirely safe and have placed some sort of regulation on it from an outright ban to legal restrictions. Another point to note, is that GM foods are not mandated to be labeled in the US and in Canada. 

Should we be concerned? 

This is not to alarm anyone but with the average Nigerian's love for all things foreign and our adoption of the Western diets, who knows how much of these GM foods are already in our guts without our knowledge. The grocery list of the affluent is usually full of imported packaged foods ranging from infant formulas, vegetable oils, your favorite chocolates and biscuits, cereals for the children, custards, soy foods, noodles and the list goes on. Every single one of those packs might carry one or more GM ingredients. 

This article is not intended to enforce a particular side but to hopefully increase your awareness of this public debate and enable you make your own decision on which side of the divide you want to be. Should we adopt a typical Nigerian 'wait and see' stance or should we have an informed and active opinion? 

First of all, why all these hoopla about GMOs? What are GMOs? Should we care? Why should we care? Let's try to answer some of these questions briefly. 

What are GMOs? 

A Genetically Modified or Genetically Engineered Organism  "is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified using recombinant DNA methods, gene modification or transgenic technology " (Non-GMO Project). According to Wikipedia,  "the DNA of the organism has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural combination." This technology is often called 'modern biotechnology' or 'gene technology' or 'recombinant DNA technology' or 'genetic engineering'. 

Genetically modified or genetically engineered foods are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using the method of genetic engineering. Most food modification have primarily focused on cash crops such as soybean, corn, Canola and cotton. 

Arguments for GM foods 

Proponents of GM argue that if this technology is adopted all over the world the threat of global hunger will be permanently conquered. There will be increased yields in farms, lower prices of food, less pesticide use in farms because of their resistance to pathogens and herbicides. These crops are believed to be able to withstand the threats of climate change, tolerate insects, diseases and pesticides. 

Arguments against GMOs 

Those against it say these foods, through genetic engineering, allow foreign and harmful genes to be inserted into foods. The claims here are that GM foods are not safe for human consumption and could possibly increase the risk of cancer, autism in children, infertility, birth defects, neurological disorders, toxicity, accelerated aging, immune system disorders, endocrine disruption and negative environmental impact. Those against it argue that genetically modified crops don't increase yields as the advocates have claimed  but instead bring about huge economic losses for farmers and serious environmental degradation. 

GMO Foods 

These are foods that have been produced through a "process involving organisms that are known to be genetically modified and commercially available." (Non-GMO Project) 

Aspertame                                     

Corn                                                

Sugar beets

High Fructose corn syrup 

Tomatoes

Sausage (hot dog) 

Ice cream 

Non organic and synthetic vitamins (those that use corn and soy products) 

Hydrogenated oils

Infant formulas that use soy

Beef

Milk

Alfalfa 

Vegetable oil from corn, soy and cottonseed

Canola oil

Margarine

Squash, flax, papaya from Hawaii 

Processed foods (dark chocolate, candy, potato chips) 

Have you gone through the list of GM foods? Do you feel relieved that you don't and have never consumed any of the foods on the list or do you feel bothered because you consume most or all of the foods on the list or maybe you just don't give a hoot? Whatever the case, if you are interested, let's examine the list again and this time slowly and thoughtfully. 

GMO and You

A small percentage of Nigerians consume Canola and Soy oil from the US and Canada. If you are consuming vegetables from the US especially corn and Soy? Then be aware that nearly (over 90 percent!) all the corn and soybeans grown in the US are genetically modified. 

Look at the ingredients on your packaged foods. Have you ever read the labels on your packaged foods? Do you recognize any of the names above or any of these names - 

Amino acids, alcohol, ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, citric acid, sodium citrate, ethanol, flavoring (natural and artificial), hydrolyzed vegetable protein, lactic acid, maltodextrin, monosodium glutamate (MSG) sucrose, xanthum gum, vitamins, vinegar, soy lecithin, yeast products. (list gotten from the Non-GMO Project website) 

These high risk ingredients come from GM crops that have been further processed. They are typically present in packaged and processed  food products. Chances are if you are a lover of processed foods, you are already consuming high amounts of genetically engineered ingredients. 

Most infant formulas from North America, unless otherwise stated, have milk, corn syrup and soy at the heart of it,  which might be genetically engineered. Cereals from the US might have genetically engineered ingredients because of the presence of corn and soy. Many biscuits, from the cheapest to the most expensive, contain soy lecithin. Many candies, chocolate products have genetically engineered sweetners like beet sugar, soy lecithin and corn syrup. 

There is a prevalence of GMOs in imported animal feeds, especially those containing corn and soybean grains and these makes these animals and the products derived from them to be considered high risk. These include eggs, dairy, meat, milk and honey. Many processed meat products and alternative meat products  from the US are genetically engineered. 

The goal is not to scare you off eating but to educate you, enable you to have an informed opinion, maybe inspire you to get actively involved in the public debate, no matter the side you choose to be. I do believe we have the right to make our own health decisions and to decide what we want to put in our bodies and not to know which foods are genetically engineered, may be taking that right away from us.




REFERENCES
Center for Food Safety "GE Foods and your Health" www.centerforfoodsafety.org/

Non-GMO Project "GMO Facts" www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts

Wikipedia "Genetically Modified Organisms" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...





DISCLAIMER: The entire content of this article, unless otherwise stated,  is based upon my opinion. The information on this article is not intended to discredit any particular brand or replace a one-to-one relationship with a qualified health care professional. Neither is it intended to enforce a particular  view or act as a health or medical advice.