Quiz Yourself on GM Foods

Have you ever wondered just how much you really know about genetically modified (GM) foods? Well, you're not alone because many of us will be surprised to take a GM foods quiz and find out just how little we truly know as well as how many myths abound in this important area of technology, health and the environment.

Try out the GM foods quiz to see how much you know about the field. You can then discover which areas you need to learn more about and how you can better make informed choices about GM foods and your personal health.

Do GM Foods Need to be Tested?

In most places around the world, the answer is yes. It isn't to say that we assume a danger by having to test. What it does mean is that we are being proactive and cautious prior to approving a GM product for public use.

There are still potential long-term effects that we aren't aware of today, which means that we need to be proactive and rigorous in assessing the safety of GM foods. Europe in particular has strict standards for GM foods while in the United States, these rules are comparatively relaxed although still present.

Are GM Foods Healthier?

The vast majority of GM foods are created to make the farmer's life easier – in the sense of increasing crop yields and making the crop more robust and able to withstand the usual environmental assaults such as poor weather conditions and pests.

However, there is potential to make a food contain higher amounts of a specific nutrient. In this way, a developing nation that subsists on a small number of staple foods could still obtain greater nutrition from eating those foods. The idea is to address areas of the world where the food variety is poor, leading to malnutrition.

Have I Ever Eaten GM Foods?

The answer is a resounding yes or at least, a likely yes. In fact, if you live in North America, it's practically a certainty that you've consumed GM foods at one point in time. The same holds true for Britain although to a slightly lesser extent. The creation and manufacture of most foods entails GM technology to some degree, however small.

What are the Foods Most Commonly Created Using GM Technology?

There are a number of foods commonly created using GM technology, including soybeans, corn, canola, rice and potatoes. The list is actually a long one and if you want to avoid GM foods, you should generally be looking to purchase foods labelled organic.

Can GM Foods Cause Allergies?

The potential is there but thus far, this has not been an issue. Still, caution is important, which means that testing is necessary to ensure allergies do not become an issue. For instance, when one company did find that genes from a brazil nut inserted into other foods could potentially trigger an allergic reaction, they ceased research on the product.

Learning More

GM foods can seem like a complicated subject but given that they impact you each day with the foods that you eat, it's important to know as much accurate information as possible. In this way, you can make the right choices for your own health and the environment.