According to The Center for Food Safety, “upwards of 75% of processed foods on supermarket shelves contain genetically engineered ingredients” (“About” 1). The food industry in the United States is often forgotten and consumers are not aware of the actions they are taking to produce the food we eat on a daily basis. The use of genetically modified organisms (GMO) is only one problem that is associated with the food industry. The Center for Food Safety states that “a number of studies over the past decade have revealed that genetically engineered foods can pose serious risks to farmers, human health, domesticated animals, wildlife and the environment” (“About” 1). Although research has proven these negative effects, the government in the United States has yet to pass a law to manage them properly (“About” 1). Another problem commonly associated with the food industry is the use of added sugars. This is a problem that is frequently looked over, and not addressed. In an article for Los Angeles Times, author Karen Kaplan acknowledges the epidemic of added sugars the United States. Kaplan states that “in the most recent period studied, about 10% of adults got more than 25% of their calories in the form of added sugar” (1). Not only does the food industry hide the use of added sugars in about 75% of our food, it has devastating effects on the health and safety of consumers. People have become so blinded to what the food industry is doing, they do not even realize what is happened to the consumers. Genetically modified organisms and added sugars are two important issues in the food industry that are often disregarded and us, consumers, need to be more aware and informed on them and how they affect us. 

According to Foodshed Alliance, “In 2014, GMO varieties made up 93 percent of corn acres, 94 percent of soybean acres and 96 percent of cotton acres planted in the country” (1). Many people hear or mention the term “GMO” but a majority of those people do not actually understand the meaning behind them. The Institute for Responsible Technology defines GMO’s as “the result of a laboratory process where genes from the DNA of one species are extracted and artificially forced into the genes of an unrelated plant or animal. The foreign genes may come from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or even humans” (“Going” 1). Genetically altered foods have been circulating the United States since 1980 and are continuing to grow rapidly. It is the subject of an endless debate – ban, label, or allow? The government has taken some approaches to supervise the GMO industry. In the summer of 2016, former-president Barack Obama signed a bill into law obligating the labeling of foods with genetically altered ingredients (Amelinckx 1). This law was created in hopes to regulate the issues regarding genetically modified foods. In the article “What You Need to Know About the New GMO Labeling Law”, author Andrew Amelinckx states that with the new law “producers can choose from a few options: words on a package’s label; a symbol, a 1-800 number that consumers must call to get information on the product’s genetically modified ingredients; or a QR code that has to be scanned with a smartphone, which will take the consumer to a website for GMO information” (1). Pro-labeling advocates believe that this law will benefit the public, mostly lower class and the elderly, who have no way to access technology in order to gain information that the food companies choose to administer through digital technology (Amelinckx 1). This new law will also benefit those who have chosen to stick to a strict, non-GMO diet, because they will now be able to know exactly what contains genetic material. Anti-GMO activist, Melissa Diane Smith, explains in an article for Better Nutrition why she feels that it is important to go against genetically modified foods and take on a non-GMO diet (“Going” 1). 

Although many people are aware that these transgenic crops exist, they are not aware of the devastating effects they can have on consumers. Smith states that “animal research points to serious health risks from eating GM foods, including infertility, immune system problems, gastrointestinal problems, organ changes, and tumors” (“Going” 1). Not only are consumers affected by genetically altered foods, the farmers who produce them are equally afflicted. Farmers are affected most economically. Many non-GMO, organic, farmers face economic loss because of the “lost markets or decreased crop values” (“How” 1). Monetary concern has become a significant issue with farmers. Genetically modified organisms also threaten the environment and agricultural system. Advocates of GMO assert that transgenic crops possess harmful insect and herbicide resistance that helps reduce the environmental contamination. However, the resistance genes injected into the crops could easily spread to the ecological system. Fields are often left contaminated after growing a crop and utilizing GMO’s. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) evaluates risks to human health, non-target organisms, and the environment by pesticides. Even worse, it is impossible to abolish GM crops like it is impossible to dispose of nuclear waste from a nuclear generator. Melissa Smith addresses the fact that “most genetically modified crops on the market are sprayed with large amounts of herbicide, which pollute our land and water and get into our food” (“Going” 1). Many farmers disregard the fact that the drift of the chemicals to other, neighboring fields is inevitable. Although the long-term impacts of the use of these chemicals is unknown, once the chemicals are released, farmers cannot take them back. Genetic pollution will destroy the organic farming industry which care and love pesticide-free, GMO-free vegetables for citizens. Therefore, it is evident that genetically modified foods are harmful to our health and the environment. 

Genetically modified organisms are not the only problem with the food industry. Another growing problem in the United States is the use of added sugars. An article written by Karen Kaplan defines added sugars as “all sugars used in processed or prepared foods, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, grain-based desserts, fruit drinks, dairy desserts…but not naturally occurring sugar, such as in fruits and fruit juices” (1). Many consumers are not aware of the amount of added sugar that they consume on a daily basis. A majority of adults get upwards of 30% of their daily calories from added sugar (Kaplan 1). Added sugars have been connected to many health risks, some severe, and some moderate. Professor of health policy, Laura A. Schmidt, states “too much sugar does not just make us fat; it can also make us sick” (Kaplan 1). Research shows that overconsumption of added sugars can lead to not only cavities and obesity, but more serious illnesses such as diabetes and some cancers. Schmidt writes that sugars have been associated with “high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, liver cirrhosis and dementia” and many other health issues (Kaplan 1). Not only is adult obesity a problem, but childhood obesity has become a growing problem in the United States. Adolescents tend to consume sugary and fruity drinks, as well as junk food, which is aiding the growing problem. For example, in recent years, it has been found that schools are referring to foods like pizza and French fries as “vegetables” (Konstantinovsky 1). Research has also shown an explosion of type 2 diabetes in children (Konstantinovsky 1). The food industry does a favorable job at hiding what truly goes into the production of food. This is another problem that displays how poorly organized the food industry is. One thing the industry does is label chemicals “added sugars”. Added sugars have shown to have addictive qualities, and many people refer to them as “drugs”. In an article summarizing the documentary “Fed Up”, author Michelle Konstantinovsky explains how added sugars are also hidden in foods that consumers often do not think twice about, such as salad dressings and pasta sauces (1). Another example of the food industry hiding information is the use of the label “fat free”. Producers of processed foods often label products, for example, milk, “fat free” or “low fat”, but in reality, products with that notion are pumped full of added sugars, and in turn, actually consist of double the sugar content than the “full fat” version (Konstantinovsky 1). Aside from the issues regarding added sugars, the food industry often “tries” to fix food related problems in the United States. The food industry’s supposed “solutions” are actually just making problems worse. Thus, it is visible that added sugars are an enormous problem with the food industry in the United States, and has the possibility of causing even more devastating issues. 

Although I feel that genetically modified organisms need to be banned, or even just better regulated, roughly 40% of the United States population is in favor of genetically altered foods. Many consumers believe that GMO’s are beneficial to our society. These people are not necessarily wrong, they have some valid points. In an article writing about the support of GM foods, author Peter Davies states that “virtually all of our crops are genetically modified in that they have been selected and bred by people to be more productive and provide benefits unavailable in their wild ancestors” (1). The GMO activist explains that the only difference between these transgenic and tradition crops is that the transgenic ones have been “injected” with the desired traits, and it is far more clear-cut by utilizing genetic modifying technology (Davies 1). GMO activists claim that genetically altering foods is “protecting the environment”, which is questionable, but they feel that by using genetic technology preserves the farmland while creating more crops and using less resources (“Support” 1). For example, Peter Davies states that the development of a genetically altered, disease-opposing papaya saved the papaya industry from becoming completely extinct (1). Another reason that people are in support of genetically altered foods is that they keep food prices low. Farmers are able to produce more at a lower cost; therefore, the prices of food are lower in the long-run. Hunger is another growing problem throughout the world that has been positively affected by the use of GMO’s. Influences, such as drought, have cause hunger levels to go up throughout the world and the United States. One in eight people, in a world with over seven billion people, suffer from famine. Activists believe that in using genetic altering technology, we will be able to produce more amounts of food in order to feed those who are in need of it, mostly in developing countries outside of the United States (“Support” 1).  GMO activists and non-GMO activists do not disagree on everything. When considering the labeling law, at least 90% of United States citizens feel that all food products produced with GM ingredients should be labeled. Those who choose to be pro-GMO have credible reasons to believe that, but my view being against the use of GM technology still stays the same. 

There are many problems with the food industry. Genetically modified organisms and the incorporation of added sugars into our foods are two of the most important issues within the food industry, and have become very relevant in recent years. Research on animals have shown the possible negative effects of GM foods on humans, including infertility, immune system problems, gastrointestinal issues and even certain types of cancer. Farmers have also been affected economically, such as organic farmers losing profit due to the mass production of GM crops. Genetic altering technology also negatively affects the environment in many ways such as, contaminating fields with harmful chemicals from pesticides and herbicides, which also makes its way into our food and the ecological system. The use of added sugars in the production of food is a growing problem due to that fact that it causes diseases like high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, as well as diabetes and obesity, which recently has taken a toll on children. The food industry also attempts to hide information from consumers, for example, labeling random chemicals as “added sugar” and manipulating the public into thinking that “non-fat” contains less sugar, when in reality it contains far more sugar than “full fat” foods. There is also the side that believes that genetically altered foods can be beneficial to the society because they foster results such as feeding the hungry and keeping food prices low. But while putting differences aside, the majority of the U.S. population agrees that foods containing genetically altered ingredients should be labeled. The use of GMO’s and added sugars are just two significant problems in the food industry that are often disregarded and consumers need to be more aware of the effects they can have on us and the environment. 
