How Common Are Genetically Modified Foods?
The Nine GE Crops on the Market in the U.S.:
- Sugar Beets
- Hawaiian Papaya
- Yellow Crookneck Squash
(FlavrSavrTomatoes were the first genetically modified foods to come on the market, but are no longer cultivated today.)
Three GMO crops account for the vast majority of acres planted to GMOs around the world – corn, soybeans, and cotton. Five countries produce 90% of the world’s genetically modified crops: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India and the United States.
While the animals themselves are not genetically modified, the majority of the livestock Americans consume have been raised on genetically modified grains. This is because the two most prevalent genetically modified crops are corn and soy which are used in many processed foods and most animal feeds.
A genetically modified salmon is pending FDA approval. The GMO Atlantic salmon being considered was developed by artificially combining growth hormone genes from an eelpout. This modification causes production of growth-hormone year-round, creating a fish that grows at twice the normal rate. If approved, it will be the first genetically modified animal on supermarket shelves in the U.S.