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Howard 1 GMO’s, Is There a Difference? Justine Howard PHI 103: Informal Logic Professor Babbitt University of Arizona Global Campus

Howard 2 Introduction: There is a hot topic in health forums across the globe, what is the difference between GMO and non-GMO foods? There is a bountiful amount of information released to the public on this topic and still some opinions are skewed on the subject. The most important area of research for most people in regards to this would be, is it safe/healthy to consume GMO fruits and vegetables? The answer might not come as easily as you think due to the fact that some statements that have been said by respected public figures contradicts evidence found in scientific studies. Scientific studies have shown that GMO foods are safe and sufficient for nutrient needs and human consumption. GMO Perspective from the US Government: https://www.fda.gov/media/135280/download#:~:text=These%20studies1%20show %20that,differently%20than%20non%2DGMO%20foods.&text=Do%20GMOs%20affect %20your%20health,to%20improve%20their%20nutritional%20value According to the source found at the link listed above GMOs are not only safe, but more nutritional than their non-GMO versions. The source is defiantly one sided, only addressing one concern of people that do not agree with GMOs, cancer rates. They compare rising cancer rates to other countries that do not consume as many GMOs and state that since cancer is rising in these countries as well, it must not be due to the GMOs. The reasoning in the article is defiantly clear and direct, the link is to a pamphlet style paper that breaks up all the important issues into separate areas. The language used in this article could lead to bias in the individuals reading it because they are centralized around health, and most people will do everything they can to improve their health. Overall the article is one sided, but it does site the sources for the information that was given which indicates that the information is credible.

Howard 3 Premise 1.) GMOs are studied to ensure they do not affect humans differently than the foods we already eat before they are released to the public. Premise 2.) Some GMOs have actually been altered to have more nutrients than the non-GMO counterpart. Premise 3.) GMOs do not cause more allergic reactions than non-GMO products. Premise 4.) The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined by examining cancer rates in other countries that GMOs are not linked to rising cancer rates since other counties that do not consume as many GMOs are still having rising cancer rates. Premise 5.) GMO foods do not contain more antibiotics or steroids than the non-GMO foods. Conclusion.) GMO foods are safe to consume. This source is overall a good starting point for the argument on whether or not GMOs are safe for consumption. The article is well supported although I did expect more information comparing health rates than just overall cancer rates. There are many other factors to consider such as the rate of consumption in cancer patients, the overall diet of the average person that makes it to an older age without getting cancer, and much more. The premises do all support the conclusion, and there is no additional premises that I would recommend to strengthen the argument of this source. I would expect other research to be specifically quoted instead of broad statements being made. For example, when it mentions that nutrition was improved in some fruits, they should have listed at least one specific example. With that being said this leaves the reader with general ideas, but further research must be done for the information to be completely understood as factual. Which foods were improved? What rates were they improved by? Are these rates high enough to actually credit the process to GMO, or was the soil they were grown in possibly just more nutrient dense? Many different questions can arise just from one premise.

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Howard 4 With that being said, besides the further research that would have to be looked into after reading this pamphlet, the information provided gives a broad spectrum of premises that do support the conclusion. GMOs and Food Safety: https://gmo.uconn.edu/topics/gmos-and-human-health/ The article in the above link addresses the popularity of concerns with GMO foods. Overall it shows how broad of a concern there is within society for GMO foods. And it acknowledges that although the concern of GMO is high within the public, no research has been conducted that can confirm any of these concerns. The article does not seem to be clear due to the fact that there is little research that has shown a link from GMOs and any suspected health issue, and it is more informational on the amount of concern there is for GMOs rather than information on the actual issue. Premise 1.) Many GMO options are not offered in Europe and the UK due to high concerns that it can cause health issues. Premise 2.) 37% of society agrees that GMOs are most likely the cause of many rising health issues. Premise 3.) The science of genetic engineering is relatively young. Conclusion.) There is still uncertainty to long term affects that could be caused by consumption of GMO products. Since GMOs were only just introduced first to develop an antibiotic resistant strain of tabacco in 1983, this article really hits the issue on the nail, there has not been enough time for studies to show accuracy on potential issues being caused from GMO products. We see a rise in many health issues as time goes on, but since these issues are still rising in areas that have

Howard 5 choose to not consume GMOs, the issues cannot be confirmed to be the source of these problems. The argument overall is not strong because it alludes to supporting that GMOs are causing many health issues, but there is no research cited to support this stance. It only eludes that the issue cannot be confirmed to not be the cause because science has not found a way to prove that these issues are being caused by an increase in GMO consumption. In the perspective of a logical person, there is no reason to blame GMOs on rising health issues. There are many other aspects that have changed in day to day lives that may be causing rising health issues, and this one change might be just taking the blame without reasoning. To overcome bias, one must look at the facts and the fact is that research has shown that there has only been positive things that have come out of GMO alterations instead of negative things. The only way to be fair is to evaluate facts instead of speculation or suspicion. Overall GMOs should be considered safe unless studies can show otherwise.

Howard 6 References: GMOS and Your Health - U.S. Food and Drug Administration . FDA. (n.d.). https://www.fda.gov/media/135280/download Stearns, S. (2017a, October 18). GMOs and Food Safety . Science of GMOs. https://gmo.uconn.edu/topics/gmos-and-human-health/

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