Biotechnology
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In the production of food, the role of biotechnology should be used and accepted because it can produce benefits in the future. The terms "biotechnology" and "genetic modification" are commonly used interchangeably. Genetic modification is the technology that alters the genetic composition of genetic material like DNA and/or RNA of living organisms (Gupta, 2003). Combining genes from different organisms is known as recombinant DNA technology, and the resulting organism is said to be "genetically modified" (Gupta, 2003). GM foods are foods that contain some artificial and natural genetic material along with their natural genetic material (Gupta, 2003). A strong majority believes that genetically modifying food can produce benefits in the future because new genes, for example, could add not only nutritious supplements to crops, but could also add food additives that reduce heart disease. Also, in developing countries, or even industrialized ones, vaccines for diseases, such as Hepatitis B, may be produced in crops such as bananas or tomatoes (Gupta, 2003). This could help save the lives of those too unfortunate to be able to see doctors. Thus, a majority favors continued research on the development of such foods, and a strong majority rejects the use of biotechnology in food and that doing so is immoral. The most common advantages of the use of biotechnology in the production of food are organized into the following categories: improved quality and production of foods/products, environmental advantages and economic benefits...