By: Shereen Mohammad
smohammad@kcautv.com
The heart of genetically modified foods all begin with simple ingredients such as corn, soybean and other crop. The seeds are genetically modified at a lab where scientists add traits to these seeds to make them resistant to bugs, extreme weather conditions and pesticides. Farmers then plant and grow these seeds.
Todd Popken, owner of Popken Farms in Akron, Iowa, says growing genetically modified crops are not only good for feeding livestock but is cost effective.
"With a regular crop, you would have to take and spend more inputs for weed control and pest control. Where we spend a little bit more on the seed, but that would take care of our pest problems," he said.
He also says there is no difference between organic crop and genetically modified crop.
"When we run the combines though the field and harvest our corn, beans and wheat, you can literally not tell a difference, and you can feed it to livestock and they will grow perfectly fine. The end result is the same."
But Stephanie Schieffer, a Dietitian at Mercy Medical Center, says there may be some health risks.
"If the makeup of our food product is different, there's a potential that a person could be allergic to it or develop an allergy to it since it isn't exactly like the original product," she said.
She also says not knowing the long-term effects of consuming these foods is a worry to some.
