How can Strawberries (Genetically Modified food) be labeled Organic?

Question

Strawberries have been genetically modified to be larger in size, over the past 40 - 60 years or so. Because of this, how can they still be USDA Certified Organic?

Answer 1

GMO refers to gene splicing-you take a bit of foreign DNA and insert it into a cell that has had a bit of "junk" DNA taken out. This is found with many things such as cotton, tomatoes, potatoes, soy, corn, canola, papya but not strawberries.



Strawberries have been HYBRIDIZED over the decades to express different traits such as bigger size. Hybrids are perfectly alright in organoc farming/certification



Gene spicing has been around for 25 years, not 40 to 60 years.

Answer 2

Everything we eat has been "genetically modified" over the last 40-60 years. Actually, this "genetic modification" has been going on for about 10,000 years, but has really taken off in the last 100. People have been breeding plants for various qualities (with larger size of the edible part being one of the most important) since the dawn of agriculture. For most of history this has mostly been a pretty "natural" process; plants cross with each other and people selected the ones for replanting that had the best qualities. Recently (last ~100 years) we've had a better understanding of how to select for particular qualities and this process has been intensified, but it's still not fundamentally different from what has been going on for 10,000 years, or even what has been going on for millions of years in nature.



We have been inserting genes from one organism into another for only about 20 years. This process doesn't occur in nature (well, some bacteria can transfer genetic material between "species", but it doesn't occur in higher plants). Moving genes between species is what is usually referred to as "genetic modification", not selective breeding and hybridization. There are genetically modified strawberries (gene transfer), but this doesn't mean that all strawberries are genetically modified (even though all commercial strawberries have been selectively bred).

Answer 3

To be certified organic, the product, among other things, must be grown without pesticides, herbicides or synthetic chemical fertilizers. To receive the "USDA Certified Organic" seal the product does not have to be 100% organic. A product can have the certification if it is at least 95% organically grown or produced. As for genetic modification, if the strawberries have grown larger because of gene insertion, then they could still qualify as being 95% organic and receive the seal. However, as others have noted, I think the larger size strawberries are due in most part to hybridization and selective breeding.

Answer 4

Okay.. are you sure they have be Genetically modified? You can modify genetics through natural processes ie: Selective breeding. It is not an actual infusion of new genes like regular GMOs. That being said being afraid of GMOs is dumb.. the infusion of a single gene dose nothing to the final product ( Know they use a gene from fish to make strawberries hardier against cold weather).. the amount they would change in the strawberries DNA would no more than a natural mutation.

Answer 5

Were they genetically modified or cross bred?



Also there is no current regulations by the FDA for genetically modified foods. The USDA only cares if the plant is safe to grow. It's the FDA's job to make sure that food is safe to eat and they don't care about GM foods. This should be changed as many other countries have begun to regulate it.



Edit: Look up the "FLAVR SAVR" tomato.

Answer 6

corn would not exist without human influence. Your error is in assuming the two terms are mutually exclusive. Organics imply culture involving naturally available nutrient sources that eschew water soluble chemical "quick-fixes", genetic alteration" is a widening area of study surpassing mere cross pollination to embrace the physical insertion of genetic strings which radically alter its chemical make-up and allergic properties.

You can still enjoy organically produce strawberries, but if they have baccillus thurgensis traits virus hacked into the chromosomes, look out.

Answer 7

i think of you're ultimate, the FDA could rigidity labeling of GMO's. not that i think of they recent any actual possibility to our wellbeing ideal now, yet i think of it opens the door for the food industry to stray in the direction of extra unnatural products which includes food ingredients and insecticides. The food industry will compromise our wellbeing for better yield and earnings, possibly unknowingly. finally that is going to likely be as much as the patron to call for greater high quality products to rigidity exchange interior the food industry. ideal now the final public of people would desire to care much less approximately what they placed into their mouths.