John B. Fagan

John B. Fagan is a professor of molecular biology at the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa. In the following viewpoint, he argues that genetically engineered foods are starting to be marketed in the United States without adequate assessment of their health and environmental risks. Placing new genes into foods has unpredictable effects on their nutritional value, he asserts, which can include creating toxins and allergens. In addition, releasing genetically modified organisms into the environment may have disastrous ecological consequences. Fagan concludes that genetically modified food products should not be sold until they are shown to be safe, and that consumers should be informed on whether food products have been produced using genetic engineering technology.

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1. What are some of the dangers...