Genetically Modified Herbicide-Tolerant Crops and Sugar Beet—Environmental and Health Concerns - Sweeteners: Nutritional Aspects, Applications, and Production Technology - page 388

microorganisms.Nonetheless,suchproductsrequirelabelingiftheycontainsugarproductsderived
fromthestarchofGMplants.
Enzymesdonotneedtobedeclaredorlisted,regardlessofthewaytheywereproduced( http://
www.gmo-compass.org/eng/grocery_shopping/ingredients_additives/37.products_starch_corn_
syrup_fructose_glucose.html ) .
12.6.4 Genetic engineering—Starch and enzymes
Genetic engineering can be associated with starch-derived sugars that are used in foods and
beverages in two ways: the plant starch source can be genetically modiied, and the enzymatic
“tools”usedforbreakingdownthestarchcanbemadebyGMmicroorganisms.
Plant used as a starch source .Whenmaizeisusedasasourceofstarch,acertainportionofthe
rawmaterialmaybegeneticallymodiied,asGMmaizeiscommonintheU.S.andinothercoun-
tries.WhenGMmaizeinEuropebecomesmorewidespread,sowilltheproportionofGMcontent
instarchprocessing.Forpotatoes,thesecondmostimportantsourceofstarch,GMcultivarswith
optimizedstarchcontentaregettingclosertocommercialcultivation.
12.6.5 Use as a replacement for Sugar
HFCSreplacessugarinvariousprocessedfoodsintheUnitedStates.Themainreasonsforthis
switchareasfollows:
1. Perrelativesweetness,HFCS55iscomparabletotablesugar(sucrose),adisaccharideoffructose
andglucose.
2. HFCS90issweeterthansucrose;HFCS42islesssweetthansucrose.
3. HFCSischeaperintheUnitedStatesasaresultofacombinationofcornsubsidiesandsugartariffs
andquotas(Pollan2003).Sincethemid-1990s,theUnitedStatesfederalgovernmenthassubsidized
corngrowersby$40billion(Smith2006;Engber2009).
4. HFCSiseasiertoblendandtransport,becauseitisaliquid(HanoverandWhite1993).
IntheUnitedStates,HFCShasbecomeasucrosereplacementforhoneybees.In2009,astudy
byLeblancetal.foundthatattemperaturesabove45°C,HFCSrapidlyformshydroxymethylfurfu-
ral,whichistoxictothehoneybeesbeingfedHFCS.
12.7 CONCLUSION
Thefollowingconclusionscouldbedrawnintheformofadisplayinglist.
1. The technology of genetic modiication of plants remains a controversial issue that raises public
debate. Even a part of the scientiic community is skeptical regarding the beneits as well as the
hazardsoftheGMtechnology.However,itistruethatnofoodproductis100%safe.
2. ThepossiblehazardsmainlylieinallergiestobecausedbynovelproteinsincludedinGMfoodsand
inunpredictablerisksarisingfromaccidentalgeneinsertioninthetotalgenomeorenvironmental
effects.
3. There is already a plethora of processed foods containing ingredients deriving from GM crops,
consumedbymillionsofpeopleworldwide,andhealtheffectshavenotbeenobservedorregistered.
However,asthishasbeenhappeningforalmost20years,whichisconsideredashortperiodtocome
upwithconcreteconclusions,wide,long-termepidemiologicalstudiesarenecessary.
4. Acase-by-caseapproachshouldbeadoptedinassessingGMcroptechnologyanditsuseinagri-
culture, because scientiic uncertainties exist, especially regarding the environment. Long-term