Journal or Publishing Institution: Turkish Journal of Public Health
Author(s): Ergin, I., & Karababa, A. O.
Article Type: Journal Publication
Record ID: 620
Abstract: Genetically modified foods are in the area where biotechnology is applied to foods. Their common use has driven them to a substantially important position in relation to community health. There are researchers who comment that they are safe in relation to/regarding health effects as well as others who consider them as threatening for human health. However, it is difficult to determine the health risks because of difficulties in nutritional epidemiology area, problems in risk evaluation, the limitations in animal experiments and suspicions about the objective nature of the information. Against all these scientific dilemmas, the increasing clues about allergic and toxic effects, the concerns in scientific societies about the possibility of antibiotic resistance, the development of changes in nutritional quality and of gene transfer in literature have clearly revealed the health consequences. The detection of health risks for GMOs has important limitations. There is need for advanced methods of analysis and standard designs that will make comparisons possible. There is an absolute necessity for well designed cohort studies that will determine long term effects. It is/ may be too early to say with scientific confidence that genetically modified foods are safe. The inability to clearly identify the risks does not mean that the risks do not exist. Current methods are not sufficient to reveal the risks clearly. At this stage, an approach in the context of the precautionary principle is necessary.
Key Words: Genetically modified organisms, nutritional epidemiology, risk
Citation: Ergin, I., & Karababa, A. O. (2011). Genetiği değiştirilmiş organizmalar: Sağlığa zararlarını kanıtlamak neden zor? Sorunlar ve riskin ipuçları. Genetically modified organisms: Why is it difficult to prove health hazards? Problems and clues about risk. Turkish Journal of Public Health, 9(2), 113-122.
