Genetically modified (GM) foods are foodstuffs produced from genetically modified organisms (GMO) that have had their DNA altered through genetic engineering. GM Foods were first put on the market in the early1990s. The most common modified foods are derived from plants: soybean, corn, canola and cotton seed oil and wheat.Controversies surrounding GM foods and crops commonly focus on human and environmental safety, labeling and consumer choice, intellectual property rights, ethics, food security, poverty reduction, and environmental conservation.

A conversation with biologist Jack Heinemann about risk assessment for genetically modified foods, particularly as it relates to Australia and New Zealand.

It's time for Europe to reassess its skepticism towards genetically modified (GMO) foods and trust scientists who have deemed them safe -- or risk more international lawsuits, the EU trade chief said on Thursday.

More than 60 environmental and fishermen's groups will ask the Food and Drug Administration today for a moratorium on the approval of any genetically modified fish, arguing that the environmental and health risks have not been adequately studied. The food and drug agency is considering a company's petition for approval of a salmon with a gene t

In 2005, state legislatures increasingly attempted to preempt, or disallow, local and county initiatives that were mostly aimed at limiting or prohibiting genetically modified (GMO) seeds and crops. As consumers become more aware of GMO foods and the risks associated with them, GMO lobbyists are working hard to restrict local efforts at regulation.

As the use of GM foods increases, scientists are debating the attendant benefits and risks. In Australia, researchers abandoned a long-term experiment involving GM peas at the end of 2005 due to the fact that the GM peas were found to cause lung inflammation in mice.