tekst

m people & lifestyle

media all over the world. European erwironmental organizations and public interest groups (e.g. Greenpeace) are used to protesting regularly against GM foods. European Union regulations are tough in these matters, though. Despite numerous protests from Polish farmers or even the government, the EU wants Poland to open its borders to GMO.

by Marta Buszkiewicz

iAj-’y.j 1\\'

GMO: Harmful or Helpful?

SbO\_

According to Polish professor of biology, Tomasz Twardowski, it is a utopian idea to create a GMO-free country. Even without any regulations. there are plenty of foods containing at least tracę amounts of GMOs. However, in response to the public outcry after mad cow disease. Europę now reauires mandatory food labelling of GM foods in Stores. But before we get scared, let’s face some facts about this issue.

What are genetically modified foods? The term GM foods or GMOs is most commonly used to refer to crop plants such as corn, sova beans. barley or rice created for human or animal consumption by usingthe State of the art molecular biological techniques. These plants are modified in the laboratory to enhance some of their desired traits. such as increased resistance to herbicides (i.e. so-called “weed-killers”) or morę nutritional

GMO (Genetically Modified Organism)

- organizm modyfikowany genetycznie {to star up ^r wzbudzić! fuss - zamieszanie tough - twardy despite - pomimo border - granica regulations - przepisy plenty - mnóstwo tocontain - zawierać tracę amount - śladowa ilość outcry - głos protestu mad cow disease - choroba szalonych krów (to reguire - wymagać] mandatory - obowiązkowy (labelling - znakowanie | issue - kwestia commonly - powszechnie crop plant - roślina uprawna soya beans - soja barley - jęczmień

State of the art - najnowocześniejszy to enhance - poprawić, zwiększyć ;

1 desired - pożądany , trait - cecha resistance - odporność weed - chwast

nutritional content - wartość odżywcza

10 english matters 116/2009