What are GM foods?

GM stands for genetically modified food which have been artificially changed by scientists in a laboratory.
In the past, plants have been improved by breeding them with other, better plants - a natural process which takes years. But with GM foods, it's done quickly and artificially.


GM food involves altering a plant, animal or micro-organism's genes or inserting one from another organism. Genes carry the instructions for all the characteristics that an organism inherits. They are made up of DNA.


One example is a tomato. Tomatoes are used in a lot of foods, but they rot quickly and don't always taste nice. So GM tomatoes have been created which last longer, look redder and taste better. It has inherited these qualities.

Typical GM foods and their properties are:

• Soybeans - Resistant to herbicides
• Sugar Cane - Resistant to certain pesticides
• Sweetcorn - Produces its own insecticide (a toxin to insects, so insect attacks are less likely)
• Corn - Resistant to pesticides