It may surprise you that the debate about whether or not to use genetically modified foods has been quietly, and not so quietly, raging for some time now. GM foods have been around in one form or another since the late 1990s and have increased in their popularity or notoriety, depending on your point of view.
While natural breeding methods to improve both plants and animals is the default way, GM foods are considered by many to provide superior benefits. If you search for long enough, there are plenty of studies to show that the potential for damage to both humans, animals and the environment is huge.
But there are equally plenty of studies to show that GM crops can be raised in areas not normally considered suitable for food production and can offer other benefits.
GM foods are also known as bioengineered foods. No matter what they are called, whatever the source, when you are eating something you need to know where it came from and what potential benefits or damage it can have to your physical health.
In this short series, we look at GM foods and how they are affecting every aspect of our lives, even if we do not actively consume them.