Since the creation of Genetically Modified Foods in the 1950s, there has been increasing controversy over scientific, environmental, social, and the ethical issues surrounding them. The history of Genetically Modified foods shows that the initial purpose was to extend shelf life, improve flavor, and increase resiliency against degradation and rotting. According to Margaret McLean, a profound researcher of GMO's, the first products to be genetically modified were tomatoes. These tomatoes were developed in 1994 and were given the name "Flavr Savr Tomatoes " because of the enhanced flavor and long lasting shelf life. Initially consumers reacted positively to the idea of genetically modified foods. (McLean). However the process of genetic modification was not very well perceived by UK consumers, as agreed upon by Bryan Endres, the author of "GMO: Genetically Modified Organism or Gigantic Monetary Obligation? The Liability Schemes for GMO Damage in the United States and the European Union. This sparked the initial controversy about whether or not genetically modified foods were safe, which ultimately raises the question of whether produce companies should be permitted to genetically modify our foods. (Endres, 453) Genetically modified foods put the environment and the wellbeing of humans at risk, and they raise ethical challenges as to whether we should be genetically altering nature. Therefore I believe that produce companies should not be permitted to genetically modify our foods.
Since the creation of genetically modified foods, their purposes and uses have dramatically evolved. Margaret McLean, a director and professor on medical ethics, science, and biotechnology at Santa Clara University reports that the main purposes for modern day genetic modification are to speed up the process of growing crops and to transfer genes from one organism to another to obtain a desired characteristic.